 |  | January 16th News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. | | | | 1. US announces next phase of Gaza ceasefire plan as committee is formed to run battered enclave CNN "The US announced the start of the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan on Wednesday as a new committee was formed to run the battered enclave. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said the second phase of the 20-point-plan would focus on “demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction,” but his statement lacked key details about how to carry out some of the most difficult issues stipulated in the agreement." | | | | | | 2. UN chief warns he could refer Israel to world court over action against UN Palestinian refugee agency Reuters "U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned Israel in a letter that he could refer the country to the International Court of Justice if it does not repeal laws targeting U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA and return seized assets and property. In a January 8 letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Guterres said the United Nations cannot remain indifferent to "actions taken by Israel, which are in direct contravention of the obligations of Israel under international law. They must be reversed without delay." | | | | | | 3. UN rights chief says Israeli policy in West Bank 'resembles apartheid system' BBC "The UN human rights office has issued a report detailing what it calls Israel's "systemic discrimination" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and said the situation has "drastically deteriorated" over the past three years. Israeli laws, policies and practices were having an "asphyxiating impact" on every aspect of daily life for Palestinians and violated an international convention against racial discrimination, it said." | | | | | | 4. Syria poised to attack Kurdish-held towns to pressure stalled talks, sources say Reuters "Syrian troops are poised to attack towns in the north and east held by Kurdish fighters, sources familiar with the matter said, to pressure autonomy-minded Kurds into making concessions in deadlocked talks with the Damascus government. The threat of renewed military action highlights the deepening fault lines between the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has vowed to reunify the fractured country under one leadership after 14 years of civil war, and regional Kurdish authorities wary of his Islamist-led administration." | | | | | | 5. Trump says Iran has told him ‘killing has stopped’ as he pulls back from strike threats The Guardian "Donald Trump has at least temporarily pulled back from threats to strike Iran, saying he has been assured the killing of protesters has been halted and no executions are being planned. Speaking to reporters in the White House on Wednesday night, the US president said: “We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping – it’s stopped – it’s stopping. And there’s no plan for executions, or an execution, or execution – so I’ve been told that on good authority.” He offered no details and said the US had yet to verify the claims." | | | | | | 6. East Jerusalem private schools strike over Israeli entry curbs on teachers from West Bank Times of Israel "Dozens of private schools in East Jerusalem have suspended classes after an Israeli decision to limit the days on which work permits are granted for teachers from the West Bank, Palestinian officials said Tuesday. The strike was called by the General Secretariat of Christian Educational Institutions in Jerusalem and later joined by all private schools in East Jerusalem. The move affects around 20,000 students, including 8,500 pupils in 15 Christian schools, according to Richard Zananiri, director of the private St George’s School." | | | | | | | | Still Active: ACTION ALERT "Block the Bombs Act" On May 21st, 2025, House Resolution 3565 was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives, also known as the "Block the Bombs Act." The resolution calls for a limit on the sale of bombs, ammunition (including white phosphorus), and ammunition manufacturing capability. The act comes as Israel has strengthened its assault on Gaza and the West Bank, with an estimated death toll since October 7th, 2023 standing at 54,000 Palestinian men, women, and children. Congress needs to pressure the Trump Administration to protect Palestinian civilians through the passage of HRes. 3565. Your voice can push your representative to support this vital resolution and limit offensive weapon capabilities of Israel, protecting Gazan civilians from relentless bombs. Contact your representative and urge them to support the initiative. | | | | | | | | Peacebuilding Lessons from the Middle East February 16, 23, March 2, 9, 2026 | Noon–2 PM
Instructor: The Rev’d Mae Elise Cannon, PhD, Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
Offered at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale In a time of deep global division and conflict, this course invites participants to learn from the lived witness of Christians in the Middle East who embody faith, resilience, and hope amid adversity. Taught by the Rev’d Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), the course focuses on Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, exploring how the church in the Holy Land seeks justice, reconciliation, and spiritual renewal in the face of ongoing struggle. Through an interdisciplinary blend of theology, history, and practical ministry, participants will engage in spiritual formation, examine models of conflict transformation, and gain tools for peacebuilding and advocacy. Together, we will explore what it means to “love one’s enemy” and move from apathy to action in the pursuit of justice and peace in the Middle East and in our own communities. | | | | | | Call to Prayer and Advocacy for Shadi Khoury On Sept, 8th 2025, after two years and eleven months of procrastination in the corridors of the occupation's