Czech Center in Bratislava Celebrates 35 Years of Friendship with Israel

At a recent symposium in the Slovak capital of Bratislava, diplomats and veteran politicians commemorated 35 years since the restoration of diplomatic relations between Israel and the then-united nation of Czechoslovakia. The ICEJ was well represented at the special gathering by Vice President for International Affairs Dr. Mojmir Kallus, who also was founding director of the ICEJ-Czech branch, as well as Peter Svec, National Director for ICEJ-Slovakia. 

As soon as Czechoslovakia shed its Communist regime, President Vaclav Havel made it his priority to revive the tradition of friendly relations with Israel, which had been severed at Moscow’s bidding after the 1967 Six Day War. Havel was the first head of state of newly liberated Eastern Europe to visit Israel, following the footsteps of the first Czechoslovak President, Tomas Masaryk, who visited the Land in 1927 as the first foreign head of state. 

The anniversary event was held at the Czech Center in Bratislava and showed that the tradition of close ties with Israel remains very much alive in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. They are counted among the strongest supporters of Israel in Europe and each considers the relationship a vital pillar of their foreign policy. 

The influential leaders present included Czech Ambassador Rudolf Jindrák, Israeli Ambassador Eitan Levon, MEP Alexander Vondra, a former adviser to Vaclav Havel, and Pavol Demes, the first Slovak foreign minister. 

Dr. Mojmir Kallus spoke about global faith-based diplomacy, including efforts to convince governments to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem, while Peter Svec organised the event in cooperation with the Slovak Foreign Policy Society and the Federation of Slovak Jewish Communities. 

Pro-Israel Rally Draws Over 10,000 Christians in Honduras
 -by Claudia Fierro

In November, more than ten thousand evangelical Christians gathered in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, for a vibrant “Pro-Israel Celebration” organised by the Sula Valley Pastors Association and hosted by International Ministry La Cosecha. The evening featured Hebrew dances, praise, and a video message from Israel’s Ambassador to Honduras, Nadav Goren, who expressed gratitude for the support of Honduran Christians.

Miguel Muñoz Valeriano, National Representative for ICEJ-Honduras also spoke, recounting his time serving as a volunteer in Israel during the first 15 months of the war and again during the final month before the release of the last hostages.

“With ICEJ, we were there, two days before October 7, sharing a meal with Ofir Libshtein, the regional mayor, who was later named as the war’s first casualty”, Miguel told the crowd. “We harvested abandoned fruit, packed food for the war-displaced, prayed with families, and witnessed the return of hostages.”

Miguel added that his first-hand knowledge of the conflict has enabled him to “defend Israel with truth. There was no engineered famine, no genocide. God is redeeming Israel”, he assured.

Pastor Manuel Paredes, a leading member of ICEJ-Honduras, also spoke on how Gentile Christians should relate to the Jewish people, inspired by the story of Ruth.

ICEJ-USA helps launch new effort to defend Judeo-Christian values
-by Shannon Bennett, ICEJ-USA Director of Communications

Twenty prominent members of the umbrella group American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI), a project of ICEJ-USA, recently held a strategic meeting in Washington, DC with a visiting delegation of Israeli mayors and officials from the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, a respected Israeli think-tank. They discussed the formation of a new international alliance – the Judeo-Christian Zionist Congress (JCZC) – which aims to unite Christian, Israeli, and Diaspora Jewish leaders in an action-oriented effort to confront the rapidly escalating “civilizational war” being waged against Western democracies by an alignment of radical Islamists and the ultra-Left.

Participants in the meeting warned that antisemitic and anti-Israel voices are rising from both political extremes of the Left and Right in America, mirroring the atmosphere of Europe in the 1930s. Specific examples include the increasingly antisemitic voices of such pundits as Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and the far-right vlogger Nick Fuentes, whose views include admiration for Hitler and Stalin.

The Israeli delegation emphasized that the October 7 attacks exposed the scale of the threat, as a highly coordinated pro-Palestinian movement staged anti-Israel and antisemitic protests on college campuses and in the streets of major cities worldwide.

