Indigenous peoples around the world have united to place their own embassy in Israel and voiced support for Jews in their historical homeland of Israel.
The Indigenous Coalition for Israel (ICFI)’s embassy will be housed within the Friends of Zion Museum in the historic Nahalat Shiva neighborhood of downtown Jerusalem. The museum is dedicated to showcasing Christian support over 200 years and contributions to Israel.
According to the statement, the embassy will open Feb. 1 with strong expressions of support from indigenous leaders worldwide, including from American Samoa, Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Hawaii, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Taiwan and Tonga, as well as Native American chiefs and paramount chiefs from Southern Africa.
The opening is a strong rebuke to efforts by Palestinians and many around the world to deligitimize Jews who have lived in the land for 3,500 years.
“I congratulate ICFI on the decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem and thank them,” Dr. Mike Evans, Christian leader and the museum’s founder, said in a statement announcing the embassy opening.
“We are grateful to the ICFI leadership for pursuing this initiative, especially during a time of war. The Jewish people are the indigenous people of Israel, and so we are thrilled with the support of the global First Peoples community,” said Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, who spearheaded the initiative with ICFI.
The statement notes, however, that the embassy will not officially represent any government.
“Antisemitism has seen a disturbing and unprecedented rise in the weeks since 7 October. The indigenous peoples recognize the Jewish people as indigenous to the land of Israel. Further, many view Israel as a truly inspirational expression of self-determination in ancestral homelands,” said Dr. Sheree Trotter, a Māori from New Zealand.
The academic researcher and writer co-founded and will co-direct the embassy along with Alfred Ngaro, a former member of the New Zealand House of Representatives who was the first Cook Islander elected to Parliament in New Zealand.
“We believe this is the right time to launch the embassy in order to send a strong message of solidarity from indigenous peoples around the world, that we recognize the Jews as indigenous to Israel and stand with her in her struggle against forces that seek her annihilation,” Trotter said.
–JNS.org with Metro Voice