Israel's second Christian Media Summit was held in Jerusalem on October 14-17, 2018.
More than 150 media professionals from over 30 countries attended.
The event continued last year's theme of promoting Israeli relations with the Christian world, as the country has experienced profound impact by the United States' decision last November to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
At the opening session, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed the U.S.'s recognition of Jerusalem. Several times he emphasized the great importance of the country's relationship with the global Christian community, saying "yes" to a reporter's suggestion that it should send a "diplomatic envoy" to the Christian world.
According to CBN News, author Joel Rosenberg said that Israel hosted such an event to show "how much it values Christian reporting" and is "impressed by the warming of relations between Israelis and Christians over the years".
On the third day of the four-day event, the country's president Reuven Rivlin hosted the participants for lunch at his residence. President Rivlin addressed the group saying that this year marked Israel's 70th anniversary with many high-tech companies having made the country a better place. He believed that Ezekiel's prophecy of Israel prospering was being realized.
The summit's first two days included themed speeches and discussions covering the present situation and future of Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the media environment faced by the country, and its society and women.
In addition to these, the attendees visited historical and archaeological sites such as the Israel Museum, the Knesset, and the Tower of David.
- Translated by Karen Luo