Dan Diker, Calev Myers and Sagiv Asulin, founders of the JCZC movement, believe October 7 and its aftermath have revealed the scale of today’s civilizational struggle, with Israel’s brutal enemies now targeting both Jews and Christians worldwide.

“Without the hundreds of millions of non-Jewish friends we have around the world, Israel would be in a much more difficult place”, insisted Myers.

Dr. Susan Michael, President of ICEJ-USA and Director of ACLI, will be among several Christian leaders serving on the JCZC steering committee. The Congress’ first goal is to educate Israelis about the global scale of Christian support – which many Israelis are not aware of.

“This Congress represents the unity the current moment requires” said Dr. Michael. “For too long, Israelis have not been fully aware of the overwhelming support they have among millions of Christians across America and around the world. This alliance brings that truth to the forefront. Our partnership is not symbolic—it is strategic, moral, and essential for safeguarding both Israel and the foundations of Western civilization.”

ICEJ sponsors ‘Isaiah 19’ Conference in Cyprus
 -by Tom Craig, ICEJ Middle East Coordinator
 
For the third year in a row, the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem helped sponsor an annual “Isaiah 19” Conference in Cyprus in November, which drew dozens of Arab, Jewish and Gentile believers from Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, and even someone from Iran.

Having hosted these “Middle East Net” conferences in Cyprus for nearly 25 years now, it was a great joy for me to gather once again with so many believers from along the Isaiah 19 Highway nations. We had about 60 people from around the region this year.

The meetings started out powerfully with a 5.3 magnitude earthquake on the first day when our friend, Nathan, began to share on the “First Value: The Finished Work of Christ.” There are no coincidences in God! Truly, He is getting ready to move in more powerful ways in His Body.

Our focus for this Conference was to intentionally have the younger generation teach, lead worship, and share. We had five different young people share on the Five Core Values of our regional network of believers. These young people “have it!” – an amazing clarity about the values that our older generation may have minimised, but not these young people.

From these sessions and others, it was determined that over the next year, they will begin to step up efforts to meet with other young people from the region, especially on Zoom. The goal is to release them to lead, with enthusiasm and love for one another.

On the last morning, as everyone prepared to return to their home countries, we watched them hug and pray for one another, and say goodbye. There was a deep sense of satisfaction that a new generation is rising up to continue praying, sharing, teaching, and encouraging one another to see the Isaiah 19 Highway grow.

For almost 25 years, we have been building the Isaiah 19 Highway here in the Middle East, and it is comforting to know it will continue with the next generation. We are blessed to have seen times of inspiration, difficulty, and stretching, amid seasons of expansion and of stepping back. In all of this, though, we know the Lord is impacting the destiny of key nations. This conference was largely made possible through our partnership with the ICEJ, and the funding that came from several key national branches for the event. Dr. Mojmir Kallus, ICEJ Vice President of International Relations, shared a clear teaching about Biblical Zionism for the Arab believers in particular to better understand the Scriptural foundation for how the Lord will bring His prophetic purposes to fulfilment in Israel and the Middle East.

ICEJ-South Africa sponsors a cold truck with a warm mission
 -by Vivienne Myburgh, ICEJ-South Africa national director

Due to the prolonged war in Israel, requests for humanitarian aid have increased by 25%, with many Israeli working families and evacuees struggling to meet their basic needs. One urgent need was answered by ICEJ-South Africa for a refrigerated truck to transport perishable goods, including dairy and meat products, to those in need.

The South African branch is sponsoring the operational costs of a refrigerated truck which is proudly carrying ICEJ-South Africa’s name, so Israelis can know that many in South Africa support them, despite our government’s shocking stance towards Israel.

The truck enables the distribution of essential food and supplies to thousands of families. It has expanded the range of aid distribution to conflict-affected and underserved communities. And it is ensuring that displaced families receive the resources needed as they rebuild their lives.

The sponsorship involves a commitment to pay the rental and operating expenses of the refrigerated truck for three years.

During the 2025 Feast of Tabernacles, the South African delegation had the opportunity to see the truck firsthand during a solidarity visit to Israeli communities along the Gaza border.