Israeli, Evangelical leaders to hold 4th annual Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast events Oct. 21-22

JERUSALEM — The 4th annual Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast and its related events will take place this year on Oct. 21 and 22, but online this year, not in person.

The Breakfast gathers government leaders and key Christian influencers from all over the world to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” as King David commands in Psalm 122:6.

“The Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast is a prayer movement initiated and chaired by the former Knesset Member Robert Ilatov and co-chaired by former U.S. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann,” said Albert Veksler, an Israeli who serves as the JPB director.

Michele Bachmann, left, and Albert Veksler, center. (Photo: Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast)

He told ALL ISRAEL NEWS that the inaugural Breakfast was first held on June 6 to 7, 2017 and attended by 570 delegates representing 58 countries. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin received the JPB Founders in his official residence.

The second Breakfast was dedicated to the 70th Anniversary of the rebirth of the State of Israel. It drew 650 delegates from 64 countries.

The third Breakfast brought 700 delegates from 65 nations to Israel to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his special greeting to the representatives.

U.S. President Donald Trump also sent a special greeting to the delegates in 2018 and 2019 and has sent an important message this year as well.

From its conception four years ago, the Breakfast has been an in-person, “invitation-only” event here in Israel’s capital since organizers were limited by the number of seats at the president’s residence and the Knesset.

This year, however, the coronavirus pandemic has changed everything. Now, Christians around the world are welcome to participate. Some events are pay-per-view, but the Celebrate Jerusalem Concert (which will be broadcast on God TV) and seminars are free.

You can register here.

This year’s Breakfast will be a hybrid event — a smaller breakfast attended by Israeli and international leaders, combined with an extensive online option.

There will be a live connection with the First Lady of Honduras, the president of Albania, Swedish parliament members, and Singaporean pastors during the President’s Reception and Knesset Reception.

“The importance of Jerusalem is a biblical issue, one that is cherished by Jews and Christians around the world,” Veksler told ALL ISRAEL NEWS. “At every Jewish wedding, right before the groom kisses the bride, he exclaims: ‘If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill! Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy!’ This comes from the Bible, from Psalm 137:5-6.

“Thus, even before promising to love his bride, the Jewish groom declares that he will never forget Jerusalem,” Veksler noted. “The reason Jews break a glass during the wedding ceremony is to remember two of the most important and tragic events of Jewish history — the destruction of the First and Second Jewish temples. It’s a ritual that tempers that happiness and allows for a moment of reflection in an otherwise joyous occasion. This brings us to the joyous expectation of the Jewish people that one day the Temple will be built again.”

Veksler cited the Hebrew prophet Isaiah, who said: “For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. For the LORD has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion, I will gather you.” (Isaiah 54:5-7)