JERUSALEM, Israel – Despite the security situation and growing antisemitism and global anti-Israel sentiments, Christians from around the world came to Jerusalem this week to celebrate the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles and stand with the Jewish state.

Nearly 1,500 Christians from 71 nations are here for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem  (ICEJ) Feast of Tabernacles celebration.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the crowd and called them a living testament to the words of the prophets.

He said, "And I quote, 'And it should come to pass that everyone that is left of all the nations shall go up to worship the King and to keep the feast of Tabernacles.'" 

Herzog told the Christians they had come at a decisive moment in the history of the region.

"You, lovers of Zion, have arrived here at the crossroads in which the choice is for blessing or a curse, for life and liberty or death and destruction is laid out before us," Herzog reminded them.

The president commended the visitors for standing with Israel in its darkest hour two years ago, on October 7th.

"You stepped forward with courage and resilience. You called on your hearts and on your faith to come to the aid of the people of Israel in the Land of Israel. And you're caring reached so many, and did so much good," he said with admiration.

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Each country represented at the feast came forward with its flag in the roll call of the nations. The U.S. had the largest delegation, but other countries whose governments have taken strong actions against Israel also attended.

Norwegian journalist Bjarte Ystebo told CBN News, "I come because this is an important event. It's a biblical event, and it's a very meaningful event. It means a lot to the people of Israel for us to come."

Despite the Norwegian government's actions against Israel and for a Palestinian state, the Norwegian delegation at the Feast was one of the largest, with more than 100 people.

"The Norwegian government, as it is today, is very hostile to Israel, Ystebo explained. "And we're very sorry that that's the situation. I think Israel will be just fine. I'm more worried about Norway. We need to get our values in order and understand why it's important to stand by Israel."

He insists the pro-Israel community in his country is passionate and understands its obligation to the Bible. As a journalist, Ystebo believes the truth is on Israel's side.

"And I think it's a good time also, because information is very available for the ones who want to find it," Ystebo noted. "So, the truth about Israel is out there."

Joanne Lokuta comes from a town near Manchester, U.K., where a synagogue was recently attacked on Yom Kippur..

"This year we felt it was really important to be here," Lokuta said. "Standing with Israel, standing with the Jewish people, after everything that's going on, after all the horrendous things that have happened – it's still happening." 

Lokuta claims that, despite the huge pro-Palestinian marches in London, many British people understand.

She contends, "There are people in the U.K. that do love Israel and do get it and understand it. It's not the whole of the UK. And I think it's great, then, those that do speak out."

She says that despite all the misinformation and disinformation, Christians, especially, need to read the Bible to understand God's plan for the Jewish people.

Lokuta observed, "They need to see how God called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, how He reiterated His promises to Israel all through the Old Testament, all through the prophets – how He reiterated, time and time again, that Israel, the Jewish people, were His people, His chosen ones. How He had a purpose for them, how He was going to bring them back to the land after they'd been scattered."

France Huckendubler believes it's a big decision to come to Israel with her country's flag of France.

She said she comes, "Because I am a Christian, and the roots of my faith are in the people of Israel. And I know that my country is not for Israel, for the political things that a lot of Christians in France are with Israel, and particularly in the south of France, we have a lot of little groups who pray each week, only for Israel, and for the people and for the land."

Former ICEJ Director Malcom Hedding, who received the Nehemiah Award for standing with Israel, remarked that Israel has been through two years of "unspeakable war," and struggled under world pressure to fight annihilation. 

"In spite of all of that, we see that the God of Israel, the God of the Bible, has stood behind this people in the most remarkable manner, in spite of all the suffering and the sorrow which we feel, including the pain," Hedding recounted.

He continued, "Nevertheless, we have to admit that the miracles that have happened here on behalf of Israel, for her defense and for her survival in the teeth of overwhelming aggression, are nothing but miraculous. So I see the hand of the God of Israel in the restoration of this people."