On April 23, 2026, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar appointed veteran diplomat George Deek as the first Special Envoy to the Christian World. Christianity is a globalized religion with approximately 2.5 billion adherents. The number of Christians is expected to exceed 3 billion before 2050.
Millions of Christian pilgrims travel to Jerusalem annually, It represents the spiritual roots of their faith, it is also a living city with a continuous Christian community, often referred to as "living stones," dating back to its origins.
The capital of Israel is considered the spiritual homeland and a central holy city for millions of Christians worldwide. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in the Old City, is believed to be the site of Yeshua's crucifixion by the Romans. Yeshua was the son of Miriam bat Hanna veYehoyaqim and Christians believe he was the Messiah.
2.5 billion adherents
Approximate distribution of Christian populations by continent/region in millions as of 2025–2026:
Africa (sub-Saharan): ~754–780 million
Latin America & Caribbean: ~620 million
Europe (including Russia): ~552 million
Asia-Pacific: ~416 million
Northern America: ~271–275 million
Oceania: ~30 million
Middle East & North Africa (MENA): ~13 million
Mission
George Deek is a seasoned Arab-Christian diplomat from Jaffa, previously serving as Israel's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, the first Christian to hold such a post in Israel's history. The special envoy will be working around the world. His primary mission is to deepen Israel's ties with Christian communities around the world, building stronger relationships and bridges between the State of Israel and Christian friends globally, addressing and repairing strained relationships following recent controversies involving Christian institutions in the region, countering the spread of anti-Zionism in Christian circles by conveying the truth about Israel's values, engaging with Christians to combat rising global antisemitism.
Asia
In a world that faces a civilizational crossroads and where Asia and Eurasia tend to have a combined power that they never had in the past, the Israeli government sees with particular interest the large number of Christian people in this region and their distribution. More than 400 million Christians live in Asia today, of which 110 million are in Russia, 90 million in the Philippines, 60 million in China, 30 million in India, and there are equally large and continuously growing numbers in South Korea, Nepal, Vietnam, and so on, making the continent one of the regions where Christianity is growing most rapidly. Projections indicate that there will be approximately 600 million Christians in Asia by 2050.
