AP
Christians Visit Israel in Solidarity
Date: Sun, Oct 03, 2004
By LAURIE COPANS, Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM - Led by American evangelist Pat Robertson, thousands of Christian pilgrims gathered in the Holy Land on Sunday to express support for Israel, with hundreds joining a mass prayer session in a Jerusalem park.
The solidarity mission came at a time of high tensions. Israel launched a broad offensive in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) last week following a deadly rocket attack on the southern town of Sderot. More than 50 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed in the fighting.
The tourists, many from the United States, said they were not frightened by the violence and hoped to boost Israeli morale during their visit. Israel has come under tough international criticism during four years of fighting with the Palestinians.
The support was warmly welcomed by Israeli officials, including lawmakers and government representatives who attended Sunday's prayer session.
More than 4,000 people joined this year's annual pilgrimage, about 25 percent higher than the past three years, according to organizers with the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.
The visit comes during Sukkot, or Feast of the Tabernacles, a seven-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the 40 years Israelites wandered in the desert after the exodus from Egypt, as recorded in the Bible. The holiday is celebrated by some Christians who want to connect with their religion's Jewish roots.
Blowing rams' horns and exclaiming "Hallelujah," hundreds of pilgrims — including visitors from Norway, England and Germany — gathered in downtown Jerusalem to pray for peace and celebrate Israel's unification of the city.
Israel captured east Jerusalem, home to Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, in 1967. It considers the entire city its "eternal capital," despite Palestinian claims to make east Jerusalem the capital of a future state.
"The Bible says that the time to bless Zion has come, and I believe that we have come to bless Zion," Robertson told the crowd.
"We have come from all the nations of the earth to say to the people of Israel we are your friends," the prominent religious broadcaster said. "We believe that you were called by God to possess this land."
Evangelical Christians are strong supporters of Israel, believing that the return of the Jews to the Holy Land is foretold in the scriptures and heralds the return of the messiah.
The Israeli government has forged a close alliance with conservative American Christians in recent years. Evangelical groups have contributed millions of dollars to Israel and lobbied in support of the Israeli government in Washington.
Most of the pilgrims were spending at least 10 days in the country, visiting biblical sites in northern Israel's Galilee, touring Jerusalem's Old City, and being baptized in the Jordan River.
Some also toured Jewish settlements in the West Bank to express their solidarity with residents who have frequently been targeted by Palestinian militants.
Marilyn Henretty, a 66-year-old Anglican from Annandale, Va., blew a long ram's horn throughout the prayer session. She said she was not afraid to be in Israel with the ongoing fighting.
"God said my feet must be in Jerusalem at this feast," said Henretty, a retired public affairs worker at the U.S. Commerce Department (news - web sites).
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