(JNS) Thousands of African Christians gathered in Uganda on Sunday night to pray for Israel, in a show of faith-based support on the continent for the Jewish state following the two-year war against Hamas in Gaza.

The event, which was attended by Senior Advisor to the White House Faith Office Paula White-Cain as well as delegations from more than 30 African nations, highlighted the strengthening ties between Israel and Africa, rooted in a mix of shared interests and faith.

“There is a big effort underway now in Africa to support Israel,” Ugandan Pastor Robert Kayanja, founder and senior pastor of the Miracle Center Cathedral, which organized the event, told JNS on Monday. “Our mandate is to influence our leaders to support Israel in the international arena including at the United Nations and at the African Union, and to encourage the flourishing of ties and cooperation.”

He noted that 5,000 Israeli flags were distributed at the outdoor event in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, which did not meet the demand of the crowd.

A new Uganda-based Christian movement, dubbed “The Lion Rising,” is also being launched before Christmas to promote ties with Israel across the continent, the pastor said.

The event highlighted anew the growing diplomatic tug-of-war between supporters and opponents of the Jewish state in Africa. While South Africa has emerged as one of the fiercest critics of Israel worldwide, other African countries have pushed back and are now further strengthening ties.

The Ugandan prayer conference was held just two weeks after a delegation of 30 senior African Christian leaders from 10 countries across the continent visited Israel on a joint religious and political mission, as Jerusalem increases its faith-based diplomatic outreach to tens of millions of Christian supporters in Africa.

“We need counter-pressure on governments to support Israel in the international arena, and as spiritual leaders connected to your communities, you can make a change,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told the African religious leaders.

With 600 million Christians and 54 UN votes, including 30 Christian-majority countries, Israel has homed in on the strategic value of religious diplomacy on the continent at a time of international opprobrium over the fallout from the war in Gaza, and continued persecution of Christians in Africa.

“Africa has arrived at a life changing truth, that God has always used us to bless Israel,” Bishop Dennis Nthumbi, Africa director of the Washington, DC-based Israel Allies Foundation, told JNS on Monday.

“This is the reality we are returning to, so God may bless the continent once more.”

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