Presse

"This is a spiritual mission"

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Annette Walder: Praying for peace in Jerusalem and Israel on behalf of God.

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On May 15, a "Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast" was held for the first time in Switzerland at the Basel hotel "Les Trois Rois". 

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idea: Annette Walder, the Jerusalem Prayer Switzerland Association organized a prayer breakfast in Basel with about 100 guests. What was it about? 

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Walder: Our intention was to take up the call from the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, and to do our part in responding more to God's mandate to stand up in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem and for the good of Israel. 

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Why does Israel need such support? There are much poorer countries ...

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Yes, there certainly are! But the now worldwide movement "Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast" has a different focus. Its goal is a spiritual one. We want the prayer for Israel and for the peace of Jerusalem to be spread and deepened in our nation. In this way we want to contribute to a better understanding of God's biblical plan of salvation for Israel and all nations. 

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Only invited guests were present. Who was on the guest list?

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As this was the first time that this event took place in Switzerland and we didn't know what to expect, we decided on 80 guests and invited politicians and key persons, leaders from very different areas of society. The Israeli ambassador was there and other guests from Israel, Hungary, Germany and Ukraine. So, in the end there were 100 people. 

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They had breakfast - and what else was going on?

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In addition to various speeches and greetings, the heart of the morning was a time of praise and prayer: Various guests read and proclaimed Bible passages concerning salvation for Jerusalem, Israel and all nations from the Old and New Testament; prayers were said at the tables. The national anthems of Israel and Switzerland were sung and at the end the cantor of the Israelite Community in Basel sang the Aaronite blessing. 

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What surprised you?

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What surprised me most was the discrepancy in the reactions to our invitation! On the one hand, there was enthusiasm and great joy, combined with the naming of other people whom we absolutely had to invite, and on the other hand, the reluctance and justification of refusals, because participation was not in the interest of the employer or because it was too expensive to pray for CHF 85 in the Hotel Drei Könige ... We chose this exclusive location because it has a historical significance in relation to Theodor Herzl, who stayed there when he proclaimed the Jewish state. 

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Why do you want the Swiss Embassy to move to Jerusalem?

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That is a concern of the initiators in Jerusalem. Personally, I think that as soon as our government understands what exactly it is about, it will be a logical consequence. Moreover: Israel is probably the only country in the world that is not allowed to determine its capital itself. This is actually difficult to understand. 

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Will there be a second Jerusalem prayer breakfast in Switzerland?

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After the reactions, which were indeed largely enthusiastic, we will think about it. We cannot yet say exactly what the outcome will be today.

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Photo: Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast in Basel

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