 |  | July 5th News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. | | | |  | In-person attendees at the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Video screen grab) | | | Presbyterian Church (USA) votes to divest from Israel bonds Religion News Service "The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) voted Monday (July 1) to divest from Israel bonds and begin the process of encouraging two companies it believes are contributing to human rights abuses against Palestinians in the occupied territories to quit their practices." The Presbyterian Church USA is a CMEP Board Denomination. | | | | | | | |  | Palestinians displaced by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip walk through a street market in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip Saturday, June 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi | | | Israel orders Palestinians to flee Khan Younis, signaling likely new assault on southern Gaza City AP News “The order suggested Khan Younis will be the target in the latest of Israel’s repeated raids into parts of Gaza it had previously invaded during the past mearly nine months, pursuing Hamas militants as they regroup. Much of Khan Younis was already destroyed in a long assault earlier this year, but large numbers of Palestinians have since moved back in to escape another Israeli offensive in Gaza’s southern-most city, Rafah.” | | | | | | | | | |  | Action for the Holy Land - Join Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon and Rev. Dr. Nate Hosler at the Manassas Church of the Brethren on Saturday, July 13th at 6:00 PM for reflections on their recent time in the Holy Land. Participants will also hear action steps that both they and their communities can take to mobilize and be in solidarity with our siblings in the Holy Land. This event will also be live streamed. | | | | |  | Joint Prayer Service Join Churches for Middle East Peace and several of our member denominations as we gather on the steps of the United Methodist Building on July 24th from 9:00-10:00 AM to pray for an end to violence and military action in Gaza ahead of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's address to congress. We will hear from an ecumenical group of Christian leaders prayerfully calling for (1) a permanent ceasefire,(2) demilitarization,(3) the allowance of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, (4) the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinians being held without cause, and (5) for the underlying conditions of the occupation to be addressed. | | | | |  | St. John’s Episcopal Norwood Parish “Christian principles and the Gaza Crisis: a talk by Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon.” On Sunday, July 21st, join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon at St. John's Episcopal Church- Norwood Parish for a post-worship conversation on Christians' role in advocating for an end to the violence in Gaza. The conversation will be held at 11:30 AM in the church parish hall immediately following 10:00 AM worship. Attendees will hear from Rev. Dr. Cannon about CMEP's ongoing work advocating for justice since October 7th, recent travel to the Holy Land, and action steps for getting involved in working towards peace. This event is open to all. | | | | | | Solidarity Sunday: On Sunday, July 21st, Churches for Middle East Peace and its 35 member denominations and communions call upon congregations in the U.S. and worldwide to pray for peace in Gaza and the broader Middle East as part of Solidarity Sunday. In early July, CMEP will provide resources to shape Sunday prayers, worship, liturgy, and other aspects of Solidarity Sunday services, including videos from Palestinian Christian voices in the region. Resources will be ecumenically and politically diverse, allowing each community to shape their Solidarity Sunday around their own traditions and commitments. This day of prayerful solidarity and calls for justice comes just days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to speak before the U.S. Congress. Mark your calendars and encourage your churches to join us in this faithful call for comprehensive ceasefire and peace for all in the Holy Land. You will be able to choose from these four sub themes in order to best fit your community. 1. Solidarity Sunday: Standing with Christians in the Holy Land 2. Solidarity Sunday: Praying for Peace in Gaza and the Middle East 3. Solidarity Sunday: Calling for a Comprehensive Ceasefire 4. Solidarity Sunday: Working Together to Prevent Genocide | | | | | | | | | | | |  | Dr Mohammed Abu Salmiya (L) spoke to reporters at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza following his release | | | Israel releases head of Gaza's al-Shifa hospital after seven months BBC News “As he was released, Dr Abu Salmiya alleged that some medical staff detained by Israel had died in prison of torture. In April, Dr Adnan al-Bursh - who was head of orthopedics at Al-Shifa Hospital - is reported to have died in detention. Dr Abu Salmiya also said that Palestinian prisoners were facing verbal and physical humiliation, as well as a lack of food and water.” | | | | | | | |  | Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men burn trash during a protest against army recruitment in Jerusalem on Sunday, June 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg | | | Ultra-Orthodox protest against order to enlist in Israeli military turns violent in Jerusalem AP News “Thousands of Jewish ultra-Orthodox men clashed with Israeli police in central Jerusalem on Sunday during a protest against a Supreme Court order for them to begin enlisting for military service.” | | | | | | | | | |  | A protester throws a rock towards a Turkish truck during protests against Turkey in al-Bab, northern Syria, on July 1 [Baker Alkasem/AFP]
| | | | | Protests and arrests as anti-Syrian riots rock Turkey Al-Jazeera "More than 470 people have been taken into custody after crowds attacked Syrian shops and cars in central Turkey." | | | | | | | |  | CMEP Special Briefing: Reflections from May 2024 Travel in Palestine, Israel, and Jordan: Rewatch Churches for Middle East Peace staff and board members special briefing on their May 2024 travels across Palestine, Israel, and Jordan, including the 2024 Christ at the Checkpoint (CATC) conference in Bethlehem. Panelists shared takeaways from travels and time in the Middle East, updated constituents about how CMEP shows solidarity with our Palestinian Christian siblings, and reflected on the vital role the church must play in calling for peace in the Holy Land. | | | | |  | Cross and Crescent Given a lack of understanding and historic tensions, American Evangelicals largely overlook opportunities to build relationships with Muslims. Given the conflation of Muslims and the Middle East in the American imagination, times of crisis in the Middle East further complicate relations. This webinar features a discussion between an American Evangelical, a Palestinian Evangelical, and a Lebanese-American Muslim, reflecting together about the challenges and opportunities for interreligious cooperation in pursuit of understanding and peace | | | | | | | | | | | | 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 | | | | | | | |