courts, after an arrest accompanied by torture, Shadi's steadfastness during interrogation, a full year of house arrest, and thirty-seven consecutive court sessions, the judge issued his decision convicting Shadi. Sentencing has been pushed to January 20th, 2026. We ask that you keep Shadi in your prayers and consider acts of advocacy. You can reach out to our congressional representatives and respectfully ask them to urge Israel to show leniency in Shadi's case. Please join us on Wednesdays 12:30pm EST as we pray for Shadi and all other affected by unjust violence. | | | | | | CMEP in the News: ‘Hope Is Starting to Die’ as Israel Set to Expel Aid Groups From Gaza "Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition that includes several of the de-registered organizations, signed the joint letter and spoke to Sojourners, echoing a larger concern for the future of political and religious freedom. Faith-based aid groups—particularly Christian groups—have long been spared politicized scrutiny, because their activities were explicitly aligned with a religious mandate, said Kyle Cristofalo, senior director of advocacy and government relations for CMEP. Now, he said, governments seem to be more willing to restrict religious aid in accordance with their political aims." | | | | | | CMEP in the News: 2 CMEP Articles Featured in the Top 10 Do Justice Articles of 2025 "A look back at our top Do Justice articles of 2025 (ranked by pageviews) gives us a meaningful glimpse into the conversations that shaped our year. As you revisit these standout pieces, our hope is that they continue to encourage, challenge, and inspire you. To our writers, thank you for sharing your gifts and perspectives, and to our readers, thank you for engaging, reflecting, and walking with us." The two pieces are: 1. Taybeh: City of Refuge and 2. Running the Race for Peace both written by CMEP ED Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon | | | | | | Thursday Weekly News Briefing
Please join us on Zoom for a weekly briefing on current news regarding the Hamas and Israel War. Hear from CMEP Staff and other experts and ask questions at the end. Every Thursday from 10:30-11:15 am Eastern. | | | | | | | | Support CMEP’s Work for Peace
If you value the programs and advocacy efforts highlighted in the bulletin, we invite you to partner with us. Your generosity makes it possible for CMEP to continue hosting events, leading education initiatives, and amplifying voices for justice and peace in the Middle East. If you would like to support CMEP in expanding this important work, please consider making a donation today. Thank you for standing with us. | | | | | | | | | | | | Receive the Name of a Palestinian Child Alive Today and Lift them up
in Prayer and Advocacy "Let Children Live" More than two million children in Gaza and the West Bank live under brutal oppression, their lives too often reduced to statistics. Yet each child is beloved by God. The Let Children Live campaign invites you to receive the name of a Palestinian child alive today and lift them up in prayer and advocacy. Together, we can remind the world of their dignity, hope, and right to a future. Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and our global partners in this urgent call to stand with children who deserve to live and thrive. | | | | | | Join CMEP from January 18–25, 2026 for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed January 18–25, 2026. This year’s theme, drawn from Ephesians 4:4, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” , invites Christians around the world to reflect on unity as a sacred calling of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the week, CMEP will host prayer, reflection, and conversation centered on the unity of the global Christian community, with a particular focus on the witness and life of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Armenian clergy and speakers will join CMEP to pray together and engage a range of topics that affirm the shared faith, resilience, and interconnectedness of Christians worldwide. Additional details and speakers will be announced soon. Event 1: Tuesday, January 20th, 12 PM EST with Save the ArQ founder Hagop Djernazian - learn about the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem! | | | | | | Early Bird Tickets Out Now! May 5-7: Joint Christian Advocacy Summit 2026 Join CMEP and a broad coalition of co-sponsors May 5-7, 2026 as we converge in Washington, DC for a Joint Christian Advocacy Summit for the Middle East. Centered on the theme “Do Right; Seek Justice (Is. 1:17): Christians Uniting Against Oppression in Palestine/Israel,” this gathering will equip and mobilize Christian advocates from across the country in support of U.S. policies that uphold dignity, human rights, and lasting security for all who call the region home. Attendees will learn from experts, gain advocacy skills, and have the opportunity to meet with their congressional offices to call for a just peace in the Holy Land.
Early Bird Tickets are available until January 31st! | | | | | | Spring 2026 Solidarity Pilgrimage + Christ at the Checkpoint May 22 - May 31 Join Churches for Middle East Peace as we journey to Israel/Palestine in May 2026 for a solidarity pilgrimage. This trip will highlight the spiritual significance of the land, the role of local Christians in shaping the region’s past and present, and opportunities to meet with religious, academic, and non-profit leaders working toward peace and justice in the land. Alongside visits to sacred sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and beyond, the itinerary includes participation in the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference, offering an opportunity to hear from Palestinian Christian leaders and global advocates committed to justice, reconciliation, and nonviolence. | | | | | | | | | | Contact Us Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 505
Washington, District of Columbia 20002
(202) 543-1222 info@cmep.org | | | | | | | |
