I want to wish the Christian citizen’s of Israel, as well as Christians around the world a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Israel is proud of its strong and growing Christian community, and we are proud of the deep and passionate support of so many Christian friends of Israel around the world.
We are living in a time of great uncertainty and instability in the Middle East and Israel, throughout this instability remains a beacon of religious freedom and pluralism. In a region where Christians are routinely persecuted and where there’s little tolerance for the faith of others, Israel safeguards the holy places of the great religions and insures freedom of worship for all.
If you haven’t been to Israel before, I urge you to come and see our remarkable country for yourself. Visit Jerusalem. Visit the Galilee. Visit the very places where Jesus lived and preached a message of universal peace – a message that spread across the world. And as you celebrate Christmas and the New Year, all the people of Israel join you in hoping for a year of prosperity, a year of security and above all, a year of peace.
Merry Christmas