The Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast held in Australia for the first time
Over 200 people gathered over two days in Canberra’s Old Parliament House (with some sessions in the current Parliament House) to both pray for Jerusalem, Israel and the Jewish People – and to discuss issues affecting Israel including aliyah; 100 years since the San Remo Conference and its implications; anti-Zionism/antisemitism; innovation and trade and more.
The Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast was held for the first time in Australia
The Breakfast is the brainchild of Robert Ilatov when he was a member of the Knesset and chairman of the Christian Allies Caucus and Albert Veksler, a strong Christian Zionist and long-time resident in Israel – who both came to Australia especially for the event.
The local organising committee was led by Jane O’Neill and Jamie Pryor.
Attendees included numerous members of Parliament including Senator Eric Abetz, Minister Stuart Robert, Assistant Minister Zed Seselja and Julian Lesser.
In addition, there were state politicians from Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
Especially welcomed were leaders from New Zealand, the Indigenous communities and Pacific Islands including Fiji, the Solomon Islands and the Cook Islands.
Israel’s Deputy Ambassador Ron Gerstenfeld participated on behalf of the State of Israel.
The Zionist Federation of Australia was represented by Dr Ron Weiser with ZFA President Jeremy Leibler unable to attend and sending a letter of support to the gathering.
“Your outpouring of love, support and prayers over many years for Israel and the Jewish people is profoundly moving and deeply appreciated”, Mr Leibler wrote. “As you know, Israel often feels that it has few friends among the nations. It is attacked on its borders and in the UN.
“Antisemitism is rising around the world. Synagogues are being attacked and many Jews in Europe are no longer displaying outward signs of their Jewishness.
“In these times, the rock-solid support of Christian Zionists in Australia and around the world is a genuine source of comfort for Israel and its supporters. I thank you for your sincerity and friendship.”
There was a wonderful spirit of support and friendship for Israel that emanated from the event and the Jewish community can derive great strength and comfort from these strong friends of Israel and the Jewish People.
The JPB has been running for a couple of years in Israel and has been also held outside of Jerusalem including in London and Seoul.
The organisers describe the JPB as follows:
“The Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast Canberra gathers Christian leaders from Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific and SE Asian nations in solidarity with Jerusalem and Israel and their eternal destinies. Destinies that are founded on the covenants Hashem has made with the Land and the Jewish people.
We meet in Canberra to honour the Jewish people, the nation of Israel and her eternal undivided capital Jerusalem .
We live in unprecedented times. Christians can see Biblical prophecy playing itself out with the return of the Jews to Israel after 2000 years of exile. Hence many have publicly renounced the secessionist dogma (i.e. that christians are supposedly the “new Jews”) and I was blessed to witness last year a very prominent Christian lady publicly and passionately ask the Jews for forgiveness for this historic mistake. Wouldn’t it be the height of irony if now when Mashiach – our Mashiach – is there waiting in the wings, we Jews hold him back further by failing en masse to seize the moment and failing to get on board by recommitting with passion and unequivocation to the G-D of Israel, the Torah of Israel and the Land of Israel!