Dr. Leon Meijer – Chairman
Leon Meijer was born in Dordrecht, the Netherlands in 1964. He is married to Janine and is the father of four children. In 1989 he obtained his master’s degree at the Wageningen University and Research Center. During his study, he spent six months in Israel for practical training. He returned to Israel with his wife in 1991 and arrived in Haifa just two weeks before the first Gulf war. During this war Iraq fired scud missiles on Israel. Leon has vivid memories of this period.
From 1991 until 1992 he worked as a scientist at the Technion – Israel Institute of technology in Haifa. In 1993 the Technion admitted him to their PhD program at the faculty of Agricultural Engineering. He researched the environmental effects of intensive Israeli aquaculture (fishponds). In 2000 he graduated and became one of the few foreigners with an Israeli doctor’s degree. After almost 8 years in Israel Leon and his family returned to his native Holland.
In 2000 Leon started to work in the European Parliament in Brussels as an advisor to several members of Parliament. He started as an advisor on Agriculture and Fisheries but soon became head of a team of advisors on all fields of politics including the Middle East. As an advisor he participated in several visits of the European Parliament to Israel. His knowledge of the Hebrew language proved an asset. In 2007 he left the European Parliament and became a senior policy advisor of the Christian Trade Union in the Netherlands.
After the local elections of 2014 Leon became Alderman in the city of Ede. Together with the mayor and four other Alderman he governs this city of more than 110,000 inhabitants in the center of the Netherlands. Besides management of public spaces he is also responsible for traffic, sustainability, environment, food, youth care and social welfare teams.
In 2008 Leon became a board member of the Dutch branch of Christians for Israel. It was an opportunity for him to use his skills for the benefit of the people of Israel. In February 2016 Leon was chosen as the new chairman of Christians for Israel International.
“My vision is that Christians all over the world will learn that God is faithful to His promises.”
Leon continues: “Promises given to Israel are being fulfilled in our days. Jews from all corners of the earth are returning home, just as the prophets have said. We can be onlookers but my desire is that we will be involved in the fulfillment of these promises. Christians for Israel International is about understanding God’s word concerning Israel and involvement in God’s plan for the Jewish nation. Involvement by praying, giving and raising our voice on behalf of the people and land of Israel.”
