Israel's First-Ever Envoy to Christians Sees 'Special Relationship' for Nation as Guardian of Holy Sites

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Ambassador George Deek was recently appointed as Israel’s first-ever special envoy to the Christian world. 

In an interview with CBN News after his appointment, Deek observed, “I think that Israel, while it cherishes all faith and denominations, it has a special relationship with the Christian world because Christianity was born in this land and Israel is the guardian of the holy places for Christianity as well as for Judaism. So that gives us special meaning to that bond."

Deek, an Arab-Israeli Christian, was also the first Christian ever to become an ambassador for Israel when he was appointed in 2019 as the nation's ambassador to Azerbaijan, a Shi’ite Muslim country which shares an open border with Iran. Deek served in that post for more than five years. CBN News first interviewed him before that posting. 

As part of his new assignment, he wants to work together with the Christian world to “build partnerships” enabling Christians to come to Israel anytime, visit the holy places, and reconnect to their faith, to the scriptures through visiting the State of Israel.”

He also wants to work together "to show Israeli diversity and how the Christian population in Israel has been the only population in the Middle East that is growing in numbers, compared to the rest of the region, where they are declining.”

Click below to watch the full interview, where Deek discusses his time in Azerbaijan, recent anti-Christian incidents in Israel , how Israel deals with them, and growing global antisemitism.

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