Paul Calvert spoke with Steven Jaffe, a consultant for the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Israel, as we have discussed, hasn't just survived, it has thrived. We talked about the various factors behind Israel's success, but ultimately I believe there is something beyond human enterprise here. God operates through human beings, but I think there is something beyond it. I think you have to visit Israel to see that and sense it. It's in the air, it's palpable.

I do believe there is a divine hand and that's my personal belief as an Orthodox Jew. Israel is also a very secular society, bear that in mind as well. There are many Israelis that are not religious in outlook, but my personal belief would say yes there is a divine power that has safeguarded Israel and has allowed it to survive and be a haven for Jewish people around the world and to be a light to the nations in terms of its spiritual values and in terms of its technological success.

Paul: We hear a lot about anti-Zionism. Is anti-Zionism the new anti-Semitism?

Steven: If you take the view that you wish to deny the Jewish people a State, then that is profoundly anti-Semitic. If people looking at the Middle East today say they are anti-Zionist, they would rather Israel didn't exist, then you are saying that the Jewish people should be a minority people in the Middle East. You have to look everywhere in the Middle East as to what that means. That means no future for the Jewish people in the Middle East. In the surrounding countries, Christians and other minority groups are being martyred. They are being forced out and that would be the future in an anti-Zionist ideal world. The Jews would be Stateless. Jews would not have a Government. Jews would not have an army. I believe that anti-Zionism is firstly negative by its very name. Also its wish for the Jewish people is one of renewed persecution and no future what so ever. I have no qualms in saying that anti-Zionism is a form of anti-Semitism. It is extremely hostile towards the Jewish people and its best interests.

Paul: Is ISIS a threat to Israel?

Steven: For many Palestinians they are waking up to the fact that the main defence they have against so called Islamic State is actually the Israeli army. That is obviously a difficult thing for Arabs to accept because clearly many are hostile to Israel, but in fact it is the Israeli army which is the main defence, not just in Jerusalem, but I would say in what is called the Palestinian Territories as well. The presence of the Israeli army beyond the so called green line that marks pre 1967 Israel and the West Bank, is vital to Palestinian security as regards various Islamist groups. It's not just so called Islamic State as you mentioned, we could talk about Al-Qaeda, which is on Israel's borders. So yes I think it is a threat to Israel. The Israeli army is a strong force to protect the Jewish people and to protect the Arabs in Israel as well and I believe they will be up to the challenge of the Islamic State.

Paul: How can Christians pray for Israel?

Steven: God told us specifically as a command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. It's an interesting command isn't it? It's saying pray for peace in the city of Jerusalem. Peace is something that all peoples who live in that region need. It's not a sectarian prayer. This is a prayer for peace for all people. I would like Christians to bear that in mind in their prayers. It is hugely important. I believe they will be blessed by those prayers and I believe the people of Israel and the surrounding countries will be blessed as well.

I want to say thank you. Thank you to those Christians who are in prayer groups for Israel in their churches, or as individuals, who take time to pray for the peace of Israel.

Paul: Should Christians be coming to Israel and supporting the nation by coming?

Steven: It is very important both for the Christians themselves and for people of the region, in an economic sense. Tourism is very important both to Arabs and Jews, but I believe the impact of physically standing with the people of Israel is very important. People are queuing up to visit and I think it's very important for the people who do make pilgrimages to Israel. I believe any Jew or Christian who is rooted in Tanakh, which is the Hebrew scripture, will come away from that visit a changed person. That is something that is irreplaceable. There is no other land in the world that you could actually say that about. It is something very unique to the land of Israel.