THE HISTORY
On 30 September 1980, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem was dedicated at a ceremony attended by 1,000 Christians from 32 nations who were gathered in the Holy City for the first public Christian celebration of the biblical Feast of Tabernacles. Jerusalem’s beloved mayor, Teddy Kollek, officiated at the opening and remarked: “This has been one of the most moving ceremonies I have ever attended in my life”.
In its early years, the ICEJ’s strongest support came from evangelical Christians in Western nations who identified closely with the Embassy’s mandate to ‘comfort’ the Jewish people in response to the long, sad history of Christian antisemitism. In more recent decades, however, the Evangelical movement has experienced enormous growth in Latin America, Africa and Asia, where there are now tens of millions of new Christians who have a remarkable love and zeal for Israel and are seeking to connect with the Jewish state and people through the ICEJ.