Hundreds of Christians marched through the streets of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Tuesday in a faith-based show of support for Israel.
The event, which commemorated the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on southern Israel, offered a stark contrast with the throng of anti-Israel protests held the same day throughout Europe as well as in Australia, and follows an intensive Israeli outreach to the African continent.
The nearly two-mile peaceful “March for Israel,” which was convened by the King Jesus Celebration Church Worldwide, the Africa-Israel initiative, the Israel Allies Foundation and the Faith Fathers of Kenya, was addressed by local evangelical Christian leaders who underscored the biblical foundation for their support.
“I call on his excellency, the president, to protect the relationship between Kenya and Israel as it is a covenantal, long-standing relationship,” said Bishop Dennis Nthumbi, Africa Director of the Israel Allies Foundation, who criticized the government for voting against Israel at the United Nations. “The ambassadors at the U.N. are misrepresenting the Kenyan voters by voting against Israel, and no ambassador can sever Kenya’s relationship with Israel.”
The crowd, which waved a mix of Kenyan and Israeli flags, cheered “Amen” when a speaker noted, “Without Israel, there is no messiah,” and “without Israel, we cannot find our heritage.”
600 million Christians and 54 U.N. votes
Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel has made multiple visits across Africa over the last year and a half, emphasizing the strategic value of religious diplomacy on the continent, where there are an estimated 600 million Christians and 54 United Nations votes.
Last year, Israel’s African allies thwarted an attempt by African countries, led by South Africa and Algeria, to strip Israel of its observer status at the 55-member African Union, a title held by other countries such as China, Greece, Kuwait, Mexico, “Palestine,” the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
Last fall, scores of African parliamentarians from 20 nations on the continent subsequently affirmed Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital and pledged to enhance diplomatic, economic and security cooperation with the Jewish state, in an inaugural Africa-Israel Parliamentary Summit in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
The rally comes amid an intense ongoing diplomatic tug-of-war between supporters and opponents of the Jewish state in Africa. While South Africa has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of Israel worldwide, other African countries have pushed back and are now further strengthening ties rooted in a mix of shared interests and faith.
Organizers said that they plan to replicate similar marches in other African countries where local Christian leaders have already voiced interest.
