(Special to The Jewish Link) Minister of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Ze’ev Elkin (Likud) and Avi Dichter (Likud), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, told a group of visiting Christian journalists from around the globe that ominous forces in the Arab world are engaged in trying eradicate Jerusalem’s historical ties to Judaism and Christianity, while Iran is working non-stop towards building a nuclear weapon to destroy Israel in spite of the nuclear deal with the Western powers, Russia and China.
Elkin and Dichter participated at various panel discussions at the first Christian Media Summit, which is taking place this week in Israel’s capital city under the tutelage of Elkin and the Israel Government Press Office (GPO).
The summit coincides with the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel. The summit’s goal is to foster a better understanding and strengthen the friendship between Christians worldwide and the state of Israel.
“Jerusalem finds itself in the eye of the storm, as there is a deliberate attempt to rewrite the Jewish history of this city. This denial also has a direct correlation to the birth of Christianity, which took place at the end of the Second Temple era. UNESCO’s decision to erase thousands of years of Jewish history in Jerusalem must not go unanswered. No one in Israel or in the Christian community can stand by and watch this happen,” said Elkin.
Gordon Roberstson, the CEO of the Christian Broadcasting Network, who flew in from Virginia to attend the summit, added, “I saw the joy of the Jewish people first-hand when they were able to pray again at the Western Wall after the Six-Day War. For Arab countries and UNESCO to say that East Jerusalem is ‘illegally occupied’ and that as part of a peace deal with the Palestinian Authority, Israel would have to return not only the Western Wall but also the Church of the Nativity, Garden of Gethesmeny on the Mount of Olives, well, based on past history I say as a Christian, ‘No way!’”
Dichter, also warned that Iran is using the cover of the nuclear treaty to continue its covert march towards nuclear weapons that will be aimed at Israel and others in the region.
“The regime in Iran has a vision of not only destroying Israel but also to create a Persian empire that will one day become the overseers of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia,” said Dichter. “Iran can be compared to Hitler and the Nazis. Think of Hitler with a nuclear capability during World War II. This is what we are facing.”
Conference participants also met with Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat for a special dinner and speech about the unique challenges facing Jerusalem with its diversity and multiculturalism, as well as President of Israel Reuven Rivlin.
