Yesterday I spoke to Vivienne Myburgh South African director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ), who was once again in Israel at a time when history was being made.
“It’s amazing that we were here on the 7th of October 2023, an hour and a half away from where the Hamas attacks happened . And the people who the IDF rescued from the area were evacuated to our hotel. And now we’re back again exactly two years later,” she said in a telephone interview.
On both occasions Vivienne was leading South Africa tour groups in Israel for the joyful Christian Feast of Tabernacles celebration hosted by the ICEJ.
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“It’s wonderful to be here in this time of rejoicing, like the Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) celebration commands us to do – and of course to share in another level of rejoicing with the people of Israel because their hostages have come home. Yet, there is also some sadness because only seven of the 28 bodies have been returned, And it looks like Hamas are also busy reorganising themselves in Gaza – so it looks like they’re breaking their agreement on a few levels.”
Vivienne said that days before the final living hostages were released and the 2-year-long Gaza war was ended with the signing of a peace deal, their tour group visited Kfar Aza, a Kibbutz in Southern Israel where 18 people were murdered by Hamas terrorists in the October 7 massacre and 68 were taken hostage. A resident who survived the attack showed them around the kibbutz.
Vivienne said she was very excited that 28-year-old twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, who were taken from Kfar Aza, were among the first seven hostages reunited with their families on Monday. “We took photos holding their pictures at the spot where they were taken,” she said.
She said their group had also been part of an international group of 600 Feast of Tabernacles pilgrims at a heartfelt ICEJ Solidarity Ceremony at Sapir College in the western Negev near Sderot, just 3km from the Gaza border. There they were welcomed by Doron Libshtein, brother of the former regional council mayor Ofir Libshtein, who had welcomed them two years ago – days before he became the first named casualty of the Hamas attack. Ofir died defending his home in Kfar Aza. Vivienne said their college visit was in fulfilment of a promise to Ofir, who had asked them to return. At the time of the solidarity ceremony, which was to convey a message to Israelis that they were not alone in their difficult days, she said they were cautiously optimistic that the last hostages might be released soon in terms of the Trump peace plan. “But we didn’t want to get too excited, because you’re dealing with Hamas.”
She said there was absolute elation on their tour bus on Monday when the hostages actually started coming home.
Vivienne commended South Africans for their resilience in coming to Israel at a time when there were still safety risks, with drones being fired from Yemen and a threat of an escalation with Iran. At a time when few people were visiting the nation where tourism has plummeted a staggering 70% over the past two years, she said their being in the land clearly meant a lot to the Israelis they met.
She said she believes that the presence of over 120 South Africans (from her group and others) in Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles was “a beautiful blessing to our nation”. “We know what Zechariah 14 speaks aboutL the nations that come up at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles will have a blessing on their nation.”
Vivienne said that their group had prayed everywhere they visited – for both Israel and South Africa. Some senior pastors in the group had said they were blown away by their experience in Israel and would be back with their congregations. She said she believes the anticipated blessing that will come on South Africa will be in the form of a change in relations between the two nations. “And hopefully that will be rather sooner than later.”
She said that during their trip they got to see a refrigerated truck that the South African branch of the ICEJ has sponsored to take perishable food to vulnerable families all across Israel. “It’s something practical, on the ground, that we have done so the people of Israel can understand and see with their own eyes that the people of South Africa love them and care for them – in spite of what our government is saying.”
In a press statement released yesterday, welcoming the hostage release and peace agreement, the ACDP called on the SA government to reestablish full diplomatic ties with Israel and to reconsider its case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, given the peace agreement and ceasefire. “The hearing on the merits will cost an estimated R500 million in addition to the approximately R100 million already spent. These funds can be far better spent resolving domestic challenges, including improving health, education and fighting corruption,” said the ACDP.
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Thank you Vivienne for sharing your amazing experiences. My prayer is that we will join one of your tours before Jesus comes. We love and and support Israel.