Press Statement by:  David Parsons, ICEJ VP and Senior Spokesman

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem was honored to receive the annual Yakir Award, given by Keren HaYesod/United Israel Appeal in recognition of the ICEJ’s long record of dedication to supporting Israel and befriending the Jewish people.

“I was humbled to receive the Yakir Award from Keren HaYesod on behalf of the leadership and worldwide family of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem,” said ICEJ President Dr. Jürgen Bühler. “This recognition reflects the hard work and commitment of scores of Christians around the globe who have expressed their support for Israel in so many ways through our ministry over the past four decades.”

The ICEJ was founded in 1980 to represent Christians from all over the world who share a love and concern for Israel and who stand with the Jewish people in their enduring attachment to Jerusalem. Today, the Christian Embassy has branch offices and representatives in nearly 100 nations and a following drawn from more than 170 nations worldwide.

The ICEJ’s core activities include promoting tourism to Israel, assisting Jews to make aliyah, sponsoring social aid projects and humanitarian efforts for the needy and disadvantaged in Israeli society, combating antisemitism, and advocating for Israel in the media and diplomatic arena.

Over recent years, the ICEJ has donated several million US dollars through Keren HaYesod to help fund a variety of projects, most notably to assist Jewish families making Aliyah to Israel, including over 2,000 Jews from Ethiopia arriving on flights sponsored by the Christian Embassy.

Keren Hayesod/United Israel Appeal is the main fundraising arm of the Jewish Agency, which oversees projects to assist Jews in immigrating to Israel, to better Israeli society, and other worthy aims. The Yakir award is given each year to those who have distinguished themselves by their contributions towards the work and goals of Keren Hayesod both in Israel and throughout the Jewish world.

The Yakir award was presented to the ICEJ at Keren HaYesod’s annual awards banquet on Thursday, 9 May 2019 at the Hilton Hotel in Tel Aviv. The dinner and awards ceremony also recognized five other Yakir recipients for their outstanding service to KH/UIA.