The administration of the tramp declares that he will move the U.S. Embassy from tel Aviv to Jerusalem in may, the occasion of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of Israel. This news is very happy David Parsons of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. He does this for more than 20 years.
MAN: Not many Americans know that the relevant law was adopted in 1995. You participated in the drafting of the first embodiment. Tell us about it.
David Parsons of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem:
In early 1995, newt Gingrich became speaker of the house of Representatives, and the Republicans first time in 40 years took control of the Chamber. And then we decided that Christians must speak out in defense of Jerusalem from the Palestinian authority. The PLO sought to action. We are much more suited for Israel to retain Jerusalem as a “house of prayer for all peoples”. So I prepared a bill on the transfer of our Embassy from tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Then he began to make changes. After he was put through Congress, the President again began to postpone its signing. It lasted for 23 years. But President trump began to do everything in the order in which we initially saw our project.
MHN: Why do you feel it necessary to move the Embassy from tel Aviv to Jerusalem?
It is symbolic, given the three – or even 4000-year-old Jewish claim to Jerusalem. But the fact also is that the Palestinians simply deny any connection of Jews to Jerusalem or the Temple mount. And we wanted to confirm it. The wisdom of this bill appeared only a few months later. It was adopted in October 1995. And in December of the same year, Arafat first took over Bethlehem. And if you have visited Manger square in the Christmas season, you talked about the connection of this place with the birth of Jesus. You just handed an official document of the Palestinian authority, which said that the Western wall in Jerusalem is an exclusively Muslim Shrine. We therefore decided to oppose the falsification of history. We must recognize the truth that God has bound the Jews to Jerusalem for a redemptive purpose.
MHN: trump finally decided to do it. Why? What, in your opinion, influenced his decision?
Other presidents have promised to do it, but once they got into the White house, then immediately began to arrange a briefing, where he said that Arabs should not be upset, because otherwise you’ll flash the entire region. And he was the first who decided to check these threats of chaos and violence. Yes, there were some protests, but they were not all that bad as many thought. I guess this just points to the fact that maybe we were just trying to intimidate all the time. And I think that even now the Palestinian authority and Hamas are desperately trying to direct the outrage of the Arabs against the return of the Embassy. But it’s just not enough momentum. The whole region is in political chaos.
MHN: Recently the Washington post had an article about what the Christians play a big role in helping Jews around the world to return to Israel. There is mentioned your organization. Tell us about how you help the Jews to make aliyah.
We help Jews from around the world to return to Israel since the organization was founded in 1980. In the 70-ies we had people who helped the Jews traveled through Hungary and Austria. Before the fall of communism it was the only route. But after the fall of Soviet communism, we helped more than 140 thousand Jews to make aliyah to Israel.
Last year we helped about three thousand, and by the way, there are other Christian ministries that are doing this. But we do it because we believe that it is the hand of God: “Look, the Nations Who have scattered Israel, will gather him.” And in the Book of Isaiah has a special invitation. God says, “Behold, I will raise My hand to the Nations. You’ll bring home on his hands and shoulders.” We are invited to play a role in this positive side of the biblical prophecy about the restoration of Israel.
MHN: That’s why it is so important that Christians helped the Jews to return home.
It’s so exciting. I was met at the airport arriving from North-East India; Ethiopian Jews; Ukrainian Jews fleeing the civil war there; Russian Jews and even the French Jews. We sponsored all of these flights. And the land never gets old. It’s exciting to realize that these people start a new life there — on the land that belonged to their ancestors many generations ago. And it’s a real step of faith on their part, because Israel targeted 150 or 200 thousand missiles. And I think that everyone who’s moving there, whether secular or religious, the Jew — God honors his faith, and says: “I’ll put him on this earth. I love him with all your heart and with all your soul.”