 |  | July 18th News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. | | | | 1. Israel strikes Gaza Catholic church, killing three Reuters "An Israeli strike on Gaza's sole Catholic Church killed three people and injured several others, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which oversees the small parish, said on Thursday.
The Patriarchate condemned "this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place," saying two women and one man had died in the attack on the Holy Family Church." | | | | | | 2. Syria leader vows to protect Druze after sectarian violence prompts Israeli strikes BBC "Syria's interim president has said it is his "priority" to protect the country's Druze citizens, after Israel vowed to destroy government forces it accused of attacking members of the religious minority in Suweida province. In his first televised statement since Israel's air strikes on Damascus on Wednesday, Ahmed al-Sharaa also warned that Syrians were not afraid of war. Syrian state media reported that the military was withdrawing from Suweida under a ceasefire agreement with Druze leaders. But it is not clear whether that will hold.” | | | | | | 3. Huckabee calls for investigation after Palestinian American killed in the West Bank Politico "U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called on the country to probe the killing of a Palestinian American man visiting family in the West Bank. 'I have asked @Israel to aggressively investigate the murder of Saif Mussallet [sic], an American citizen who was visiting family in Sinjil when he was beaten to death,' Huckabee wrote in a post on X Tuesday. “There must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act. Saif was just 20 yrs old.'" | | | | | | 4. 20 Palestinians killed in chaos at Gaza aid distribution site, Israeli-backed aid group says PBS News "Twenty Palestinians were killed Wednesday in the crush of a crowd at a food distribution site run by an Israeli-backed American organization in the Gaza Strip, the group said, the first time it has acknowledged deadly violence at its operations. The deaths came as Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 children, according to hospital officials. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund accused the Hamas militant group of fomenting panic and spreading misinformation that led to the violence, though it provided no evidence to support the claim." | | | | | | | | July 10, 2025: 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. | | | | | | | | Iron(wo)man for Gaza Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) presents Iron(wo)man for Gaza, a bold fundraising journey led by Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon. As she trains for and completes a full Ironman Triathlon—140.6 miles of swimming, biking, and running—Rev. Dr. Cannon aims to raise $1000 per mile for a total of $140,600 in support of peace, justice, and liberation in the Middle East. All funds raised will support the work of Churches for Middle East Peace, an organization Rev. Dr. Cannon has had the privilege of leading for over 8 years. For over 40 years, CMEP has been advocating, educating, and elevating voices in the Middle East, with the steadfast belief that peace is possible, and justice will prevail when we work together. We invite you to donate $70.30—just $1 for every mile of the half-Iron(wo)man in May —to stand with Rev. Dr. Cannon and support the transformative work of CMEP.
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon is racing toward 140.6 miles — and toward a future of freedom, justice, and peace in Gaza and beyond. Now is the moment. Help go the distance. | | | | | | | | July 14, 2025: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Elevates Statement by the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem Regarding the Latest Settler Attack on Taybeh Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) elevates the recent statement made by the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem condemning the latest settler attack against the Christian community of Taybeh. We mourn the lives lost and the homes and churches burned. Intimidation and violence against Christian communities in the Holy Land has been steadily increasing due to intensified Israeli efforts to establish settlements. CMEP urges the international community to act against these atrocities and support the continued presence of Christians in the Holy Land. | | | | | | July 15, 2025: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Condemns the Killing of Palestinian-American Sayfollah Musallet Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) condemns the violent July 11, 2025 settler attack in the West Bank. Tragically, Sayfollah Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian American, and Mohammad Shalabi, a 23-year-old Palestinian were brutally killed. This deadly settler attack is not an isolated incident. Attacks in the West Bank have only been increasing, leading to the deaths of at least 7 American citizens. CMEP demands accountability, justice, and the immediate launch of an investigation by the American government. | | | | | | July 16, 2025: CMEP Condemns the Israeli Plan to Forcibly Relocate Palestinians to Camps in Rafah Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) rejects the Israeli government's plan to forcibly establish humanitarian camps atop the ruins of the city of Rafah. This proposal would displace and confine more than 600,000 Palestinians, restricting their freedom of movement and removing them from Gaza. Forced displacement is a clear violation of international law. CMEP calls upon the global church, the international community, and the U.S. government to hold the Israeli government accountable and stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. | | | | | | July 17, 2025: CMEP Condemns Attack on Gaza’s Holy Family Catholic Church, Calls for Immediate Ceasefire and Protection of All Civilians and Religious Sites Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) denounces in the strongest possible terms the Israeli military attack today on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City, the only Catholic church in Gaza. The strike killed at least three civilians and caused extensive damage to the parish complex, which has been sheltering approximately 700 displaced civilians, mostly children, since the beginning of the war. This most recent attack marks the sixth assault on churches in Gaza since October 2023. Each of these attacks is in clear violation of international law, as humanitarian refuges and holy sites are both protected, and an attack on human dignity and freedom of worship. | | | | | | | | Peace and Justice in the Middle East: a Christian Perspective August 3 In a time of violence and pain in Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank, this session provides attendees the opportunity to discuss what it means to answer our faithful call to advocate for sustainable, just peace in the Middle East. Especially in these divisive times, understanding the geopolitics, social considerations, and other aspects of the conflict demands that we, as people of faith, look beyond the headlines into the daily realities of people living on the ground. Join CMEP Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon on August 3rd in Washington, DC, to learn what it means for us as individuals and the global church to pursue peace while also advocating for justice in Israel/Palestine and beyond. | | | | | | Church at the Crossroads September 11-13 Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and faithful witnesses from across the country for Church at the Crossroads, a national gathering of Christians who recognize that the church stands at a defining moment–Jesus is urgently calling us back to the narrow way of the cross. As violence escalates in Israel and Palestine, and some in the Church use Scripture to justify war, occupation, or silence, we must ask: Have we traded the gospel of peace for the false promises of security and comfort?
