A group of Christians in Victoria has been working with the local Jewish community to organize pro-Israel rallies in front of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, including the most recent one on March 17.

About 300 people attended a Feb. 18 rally put together by David’s House of Prayer, a Christian ministry in Victoria. The rally brought in congregants from different churches and featured speeches by local rabbis and several members of the Victoria Christian community.

“We helped plan the rally for the purpose of Christians in Victoria standing with and supporting our Jewish community and Israel at this difficult time,” said Bill Southward, a member of David’s House of Prayer and one of the principal organizers of the February rally.

House of Prayer is a Christian denomination aligned with the conservative holiness movement, a loosely defined group of theologically conservative Christian denominations.

“From the Christian community’s perspective, we want to offer encouragement to them during their time of emotional and psychological pain resulting from the Oct. 7 war and the increase in antisemitism in Victoria and elsewhere.”

Southward and his wife, Edie, are elders and on the leadership team of their Christian congregation. For several years, they have maintained close ties with the Victoria Jewish community and have been strong proponents of Holocaust education in British Columbia.

“Following the start of the Oct. 7 war, we asked friends of ours, who are also leaders in the Jewish community, what Christians could do to support their community at this difficult time. They suggested that we organize a rally to take place on the lawns of the B.C. Legislature,” Southward said.

A similarly sized crowd of 300, a mix of Christians and Jews, showed up at the recent pro-Israel rally on March 17 that was organized by the Victoria Jewish community.  Most waved Israeli and Canadian flags, while others carried posters of those currently held hostage by Hamas.

A much smaller but vocal crowd of pro-Palestinian supporters, including members of Independent Jewish Voices, gathered nearby. A team of police officers separated the two groups and the rally took place peacefully. 

Throughout the rally, speakers stated their affinity towards Israel, their admiration for those serving in the Israel Defence Forces and their desire to see the threat Hamas poses to long-term peace in the region eliminated. Others, representing the LGBTQ community, addressed the persecution that gay people face in Gaza and the West Bank.

“We love the people of Israel and feel in my heart regarding the injustices being done to them. I feel their pain. I want everyone to know that we are side by side with them. I want Hamas to release the hostages and I hope Hamas is removed from any power,” said Karla Townsend, another organizer of the Feb. 18 Christian-led event and a speaker at the rally held in March.

Sharon Fitch, the president of the Jewish Federation of Victoria and Vancouver Island, said it is “a blessing” that the local Christian community came together to support the Jews and to show their friendship and love of the Jewish people, in contrast to the sense of abandonment Jews have felt from many other groups and communities.

“We are surrounded by Jew hatred. It is very heart-warming and means a great deal to all of us that they are supporting us. These have been powerful events with great speakers,” she said.

Attendance at the pro-Israel rallies has largely been by word of mouth. In an effort to avoid any potential problems with Palestinian supporters, both the Christian and Jewish groups in Victoria have been very cautious about announcing rallies outside of their respective communities. Announcements have, for the most part, not been sent out in written text, either online or in posters. 

Pro-Israel rallies organized by members of the Christian community are somewhat unusual in Canada, as most have been arranged by Jewish organizations and groups. In the days immediately following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, a group called the Christian Coalition for Israel held a rally at Place du Canada Park in downtown Montreal.

Nevertheless, there has been a Christian presence at numerous rallies in support of Israel. At the Dec. 4 rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, thousands of people braved freezing temperatures to show their solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people.

“I represent millions of Christians by saying never again will we be silent when you are mistreated. Never again is now,” Dr. Leonor Ward of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem of Canada said at the time.

David’s House of Prayer is also hoping to bring together Christian and Jews from other parts of Vancouver Island for similar rallies in Nanaimo, 110 km north of Victoria. 

The group holds several prayer meetings throughout the week, one of which is devoted to the strength and well-being of the state of Israel. They are connected with many other Houses of Prayer that are situated throughout the country and with Succat Hallel, a Christian community based in Jerusalem.