Joint press statement by SAFI and ICEJ
Article source: Supplied
The South African Friends of Israel (SAFI) proudly announces that 120 pastors from South Africa have departed for Israel to participate in the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem’s (ICEJ) annual Feast of Tabernacles gathering, taking place this week from 6–10 October 2025.
This year’s Feast marks a historic moment as more than 1,500 Christians from over 70 nations converge in Jerusalem in what has become the largest solidarity mission to Israel since the war began two years ago. Despite ongoing conflict in Gaza, the delegation of Christian leaders remain committed to championing faith-based diplomacy. They offer a symbolic testimony of the unwavering support Israel has received from Christians across the globe, who continue to stand with Israel in its time of need.
Under the theme “Ten From Every Nation” (Zechariah 8:23), pilgrims will start by visiting Israeli communities living along the Gaza border, to witness the resilience of Israeli citizens recovering from the devastating October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. The South African pastors will be visiting the Gaza Strip today, and towns including Sderot. Delegates will take part in a remembrance ceremony at Sapir College to honor the 1,200 Israelis killed and 251 hostages taken during the assault, and will hear first-hand testimonies from survivors.
The program also includes visits to key sites of the Hamas atrocities, such as the Nova music festival grounds and the “car graveyard” near Tkuma, followed by events in Jerusalem, including the Jerusalem March and a solidarity evening attended by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, and Fijian Deputy Prime Minister, Viliame Gavoka.
“The presence of 120 South African pastors in Jerusalem this week sends a powerful message: the church in South Africa stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel against antisemitism, terrorism, and those who seek her destruction,” said Bafana Modise, National Spokesperson of SAFI. “At a time when our own government’s foreign policy has turned hostile, these pastors represent millions of South African Christians who believe in Israel’s biblical and moral right to defend itself, and to exist in peace.”
ICEJ President, Dr. Jürgen Bühler, described the Feast as a “message of unwavering support for Israel,” highlighting the significance of large delegations from Western nations, including the UK, France, Norway, Canada, Ireland, and Australia.
SAFI commends these pastors for their courage and conviction in traveling to Israel during wartime, reaffirming that faith-based communities in South Africa continue to be a beacon of solidarity with the Jewish state.
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Date published: 07/10/2025
Feature image: facebook.com/southafricanfriendsofisrael
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As a South African Christian and pastor, I find this profoundly distressing. The International Court of Justice has already found a plausible case of genocide in Gaza, and the world’s leading genocide scholars have confirmed that Israel’s actions meet the legal definition under the Genocide Convention. UN investigators, famine experts, and even Israeli human rights groups like B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights–Israel have documented deliberate policies of destruction, starvation, and mass killing. For 120 pastors to travel now and claim “solidarity” with Israel is not an act of faith—it is complicity in a crime against humanity.
Christians should be leading in naming this horror for what it is. To invoke scripture while ignoring genocide is a betrayal of the Gospel itself. “Never Again” was never meant to be “Never Again for some.” It must mean “Never Again for anyone.” Otherwise, it becomes a slogan that excuses new atrocities in the shadow of old trauma. Our calling is not to bless nations but to stand with the crucified—the occupied, the bombed, the starved, and the dispossessed. When church leaders choose selective empathy over justice, they do not follow Christ; they follow power.
Who are these Christian Zionists that went on this trip! They need to be named and shamed.
Will the group be visiting Christian churches in the occupied territories?