Energy minister calls on Christian lawmakers: Move embassies to Jerusalem

Energy Minister Eli Cohen called on Christian lawmakers to encourage their governments to move their embassies to Jerusalem at a gathering in the Binyamin Regional Council Sunday evening. 

"We are asking you to promote" moving your embassies, Cohen told pro-Israel Christian parliamentarians who were in the country on a solidarity mission. "One of our goals is to move as many embassies as possible to Jerusalem.

"Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish state for more than 3,000 years."

Cohen previously served as a foreign minister and highlighted conversations with world leaders who said they were planning to move their embassies, including from the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Argentina. 

Mission to Israel was organized by the Israel Allies Foundation

The mission to Israel, organized by the Israel Allies Foundation, mainly comprises the heads of Israeli Allies Caucuses from 21 countries worldwide. Cohen spoke to them of the importance of faith-based diplomacy, especially as Israel fights in Gaza.

"We are not fighting Hamas, we are fighting Iran," Cohen told the room. "Iran is the number one financier of terrorism in the world. Iran funds Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen."

He said that Israel did not start the war and did not want the war and that the war would only end "when we free Gaza from Hamas" and get the Israeli hostages back.

Cohen tapped into the audience's biblical sentiments by emphasizing Israel's centuries-old struggle for its land, which was bestowed by God on the Jewish people more than 4,000 years ago. 

"This is our land, our ancestral land, so we will continue to fight and we will win," Cohen said. "But your support is crucial. Thank you for coming to Israel in these difficult days."