This was the March of the Nations 2026!

At the end of May 2026, 230 people from 12 nations came to Israel for the March of the Nations.  

The conference participants, including 26 organizers and directors of Marches of Life, would not be deterred by high airfares or the volatile security situation during Israel’s war against Iran and its proxies. 

Encounter-Event 

The conference began with a gathering at Beit HaAm, attended by more than 100 Israeli guests. The attendees were particularly happy about the presence of former hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Last year, his father, Ilan Dalal, had been a speaker at the conference while his son was still held captive in the Hamas terror tunnels in the Gaza Strip. March of Life President Jobst Bittner presented Guy with a picture of the location where—among many other places—people prayed for him around the clock. Addressing the crowd, Guy said, “You are the reason I am sitting here today.”  

As descendants of Nazi perpetrators, two young members of the YC Dance team, Jordana Pfeiffer and Samuel Haas, shared their family histories. Afterward, Heinz Reuss, International Director of March of Life, interviewed the two former hostages, Luis Har and Guy, as well as Holocaust survivor Irene Shashar, about their survival strategies while in captivity and their hopes for the time afterward. Guy described imagining his future wife and children watching him through Hamas’s surveillance cameras. He wanted to show them how to stay strong. His captivity had strengthened his faith in God. Instead of asking the crushing question of “Why?”, he held fast to his belief in a higher divine plan, remaining grateful and hopeful.  

Irene Shashar, who survived the Warsaw Ghetto as a child hidden in closets, said, “Your marches are the voices of your hearts. We need you now more than ever before!”  

Luis Hart danced with the YC Dance team. For him, dancing is an expression of life, hope, and freedom. The evening concluded in joy, dancing, and fellowship. 

First Day of the Conference: Teaching and Concert 

On Monday morning, Jobst Bittner and Stefan Haas ushered in a time of prayer with powerful biblical teachings. Stefan Haas spoke about God’s humility and human pride. He shared many striking examples drawn from the geography of Jerusalem. Speaking about Mount Zion, he said, “God does not choose the highest mountain. He chooses what is lowly.” Jobst Bittner taught on the central end-time significance of Jerusalem and the example of Daniel’s prayer for the restoration of Jerusalem. The time of prayer on Monday morning served as preparation for subsequent prayer meetings on the Mount of Olives, in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and at the Pool of Siloam.  

On Monday afternoon, Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel spoke. As the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, she recalled her grandfather, who was murdered in Auschwitz. She described the difficult process of coming to terms with the past, especially in light ofrising antisemitism around the world and ongoing efforts to destroy Israel. She praised the work of March of Life and said, “May you be blessed in everything you do!”  

Edward Ćwierz, director of March of Life Poland, spoke about the importance of repentance and prayer and the situation in Poland, where only a few thousand people now identify as Jewish.  

Monday evening was dedicated to Arab-Israeli reconciliation with a special concert. The Arab singer Nizar Francis sang worship songs in Arabic, Hebrew and English. He and his wife shared how, through their conversion to Jesus, they also came to love the people of Israel. 

Marches in the Cities  

On Tuesday, the participants traveled by bus to five different cities in Israel: Haifa, Be’er Sheva, Ashkelon, Tiberias, and Netanya. There, they held marches and encounter events. They met with mayors, Holocaust survivors, pupils, college students, and those affected by the massacre of October 7. Israel’s First Lady, Michal Herzog, received a group of young March of Life representatives.   

In Haifa, 93-year-old Naftali Fürst shared his story. As a child, he survived several concentration camps and a death march. He described his defiant will to stay alive. His family is believed to be the only one in all of Bratislava in which both parents and children survived. Joining him on the panel were Thomas Waldert and his daughter Leonie Feininger, who spoke about their family’s involvement in the Nazi regime. Naftali Fürst addressed this with the following words: “Whenever I told my story, I have always wondered why I never meet anyone from the other side. Where are all the Wehrmacht soldiers and Nazis? I am very happy that I now have the opportunity to meet the second and third generations from the other side. Thank you for your wonderful work!”  

Jobst Bittner recounted his own family’s story during the Nazi era and promised that the March of Life movement would continue to stand unwaveringly alongside Israel. 

Prayer for Jerusalem and Exhibition  

The conference concluded with powerful prophetic prayer sessions on the Mount of Olives, in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and at the Pool of Siloam—a place of sending. From there, the participants were sent back to their nations with the message of March of Life.  

Later that evening and the following day, they were able to visit the newly opened March of Life exhibition, “From Foes to Friends,” at 6 Yosef Rivlin Street in Jerusalem. It depicts the tragic history of Christian antisemitism and the response conveyed by the March of Life movement: reconciliation through truth and repentance. The exhibition is open to visitors daily during the week. In this way, the message will remain in the heart of Israel even after the 2026 March of the Nations comes to an end. 

Watch the video recap of the March of the Nations 2026 now: