(SeaPRwire) – By: Julian Holbrooke
Most global leaders pay lip service to fighting rising antisemitism. Few dig into the actual roots driving its global surge. This emergency summit of Christian leaders in Jerusalem cuts through empty rhetoric. It confronts the theological and cultural gaps that let hate spread. Major Western religious bodies have ignored these gaps for decades.
The official gathering is a response to rising antisemitism after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. It is convened by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem as a three-day event. More than 200 in-person leaders from over 30 countries attend, alongside 3,000 online participants. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will speak at Thursday’s closing. A core focus is rejecting Replacement Theology, which claims the Church replaced Jews in God’s plan. ICEJ President Jürgen Bühler notes Jesus was Jewish, and Israel is the second most common word in the Bible.
The unspoken core of the summit is addressing antisemitism’s spread among young Western Christians. A recent US study found only 5% of Gen Z holds strong adherence to biblical teachings. Gen Z spends eight hours a day on social media, and just 20 minutes a week at church. Combat Antisemitism Movement research found social media algorithms actively amplify antisemitic content to hook users. Influencers regularly push antisemitic hate to millions of young followers. Leaders also push back on the old lie that Jews killed Jesus, noting all humankind bears guilt for the crucifixion. Official 2025 Israeli data puts the Christian population at 184,200, 1.9% of the total, growing 0.7% annually. 78.7% of Israel’s Christians are Arab, and most of their religious freedom cases are ruled in their favor. Christians here have far better status than any other Middle Eastern nation.
Interfaith solidarity against rising antisemitism is shifting from a fringe issue to a core global political divide.
Author bio: Julian Holbrooke, international relations analyst who contributes regularly to leading European daily newspapers.