 |  | July 12th News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. | | | |  | Al Ahli Hospital, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, is providing medical care to patients as well as shelter and basic needs for family members within their compound. Photo: Courtesy of the Diocese of Jerusalem | | | Episcopal, Anglican leaders respond to Israel’s forced closure of Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza Episcopal News Service "Israel Defense Forces on July 7 forced Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City to close and evacuate all patients and staff after declaring the hospital’s immediate vicinity a “red zone” and conducting a series of drone strikes nearby, according to a July 8 statement from the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. The diocese operates the hospital." | | | | | | | | CMEP gives a Statement condemning the closure of Al Ahli Arab Hospital Churches for Middle East Peace stands in solidarity with the Episcopal and Anglican Church leaders in the Holy Land in denouncing the forced closure of Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza by Israel. | | | | | | | |  | Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon | | | CMEP in the News: Solidarity Sunday set for July 21 Presbyterian News Service "Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, executive director of CMEP, noted that the organization wanted to give U.S. churches a way to raise awareness about Palestinian Christians, to stand in solidarity with them and highlight their suffering as a result of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the affected territories." The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is a board member denomination of CMEP. | | | | | | | |  | 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. | | | | |  | 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 the Executive Director 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. At 11:30 AM following 10:00 AM worship. Attendees will hear 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 toward peace. | | | | |  | 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. | | | | | | 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 | | | | | | | | | | | |  | At least 50 people were injured in the strike, Gaza officials say. | | | Israeli air strike on Gaza school kills at least 16 BBC "At least 16 people have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a UN-run school in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials have said. Dozens more have been injured. The building was sheltering thousands of displaced people at Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry." | | | | | |  | Israeli soldiers from the 8717 Battalion of the Givati Brigade operating in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, during a military operation, December 28, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) | | | ‘I’m bored, so I shoot’: The Israeli army’s approval of free-for-all violence in Gaza +972 Magazine "Israeli soldiers describe the near-total absence of firing regulations in the Gaza war, with troops shooting as they please, setting homes ablaze, and leaving corpses on the streets — all with their commanders’ permission." | | | | | | | |  | A convoy maneuvers inside the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, on Tuesday. Ammar Awad/Reuters | | | Gaza hostage-ceasefire deal faces new hurdles as Israel sets conditions. Here’s what to know CNN "Last week, a US official told CNN that a framework agreement is “in place” and an Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized his negotiators to enter into detailed negotiations, signaling a potential breakthrough. Talks resumed in the Qatari capital Doha on Friday. Over the weekend, Hamas agreed to compromise on a major sticking point for Israel, that the Jewish state commit to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza before signing an agreement." | | | | | | | | | |  | Former heart surgeon Dr Masoud Pezeshkian has been described as a wildcard candidate | | | | | Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian elected Iran's president BBC "Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian has been elected as Iran's new president, beating his hardline conservative rival Saeed Jalili. The vote was declared in Dr. Pezeshkian's favor after he secured 53.3% of the more than 30 million votes counted. Mr Jalili polled at 44.3%." | | | | | | | |  | 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 inter-religious 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 | | | | | | | |
