The World Evangelical Alliance has announced the relaunch of an official dialogue with the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, in a step aimed at building organized and ongoing communication between global evangelical leaders and representatives of the Jewish religious community.

The announcement was made on May 21, 2026, reviving a dialogue track that had previously begun between the two sides. The renewed initiative focuses on shared concerns affecting religious communities around the world, especially religious freedom, human dignity, combating antisemitism, resisting racism, and serving the common good.

According to the announcement, theologians, scholars, and church leaders will take part in the dialogue within a framework of honest exchange and mutual respect, while clearly acknowledging the theological differences between the Christian faith and Judaism. Therefore, this dialogue is not presented as a doctrinal union or a compromise of Christian faith, but rather as a space to discuss ethical, humanitarian, and religious issues that concern faith communities worldwide.

Rev. Botrus Mansour, Secretary General of the World Evangelical Alliance, said that evangelicals and Jews share a deep respect for the Old Testament and for God’s call to justice, faithfulness, and human dignity. He noted that sincere dialogue can help deepen mutual understanding and address difficult issues in a spirit of respect and peace.

For his part, Rabbi Mark Dratch, chair of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, said that the timing of the renewed dialogue is especially important amid growing challenges facing religious communities, particularly in relation to antisemitism, racism, religious freedom, and the protection of human dignity.

The initiative also carries a special dimension for Christians in the Middle East, as the World Evangelical Alliance’s dialogue team includes Rev. Azar Ajaj, president of Nazareth Evangelical College and pastor of the local Baptist church in Nazareth, who has been known for his participation in Christian-Jewish dialogue over the years.

This step builds on a previous meeting held in Jerusalem in April 2022, which was considered at the time to be the first direct meeting of its kind between the two sides. That meeting addressed sensitive issues, including Jewish-evangelical relations, rising antisemitism, Holocaust denial, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the persecution of religious minorities worldwide, and the decline of religious freedom.

The importance of this initiative is heightened by the global reach of the World Evangelical Alliance, which says it represents a broad network of churches and ministries in 161 countries, and more than 650 million evangelical Christians worldwide. The International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations is also recognized as a Jewish partner in dialogue with international religious bodies, including the Catholic Church and the World Evangelical Alliance.