Paul Calvert attended the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Jerusalem to honour Christians. He spoke with the director Josh Reinstein, and two winners of awards.



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Paul: Thank you, Josh.
I'm now with Jobst Bittner here at the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus dinner and we are talking about the fact that you won the tourism award, how do you feel about taking this tourism award?

Jobst: Well very thankful, I am very proud of it and for me it is a big honour to be here to receive it.

Jobst Bittner
Jobst Bittner

Paul: You are the founder of March Of Life, tell us what it's about?

Jobst: So March Of Life started in 2007 and it's born from the descendants of Nazi perpetrators and so we started to take responsibility to raise our voice against antisemitism and Jew hatred. So we call the churches to go on the streets and not only to stay in the churches, that is wonderful that is good, but we are calling them on the streets to raise a voice against antisemitism and for friendship for Israel.

Paul: You are from Germany, is antisemitism rising in the West again?

Jobst: Absolutely, it is exploding in Germany and that is terrible but in Berlin and in every city the antisemitism is rising, the synagogues are attacked so for the Jews it's hard to be in Germany as they are not safe, so for me it's very sad.

Paul: Are they getting fearful that they want to leave?

Jobst: I think there are many Jews saying they are going to leave but I think that would be a tragedy for a nation, so if Jews are leaving, the treasures are leaving and so it is a source of blessing for our nations. So hopefully the government and also the churches will raise their voice so that it doesn't happen.

Paul: Part of the march is to remember the holocaust, this must be an amazing thing seeing people marching but remembering this tragic event that took place.

Jobst: Yeah it has something to do with our story. We have this terrible past in Germany, we are responsible for the death of 6 million Jews and so our fathers and forefathers and now they are the children and grandchildren and so we have to remember because now the whole generation of Holocaust survivors, they will not live in the next 5 or 10 years and so our duty and our challenge is to remember and to tell the story.

Paul: You have also brought 6,000 people here for the 70th anniversary of the nation of Israel, what was it like bringing 6,000 people here?

Jobst: Wow for us it was a miracle. It was a special day the 70th anniversary and we brought them from all the nations and a special thing was that we called also the people from Israel and nearly 2 or 3 thousand people from Israel joined and so we walked together as Jews and Christian hand in hand and we made together a statement that was absolutely a miracle.

Paul: What special thing is happening this year, you have got marches in seven cities I hear?

Jobst: Yes, after the march of the nation's 2018 we decided not to march in Jerusalem because there are so many wonderful marches with ICEJ, Tom Hess and so we decided to go to the cities because it is so important to meet the holocaust survivors, students and people at their place. We have marches of nations in seven cities yes.