Waving flags and decked out in a bright array of national costumes, over 7,000 Christian pilgrims from nearly 100 nations spilled out into the streets of Jerusalem on Wednesday to take part in the traditional march through the heart of the Israeli capital during Sukkot.

For most of the pilgrims, the Jerusalem March marks the high point of the annual Christian celebration of the biblical Feast of Tabernacles, sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. At the half-way mark on Thursday, this year's Feast had already drawn a record-breaking attendance of 7,600 Christians at the week-long festivities, which wil end on Sunday.

Singing songs in Hebrew and their native tongues, the Christian visitors handed out small national flags and candy to throngs of Israeli children lining the parade route. To watch a video report on the Jerusalem March filed by IBA News and posted on the web by The Jerusalem Post, please click here.

With 1500 marchers, the largest delegation came from Brazil, while the contingents from Finland, Germany, Norway and the United States all numbered around 500 participants.

"Did you see the number of Brazilians here? That whole country must be empty," one Israeli onlooker told the AFP news agency.

"These Christians have come not only for the dynamic worship experience of our Feast, but also to express their deep love for Israel," said ICEJ executive director Rev. Malcolm Hedding. "Their presence here, despite the recent turmoil in global markets, is a strong statement of solidarity with Israel, especially in its efforts to confront the growing Iranian nuclear threat."

On Thursday, the ICEJ followed up the Jerusalem March with a press conference unveiling a growing list of prominent Christian ministries that are joining an unprecedented Jewish-Christian alliance to push for the indictment of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for incitement to commit genocide against Israel.

Over recent weeks, such prominent Christian leaders as CBN founder Dr Pat Robertson, former US presidential candidate Gary Bauer, Rev. Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition, and Catholic League president Bill Donohue have endorsed the message of a global petition delivered by the ICEJ to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in September demanding that Ahmadinejad be indicted for his persistent threats to eliminate Israel.

The ICEJ global petition drive, which was signed by over 55,000 Christians from more than 120 countries, was launched last year in support of an indictment initiative spearheaded by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, headed by former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Dr. Dore Gold.

“With the addition of Pat Robertson, Gary Bauer and other prominent Christian leaders, we are making an important and bold statement that Jews and Christians have joined hands like never before to confront the looming Iranian nuclear threat against Israel,” Hedding told the press conference. “We are confident that the growing momentum of this global campaign will eventually succeed in holding Ahmadinejad accountable for his radioactive rhetoric against the Jewish state.”

Gold stressed that the ICEJ's on-going efforts to build grassroots support for the indictment campaign among Christians worldwide is a powerful "moral response" to the Mennonite and Quaker leaders who hosted Ahmadinejad at a 'dialogue dinner' in New York City last month.

Already Israel’s largest annual tourist event, the Feast is expected to draw well over 8,000 Christian pilgrims by the Finale' on Sunday, which will be centered around a Communion service for the participants from every corner of the world.

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