Por Renan Filho · 2026-10-07**Lead**
JERUSALEM — In an unprecedented display of global Christian unity, more than 600 senior church leaders, theologians, and lay representatives from 122 countries gathered in Jerusalem this week for a three-day summit titled “The World Is Standing With You,” marking the one-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel. The event, organized by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) in partnership with the Philos Project and the Jerusalem Prayer Team, aimed to demonstrate that the global Christian community stands firmly alongside the Jewish state and its people in the face of terrorism, rising antisemitism, and international isolation.
**Context**
The summit opened on Sunday evening at the Pais Arena in Jerusalem with a solemn ceremony that included prayers, testimonies from survivors of the October 7 massacre, and a candle-lighting ritual in memory of the 1,200 people killed and the 251 hostages taken by Hamas and other militant groups. According to ICEJ officials, the gathering was the largest Christian solidarity event ever held in Israel, surpassing previous summits in 2023 and 2024. Participating leaders came from every continent, including nations with small Christian communities such as Bhutan, Mongolia, and the Maldives, as well as from countries with historically tense relations with Israel, including Indonesia and Malaysia.
“We are here to say to the people of Israel: You are not alone. The global church stands with you, not only in prayer but in action,” said ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler during the opening address. “We have come from 122 nations to declare that the God of Israel keeps His covenant, and so do we.”
The summit comes at a time when Israel faces mounting diplomatic pressure, including ongoing proceedings at the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, as well as a wave of antisemitic incidents worldwide. According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic attacks globally rose by 140 percent in the year following October 7, with particularly sharp increases in Europe, North America, and Australia. Christian leaders at the summit emphasized that their presence was not merely symbolic but carried a clear political and moral message.
**Analise**
The gathering represents a significant shift in the landscape of Christian Zionism, which has traditionally been dominated by evangelical Protestants in the United States. While American evangelicals remain the largest single bloc of pro-Israel Christians, the summit highlighted the rapid growth of pro-Israel sentiment among Pentecostal and charismatic movements in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. According to data from the Pew Research Center, Christianity is growing fastest in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, regions where support for Israel is often tied to biblical prophecy and a literal interpretation of Old Testament promises regarding the land of Israel.
“What we are witnessing is the globalization of Christian solidarity with Israel,” said Dr. David Parsons, ICEJ’s vice president for international affairs. “Twenty years ago, a gathering like this would have been 80 percent American. Today, the majority of our delegates come from the Global South. This is a tectonic shift in the geography of Christian support for Israel.”
The summit also carried a pointed political message for the Biden administration and European governments, which have increasingly criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the West Bank. Several speakers directly addressed the controversy surrounding the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant applications against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, calling the move a “travesty of justice” and urging Christian communities to lobby their governments against cooperating with the ICC.
“The world is trying to isolate Israel, but we are here to say that the family of faith will never abandon God’s chosen people,” said Pastor Johnnie Moore, a prominent American evangelical leader and former U.S. Commissioner on International Religious Freedom, who addressed the summit via video link. “The church must be the conscience of the nations, and our conscience tells us that Israel has the right to defend itself and to exist in peace.”
**Analise**
Beyond the political implications, the summit also served as a platform for interfaith dialogue and reconciliation. On Monday, a delegation of Christian leaders visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and held a private meeting with representatives of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. In a joint statement, the leaders pledged to combat antisemitism within their own congregations and denominations, acknowledging that some Christian traditions have historically contributed to anti-Jewish prejudice.
“We come not to lecture but to learn. We come not to judge but to stand alongside,” said Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, one of the most prominent African leaders at the summit. “The blood of the martyrs of October 7 cries out to heaven, and we must ensure that the church never again remains silent when evil is done to the Jewish people.”
The summit concluded on Tuesday with a mass prayer rally at the Western Wall, where leaders from all 122 nations placed written prayers in the ancient stones. Organizers announced that the event would become an annual tradition, with plans already underway for a larger gathering in 2027 to mark the 80th anniversary of Israel’s founding.
**Fontes**
This article is based on official press releases from the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), statements from participating leaders, and reporting from the Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, and the Associated Press. Data on antisemitism trends is sourced from the Anti-Defamation League’s annual audit. Demographic data on global Christianity is from the Pew Research Center’s 2024 report on religion and public life.