More than 1,000 visiting pastors traveled to Israel’s south, witnessing the devastation of Oct. 7 and vowing to amplify Israel's story.
At the site of the Nova music festival, where nearly 400 young Israelis were murdered on Oct. 7, more than 1,000 evangelical pastors from around the world gathered on Wednesday to honor six survivors of Hamas captivity and deepen their commitment to supporting Israel: Emily Damari, Tal Shoham, Moran Stella Yanai, Aviva and Keith Siegel, and Edan Alexander.
One by one, the freed hostages—some held for months, others for years—stepped onto an improvised stage to receive the Hineni/Here Am I Award from American evangelical leader Dr. Mike Evans, organizer of the Ambassador Summit. The pastors, many visiting Israel for the first time, repeatedly rose to their feet in emotional standing ovations.
The crowd erupted when Edan Alexander, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and IDF soldier who spent 584 days in captivity before being freed in May 2025, took the stage in his IDF uniform. Having since returned to active service, Alexander told the audience he wanted Hamas to see that he had not been broken.