Israel Welcomes Journalists for Sixth Annual Christian Media Summit

International journalists came to Israel for the sixth annual Christian Media Summit this week. It was the first time back in the Land since the COVID pandemic and they came back in full force, eager to engage with Israel.

The annual gathering began as a forum to share values and concerns between Jewish people and Christians in the media.

“It’s important, first of all, because Jesus was a Jew,” said Nitzan Chen, Director of Israel’s Government Press Office, which sponsored the summit. This year they hosted nearly 120 people from more than 25 countries.

“I think that as a government press office, we need to persuade lots of Christian media to come to Israel to get to know the Israeli society because when we have battles and military operation, and even in a peace process period, we need more media, world to talk about Israel in a positive way,” Chen told CBN News.

At the opening night event, CBN News talked with attendees about why they came to the summit.

“Norway is a country where we have a lot of lies produced by the media about Israel. So what we are called to do is just to speak the truth, not to lie, to make them look better than they are, but just tell the truth,” said Trine Overaa Hansen, Editor-in-Chief of Norge IDAG.

“It’s bringing together television professionals and execs from around the world, right here in the epicenter of it all, in Israel to talk about updates, what’s going on [and] how can we build stronger relationships with Israel,” said Dr. Ruth Pauline Plummer, Covenant Daughters TV.

“There is so much false news, fake news. I hate to use that phrase – but it’s just, you don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong, and if you can be a platform that people trust and know that you’re telling what’s going on. Your credibility is so important. I think being here adds to that credibility because you’ve learned of what other people are doing, what we can do to strengthen each other and we can help get the right news out,” said Gregory West, President, ATLANTA 57, WATC.

Some noted the importance for journalists to see and learn about Israel firsthand rather basing decisions on other sources.

“Everything is [a] question of perception. So, if you stay in your country and you keep watching your national or international, news network, they will not tell you the truth about the region. The only way to connect with the reality is to come,” said Frank Melloul CEO, i24 News, an Israeli-based international station that broadcasts in French, English and Arabic.

‘We still need some voice in the East African region to tell the news of what is going on in Israel because there’s so much negative media out there, and most of the time people talk about a nation they’ve not been to. They’ve not experienced what is happening in Israel. So it’s good when you come experience it and then you go back and tell the story of Israel,” said Anne Kasombo of CBN Kenya.

During the summit, participants had the opportunity to learn about the latest in Israeli innovations, the danger Iran poses to the Jewish state and the growth of anti-Semitism.“An older battle than even the danger of a nuclear Iran is the ancient scourge of anti-Semitism, the hatred of the Jews,” said CBN Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell from the podium before moderating a panel on the subject.

“The Late Holocaust survivor and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel said, ‘Once I thought anti-Semitism had ended. Today it is clear to me that it will probably never end,’ Mitchell added.

Bishop Robert Stearns of Eagles’ Wings the current resurgence of anti-Semitism that is in mainstream media and social media right now is one of the great concerns.

“Historically, what starts with antisemitism ends up denying the rights and causing terror for many, many different minorities. So, uh, that’s why this summit is so important to lift our voices, to speak out against antisemitism and to declare that, uh, racism in any form is unacceptable,” Stearns told CBN News.

Journalists also had the opportunity to visit an Israel Defense Forces military base, see a replica of a Gaza city and tour models of Hamas tunnels where Israeli soldiers now train to fight and defend Israel.

They also heard from Israelis in Nirim, a community close to the Gaza perimeter fence. residents told them about living under the threat of rockets.

And since these are Christian journalists, they felt the need to learn about God’s perspective on Israel and the Middle East.

“It’s important to understand what God is doing, now in Israel, in the Middle East, and what are the best way to reflect this through our media, channel that we have in Romania. It’s a key moment,” said Tudor Petan, from Alfa Omega Television in Romania.

“It’s important for us, Christian broadcasters and journalists to get together to know that God’s given us this passion and a heart for His people and His Land, enables us to connect here in Jerusalem to see what God is doing in Jerusalem, but also so we can then report more of the news of what’s happening with a greater insight so that it can encourage more people to pray and intercede into some of the very tough political situations that Israel faces,” said Simon Barrett of Revelation TV in the UK.