Where terrified Israelis had only weeks earlier come under a hail of rockets from Iran, a young Iranian man brought a message of love, hope and reconciliation to the streets of Tel Aviv.
Unashamed and unabashed, Rami (whose surname is withheld for security reasons) declared how his life had changed through the Jewish Messiah and prayed that Israel and Iran would once again be friends.
Speaking amidst two-and-a-half hours of worship in a city square organised by the Dutch-led ‘Presence’ revival movement, he said: ‘I was taught to hate the Jews and to hate Israel. Every morning in school they told us to say “death to Israel; death to America”.’
Rami explained: ‘I was 19 when a Jewish rabbi changed my life. God turned an enemy into a friend. Now, in Iran, millions are coming to know Yeshua. He’s the perfect Passover Lamb, the Yom Kippur sacrifice. Isaiah 53 tells us that he took our sins and bore our sicknesses. He took our place.
‘I was a lost Muslim man full of hate and bitterness. I was a Gentile, and Yeshua changed my life. Millions of people in Iran now love Israel because of Yeshua.’
Bondi Beach attack: 'A wake-up call' for the church
As Christians in England were singing Christmas carols – some underneath wintry skies in the open air – Jews on …