March 15th Update Bulletin

Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news.

Image: The UN says a quarter of Gaza's population are one step away from famine (EPA).

EU says starvation being used as a weapon

BBC

“But addressing the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday (March 12), Mr Borrell said the humanitarian crisis in the territory was as a result of a lack of viable land routes… ‘[The humanitarian crisis is] manmade and when we look for alternative ways of providing support by sea, by air, we have to remind [ourselves] that we have to do it because the natural way of providing support through roads is being... artificially closed. Starvation is being used as a war arm and when we condemned this happening in Ukraine, we have to use the same words for what is happening in Gaza."

Image: Displaced Palestinians wait to receive United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) aid, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, March 7, 2024. (Reuters/Mohammed Salem)

UNRWA report says Israel coerced some agency employees to falsely admit Hamas links

Reuters

“The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said some employees released into Gaza from Israeli detention reported having been pressured by Israeli authorities into falsely stating that the agency has Hamas links and that staff took part in the Oct. 7 attacks… The document said several UNRWA Palestinian staffers had been detained by the Israeli army, and added that the ill-treatment and abuse they said they had experienced included severe physical beatings, waterboarding, and threats of harm to family members."

Image: President Biden leaves a press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 18, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski /AFP via Getty Images)

Biden and Bibi "red lines" for Rafah put them on a collision course

Axios

"President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out contradictory "red lines" about the war in Gaza in recent days... U.S. officials say an Israeli military operation in Rafah would likely lead to a significant shift in U.S. policy — including an end to the defense of Israel at the United Nations and restrictions on the use of U.S. weapons by Israeli Defense Forces in Gaza."

ASWR Updates from Bethlehem: As part of the And Still We Rise (ASWR) pre-summit events and on International Women's Day, ASWR hosted the first in-person gathering titled "Palestinian Woman Leaders and the Healing Journey" at the Bethlehem Bible College last Friday, 8 March. In this gathering, local registration for the November ASWR summit officially opened. Give to ASWR

“Young Activists for Change (Part II)” Our final episode of this podcast season features young activists Eman Al-Asah and Eva Borgwardt. Despite their different religious and ethnic backgrounds, they share common grounds in activism and human rights. Both emphasized the importance of intersectionality and finding a long-term solution to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Listen Now.

NEXT WEEK: In January 2024, Churches for Middle East Peace led a delegation of board members and executive leaders on an extensive trip across the Middle East, Join us on March 19th at 9AM Eastern to hear from members of this delegation, including Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Tamar Haddad, and H.E. Vicki Downey as they share their takeaways. Learn more and register.

Become a Part of CMEP's Work. Donate Now.

Make Note & Save the Date:

Let's gather together to commemorate our collective efforts in fostering understanding, dialogue, and reconciliation in the pursuit of peace in the Middle East. Your sponsorship will help fund vital programs and initiatives that promote peace and justice in the region. To reserve your seat or sponsor a table, you can register now. Your contribution will make a meaningful difference and be deeply appreciated. Not able to attend? Consider generously sponsoring seats/tables for those with a financial need. Reserve your seat.

Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages: During Lent, join CMEP and Christians around the world walking 22 miles, the distance from Gaza City to Rafah, as a symbol of solidarity with the people of Gaza. Pilgrimages are being organized in cities all over the world. Learn more or host a Pilgrimage! Churches for Middle East Peace will be hosting our own Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage in Washington D.C. on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024.
Learn more and register here.

Join Churches for Middle East Peace for an Evangelicals 4 Justice event: Myths and Facts - How to Determine the Truth about Israel, Hamas, and Gaza? The Prevention of Genocide and Faithful Christian Responses with Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon and Dr. Ben Norquist, sponsored by Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME). Learn more and register here.

Image: Itay Chen. Photo courtesy of Chen's family. (Axios)

Israeli-American IDF soldier taken hostage in Oct. 7 attack confirmed dead

Axios

“Israeli Defense Forces announced on Tuesday (March 12) that Itay Chen — a U.S. citizen who was taken hostage by Hamas — was killed on Oct. 7 and his body is held in Gaza. The big picture: Chen was one of six Americans still considered held hostage in Gaza. He and more than 30 other hostages have been confirmed in recent months to be dead."

Image: Amr Najjar (right) is seen with his siblings (from handout, BBC).

West Bank violence: 'My child's destiny was to get killed'

BBC

“Burin has long been a flashpoint, but since 7 October, when the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began after Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, tensions across the West Bank have surged. According to the UN, more than 400 Palestinians have been killed - 107 of them children. The UN says 15 Israelis were killed. In Burin, the threat of settler violence is relentless, say villagers."

ELCA Conference of Bishops calls for permanent bilateral cease-fire in Gaza. Read Now.
"The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is adding its voice to the growing group of faith leaders urgently calling for a permanent bilateral cease-fire in Gaza."
United Methodist Church Council of Bishops calling for ceasefire in Gaza. Read Now.
"As bishops of The United Methodist Church, we call for an immediate and permanent cease-fire in the conflict between Hamas and Israel in Gaza and pledge our prayers and commitment to work for a durable peace for Israelis, Palestinians, and all in the region."

CMEP presents this year’s Lenten devotional series entitled “Faithful Resilience: A Lenten Sojourn for Peace.” Read the devotional from last Sunday, written by Rev. Mark Davis, “The Path of the Cross.”
Read here.