The Jerusalem Post
November 16, 2004, Tuesday

Churches urge pilgrims to visit

by Etgar Lefkovits

In an unprecedented move, the leaders of the Christian communities in
Israel on Monday signed a joint proclamation urging Christian
pilgrims to visit the Holy Land.

The declaration, “A Call to All People of Faith: Visit the Holy Land
Now,” initiated by the Tourism Ministry, was signed by senior
representatives of the Greek, Russian, and Armenian Orthodox
Churches, the Vatican’s chief representative, and by the Evangelical
International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.

That the diverse, and often feuding, branches of Christianity came
together for one common goal was not lost on the crowd.

“There are many things that divide us and many things that unite us.
For all of us, this is the Holy Land,” Father Pierre Battista
Pizzaballa, the custodian of the Holy Land, said at the Jerusalem
signing ceremony.

“A visit to the Holy Land is one of the most important and
significant things Christians can do at this time,” said Rev. Malcolm
Hedding, executive director of the International Christian Embassy in
Jerusalem.

The declaration comes following four years of violence which has led
to a dramatic drop in the number of Christian pilgrims, as well as to
an ever decreasing number of Christians living here.

Calling a pilgrimage to the Holy Land “a unique enrichment and
spiritual joy,” Papal Nuncio Msgr. Pietro Sambi said that pilgrims
offer both spiritual and material encouragement to the small local
Christian communities and that such visits create an atmosphere of
peace which could contribute in defusing the political situation
between Israelis and Palestinians.

While the number of tourists is at its highest since the outbreak of
violence, the percentage of Christian pilgrims remains comparatively
low. Some 60 percent of the record-breaking 2.67 million tourists who
visited in 2000 were Christians, while only 29% of the projected 1.5
million tourists who will visit this year are Christian, Tourism
Minister Gideon Ezra said.

The only glitch in an otherwise perfect PR ceremony came when the
Armenian representative, Bishop Aris, said it was unrealistic to sign
a proclamation which stated that it is “as safe coming to the Holy
Land as to other parts of the world,” and suggested modifying the
text in accordance with the reality on the ground.

“This is what Madonna said,” Ezra said. “Because of the IDF, the
fence, and God, it’s safe here.”

GRAPHIC: Photo: TOURISM MINISTER Gideon Ezra meets with
representatives of the various Christian communities yesterday.
(Credit: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post)