Thousands of Jews, both Orthodox and secular, lined the streets of Jerusalem Tuesday for an annual parade involving some 70,000 participants, police said, including the 7,000 Christians from more than 90 nations, many in national dress and waving national flags.
In an incident that both police and Christian organizers deemed a provocation, three American men were detained by police on Tuesday after they disrupted the parade by displaying a large cross, shouting "This is our march," and lying down in the road along the parade route.
Lawmaker Benny Elon, who is the chairman of the Knesset Christian Allies' Caucus, also addressed the gathering, despite the fact that he is himself an Orthodox rabbi."We thank you for being ambassadors of Israel," Elon said. "Go tell the world the right story ... we are here because there is a covenant between God of Israel and us and it is an everlasting covenant."
Rivka Sack, a 19-year-old resident of the city, said she was overwhelmed by the love shown by the Christians."It really, truly is inspiring how many people truly love Israel and the Jews and want to show that to them in a concrete way," she said. "The smiles, the warm hearts [of people] from all over the world, it's truly a blessing."
Zionist pioneer and former Knesset member, Elyakim Haetzni, published an op/ed in Yediot Achronot encouraging embracing the Christian Zionists:"Their belief in the Bible is the key to this rare phenomenon of Christian love towards Israel, which is not anything new. Christian Zionism emerged in England 32 years prior to the "harbinger of Zionism" Moses Hess (author of Rome and Jerusalem.) The Earl of Shaftsbury (1853) saw "a land without a people," which God allocated to the "people without a land."
His contemporary, British Prime Minister Palmerston pressed the Turkish Sultan to encourage European Jewry to return to the Land of Israel. Author George Eliot called for the revival of the organic center of Jewish existence
in the Land of Israel (in her novel Daniel Deronda) 20 years prior to the publication of the "Jewish Homeland."
Herzl's loyal follower, Reverend William Henry Hechler, partook in the Zionist congresses. Even Lord Balfour and his Prime Minister Lloyd George had religious motives. The latter said: I was taught a lot more about Jewish history than the history of my own people. Wingate (the "friend") didn't go anywhere without the Bible.
His contemporary, British Prime Minister Palmerston pressed the Turkish Sultan to encourage European Jewry to return to the Land of Israel. Author George Eliot called for the revival of the organic center of Jewish existence
in the Land of Israel (in her novel Daniel Deronda) 20 years prior to the publication of the "Jewish Homeland."Herzl's loyal follower, Reverend William Henry Hechler, partook in the Zionist congresses. Even Lord Balfour and his Prime Minister Lloyd George had religious motives. The latter said: I was taught a lot more about Jewish history than the history of my own people. Wingate (the "friend") didn't go anywhere without the Bible.
Welcome to our Sukkot, dear friends, may there be many more like you."
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