As part of his official visit to Israel, South Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. James Pitia Morgan, visited the Western Wall today (Sunday) for a tour and prayer.
He was welcomed by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites, and Mr. Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. They presented him with the rich history of the Western Wall and its enduring significance to the Jewish people as the remnant of our Holy Temple and as a place of prayer, hope, and longing throughout the generations. They also expressed their appreciation for the friendship between South Sudan and the State of Israel and for South Sudan’s support of Israel.
During the visit, the foreign minister said: “I was born and raised in a Christian family, and throughout our lives we studied from the Bible about the history of the Jewish people – the suffering they endured, but also their great victories. We learned that God’s promise to the Jewish people is eternal. He has never abandoned you and continues to stand by your side to this very day. Even in moments of hardship, you must never lose hope. You are a blessed and chosen people, and Jerusalem is God’s home. Our shared history, from the Exodus from Egypt until today, is a constant reminder that the Jewish people will always endure and will always prevail.”
Rabbi Rabinowitz and the foreign minister recited a chapter of Psalms together and offered a special prayer for the peace of their countries and peoples. The foreign minister then placed a prayer note between the stones of the Western Wall.
At the conclusion of the visit, the foreign minister signed the visitors’ book, writing: “I am delighted to be here today together with all the members of my delegation from South Sudan. We in South Sudan stand in solidarity with the Jewish people and the State of Israel. We will always pray for the peace, love, and prosperity of this Holy Land.”
