A group of 12 clergymen from Belgium spent a week touring Israel in order to strengthen their ties with the country. Accompanying them were KKL Belgium President Jacky Benzennou and KKL-JNF Emissary to Belgium, former Knesset member Dani Ben Lulu. On Sunday 22nd May, we accompanied the group to Christian holy sites in the Galilee.
It looked very much like a press tour of European TV correspondents who were collecting video material for an upcoming Israel report. However this was a group of Belgian clergy who arrived for a weeklong trip to strengthen their ties with the country and broaden their knowledge. Several were indeed shooting video of the different sites, for instructional films they intended to edit for their respective communities. They were particularly interested in visiting the locations of Christian history in the Holy Land and to get an up close look at modern Israel.
The excursion that day began in the Galilee, at the Megiddo National Park, the site of the biblical Armageddon, where the apocalyptic battle between good and evil is expected to take place, signifying the end of the world. Archeological excavations there revealed the remains of consecutive civilizations including palaces, temples and an elaborate ancient water system. Over the centuries, many great battles were fought in the area, including the 1918 “Battle of Megiddo”, when General Allenby led British troops against the Ottoman Turks in the Allied conquest of Palestine.
Accompanying the 12 participants were KKL Belgium President Jacky Benzennou and KKL-JNF Emissary to Belgium, former Knesset member, Dani Ben Lulu. Benzennou said “Each of the participants is a leader of a particular Christian community in Brussels, and represents tens of thousands of congregants who are eagerly waiting to hear stories and impressions from the tour. An earlier visit of Belgian clergy, approximately two years ago, was a great success and garnered much support for Israel”.
Pastor Jacques Ilunga Ngoy, the most senior clergy member in the group, was on his second visit to Israel.
“It is vital for church leaders to visit this country, to see the biblical sites, and experience the prophecy of Jews returning to their homeland. This land belongs to God and He promised it to the Jewish Nation. All Jews belong here”.
Pastor Bobo of Brussels said that he was making his second film in Israel.
"The evangelical community in Belgium is thirsty for information about Israel, both from a biblical point of view and about the modern state. We all admire Israel for its technological advancements. I am amazed at how safe it is here. What a difference compared to Brussels, which today, due to the recent terror attacks, looks like a city under siege.”
Another film maker was Pastor Daniel who was continually shooting video and speaking on his mobile phone.
“My community is waiting impatiently to view the fruits of my visit to Israel," he said. "Whatever I see and hear will be presented to them and posted on the internet."
Reciting the Planter's Prayer at the tree planting site at the Golani Junction. Photo: Dennis Zinn
The ancient city of Capernaum on the northern shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Photo: Dennis Zinn
The ancient city of Capernaum on the northern shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Photo: Dennis Zinn
Group photo at the ancient city of Capernaum on the northern shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Photo: Dennis Zinn
The next stop was at the “Three Faiths Lookout” on Mount Precipice overlooking the biblical city of Nazareth. The lookout provides a spectacular view of the surrounding area, including the Jezreel valley. The Pope visited this point during a 2009 visit to Israel.
Members of the tour were thrilled to be invited by KKL-JNF's Elisha Mizrahi to plant trees at the KKL-JNF tree planting site at the Golani Junction. He explained the crucial role KKL-JNF played in the development of Israel, and how the organization has become a world leader in environmental protection.
The participants recited the Planters Prayer in unison, and then, as they moved out to the planting area, they all broke out in spontaneous song, singing the Jewish prayer “Shemah Yisrael” in Hebrew.
Pastor Ester Candela revealed that she was on her 13th trip to Israel.
“This is so special and prophetic for me because by planting a tree I participate in a blessing for Israel," she enthused. "The Lord said ‘when you bless Israel, you will be blessed.’ I know that by my action, this dry location will soon turn into a green forest. I hope that the water that irrigates this tree will also bless my country and my family.”
It was here that two women in the group, who identified themselves only as Magda and Elisheva, revealed that they were of Jewish descent. Magda said that her mother's entire family perished in Auschwitz. She said that even today, in Belgium, one has to be wary about revealing one's Jewish origins.
Following in Jesus’ footsteps, the group then travelled to the ancient city of Capernaum on the northern shore of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Capernaum became the center of Jesus’ activities after he left Nazareth. Archeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues and a church at the site. KKL-JNF guide Dafna Pinkas, who led the group throughout the tour, read relevant excerpts from the bible relating to the places they visited.
Pastor John, who was experiencing his first trip to Israel, said that he was so enthralled that he was lost for words.
‘I believe in Jesus and I feel his presence. I know that he taught in the synagogues that were here at this spot. The bible comes alive here in Israel! That is the message that I will take back to my congregation”.
The day's activities ended at the group’s hotel in Tiberius, where they held a special meeting with senior KKL-JNF representatives.