International Christian Embassy Jerusalem
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) is a Christian Zionist organisation based in Jerusalem, Israel.
History
The International Christian Embassy was founded in 1980 by evangelical Christians to express their support for the State of Israel and the Jewish people, specifically the Israeli government's enactment of the Jerusalem Law and in protest of the closure of foreign embassies in Jerusalem. The ICEJ is best known for hosting an annual Christian celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles, which attracts several thousand participants. The location and name were chosen deliberately to show that unlike other international groups, its members regard Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.
The Israel and German branches of the International Christian Embassy are headed by Jürgen Bühler, son of Albert Bühler, a Wehrmacht soldier who spent years in a Russian prison camp after World War II.[1] Bühler's father was aided by two Jewish families, who provided him with medical care and food. Sixty years later, Bühler spearheaded a campaign to raise funds for an assisted living facility for Holocaust survivors in Haifa.[2]
The International Christian Embassy is one of the creators of the Miss Holocaust Survivor beauty pageant, held annually in Haifa, Israel.[3]
References
- ^ Son of German soldier helps open survivors hostel in Haifa By Raphael Ahren, Haaretz, 10-04-2010: "Although his father fought for the Nazis in a Wehrmacht uniform, Juergen Buehler said he was proud of his family's stance during the Hitler years. "In a way my parents and grandparents were [among] the few citizens in Germany that belonged to a minority of Christians who at least to some degree spoke up against the Hitler regime,"";websource 2010-12-15.
- ^ Son of German soldier helps open survivors hostel in Haifa
- ^ Thornhill, Ted (25 Nov 2015). "Contestants compete in this year's Miss Holocaust Survivors Beauty Pageant… and even strut along the catwalk (with the help of walking sticks)". Daily Mail. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
Further reading
- Defending Christian Zionism, 2008, David Pawson, Terra Nova Publications, 2008, ISBN 978-1-901949-62-9