By David Parsons, ICEJ Vice President & Senior Spokesman

As Israel observed Yom HaShoah – its annual Holocaust Remembrance Day – from Sunday evening into Monday, scores of Christians worldwide have been standing with Israel in public rallies and in earnest prayers, as can be seen through the various national branches of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.

“There is a groundswell of Christian support for Israel around the globe during this special time of remembering the Holocaust and paying respect to the millions of Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide,” said ICEJ President, Dr. Jürgen Bühler. “This outpouring of Evangelical love and concern for Israel is finding expression in so many countries right now because the Hamas atrocities of last October 7 touched the raw nerve of the Holocaust. So many Christians are wanting to reassure the Jewish people they have far more friends than all the rabid antisemites taking over college campuses in recent weeks.”

Here in Jerusalem, the ICEJ was invited to send representatives Nicole Yoder and Jannie Tolhoek from our staff to lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance during the official state ceremonies at Yad Vashem. And at our Home for Holocaust Survivors in Haifa, ICEJ team director Yudit Setz addressed a large gathering to mark Yom HaShoah that included Members of Knesset and scores of Holocaust survivors with their families. “Precious Holocaust Survivors, I embrace you on this very difficult day in the name of thousands of Christians, who love you and stand with you,” shared Yudit. “The ICEJ represents Christians who have echoed the words of Ruth spoken to Naomi. ‘Your people are my people, and your God is my God.’ In the nations we stand with you in prayer, in action, fighting against antisemitism and standing for what is right. You are not alone!”

Meanwhile, ICEJ national branches around the world were active over recent days in a variety of events to support Israel and remember the Holocaust.

In one example, the ICEJ-Germany branch helped stage a large march of Christians in Stuttgart to stand in solidarity with Israel and combat antisemitism on Monday, in alignment with Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The ICEJ’s German branch also held a prayer rally in Stuttgart last Thursday with more than 600 Christians attending from all over Germany.  Waving Israeli flags and shouting Am Israel Chai! (“The people of Israel live!”), the gathering warmly received Israeli guest speaker Rabbi Shmuel Bowman and then sank to their knees to fervently pray for the Jewish nation and people and ask forgiveness. Local Christian leaders also criticized the German government for funding the UNRWA refugee organization due to its corruption and ties to Hamas.

“The money from Germany does not promote peace, but terror,” insisted Christoph Scharnweber, spokesman for ICEJ-Germany.

“We will continue to pray for the hostages,” added Gottfried Bühler, chairman of the German branch of the Christian Embassy.

In Oslo this weekend, ICEJ-Norway national director Dag Oyvind Julissen hosted a pro-Israel conference featuring an Israeli survivor of the Nova music festival telling his incredible story of being saved by an Arab farm manager.

In Bratislava over the weekend, the ICEJ-Slovakia branch organized its fourth public rally for Israel since October 7, as well as a recent gathering of 25 Christian pastors to support the launch of a local ICEJ think tank to promote closer ties between Slovakia and Israel.

There was a large Yom HaShoah event in Helsinki, Finland on Sunday, with hundreds of ICEJ members joining other pro-Israel Christians in a gathering linked to the March of Life now being held in many cities worldwide.

Elsewhere, ICEJ-USA national director Dr. Susan Michael was a speaker at the annual Yom HaShoah ceremony hosted on Sunday by the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC.

Other ICEJ national branches also joined their local Jewish communities in gatherings to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day. In Milan, for instance, ICEJ-Italy national director Sara Britti attended a ceremony hosted by the Chief Rabbi of Milan where Auschwitz survivor Liliana Segre was named a Senator-for-life by Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

Photo credits: Levi Dorflinger, ICEJ Staff photos