Rooted in Scripture and led by Palestinian Christian leaders, including CMEP executive director, Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon—alongside pastors and peacemakers from across North America—this conference invites American Christians to engage in honest reckoning, prophetic reflection, and faithful action. Through worship, prayer, teaching, and fellowship, we are called to repentance, renewal, and courageous discipleship. This is a space to confront harmful theologies, rediscover the gospel of the Kingdom, and stand with all who seek justice in the land. | | | | | | Save the Date: Those Who Sow in Tears: Stories of Shared Lament from Israel/Palestine August 14 In our current climate, we can find ourselves too quick to ‘otherize’ or ‘dehumanize,' especially in contexts of loss. In this special session hosted by NEME on August 14th at 1pm EST, we invite you to join us as NEME leadership team member Rob Dalrymple hosts two members– Israeli and Palestinian– from the Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF) in sharing personal stories of bereavement and grief and the journey to recognize humanity in ‘the other.’ | | | | | | | | July 13, 2025: CMEP guest sermon at Rock Spring UCC in Arlington, VA On Sunday, July 13, CMEP Programs and Outreach Manager Destiny Magnett joined Rock Spring UCC (Arlington, VA) to deliver a guest sermon as part of their series “Unshaken: Holding Fast in a World on Fire”. Destiny’s sermon used stories from the work of CMEP and inspiration from the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) to show how each of us can strive to be better neighbors by resisting apathy, showing kindness, and acting with mercy. The recording can be viewed here. | | | | | | | | 5. Church leaders, diplomats, condemn Israeli settler violence in West Bank Al-Jazeera "Top church leaders and diplomats have called on Israeli settlers to be held accountable during a visit to the predominantly Christian town of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank, after settlers intensified attacks on the area in recent weeks. Representatives from more than 20 countries including the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Japan, Jordan, and the European Union, were among the delegates who visited the village in the West Bank on Monday." | | | | | | 6. France says UN conference to work on post-war Gaza, Palestinian state recognition Reuters "A rescheduled United Nations conference this month will discuss post-war plans for Gaza and preparations for the recognition of a Palestinian state by France and others, France's foreign minister said on Tuesday.
France and Saudi Arabia had planned to host the conference in New York from June 17-20, aiming to lay out the parameters of a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security." | | | | | | 7. Trump hosts Persian Gulf leaders at White House as new violence raises questions about peace efforts ABC News "President Donald Trump hosted a pair of Arab Gulf leaders at the White House on Wednesday as violence between Israel and Syria renewed doubts about his pledge to impose peace on the Middle East. Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office with Bahrain's crown prince and dined privately with Qatar's prime minister. The Republican president has lavished attention on the Persian Gulf, a wealthy region where members of his family have extensive business relationships. He has already visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the first foreign policy trip of his second term." | | | | | | 8. ‘Political theatre’: key takeaways from US universities’ House antisemitism hearing The Guardian "Lawmakers questioned the leaders of the University of California, Berkeley, Georgetown University and the City University of New York (Cuny) in the final antisemitism hearing the House of Representatives has held since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza that broke out afterward. Georgetown University’s interim president, Robert Groves; Cuny’s chancellor, Félix V Matos Rodríguez; and UC Berkeley’s chancellor, Rich Lyons, faced scrutiny from Republican representatives – who questioned the universities’ hiring practices, faculty unions, Middle East study centers, foreign funding, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives." | | | | | | | | 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 | | | | | | | |
