 | September 4th News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. |
| | 1. US and Iran exchange fire after abrupt end to month without military action AP News "The U.S. military hit targets in Iran on Tuesday, leading Tehran to respond with missile and drone fire as hostilities flare once again between the two countries. U.S. Central Command said the latest strikes were in response to Iran trying to attack commercial ships and American forces in the Middle East. President Donald Trump told Fox News in a phone call that U.S. forces struck Iran’s radars. Iranian state media reported that the U.S. bombed civilian sites along Iran’s southern coast and hit a civilian airport. A U.S. strike hit a home where a wedding ceremony was being held in Kuhestak in southern Iran, killing two people and wounding at least 20 others, Ahmad Nafisi, Hormozgan Province’s deputy governor, told Iranian state television." |
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| 2. Two Palestinian teens killed in West Bank raid by Israeli settlers and army Reuters "Two Palestinian teenagers were killed on Wednesday in an attack by Israeli settler militants and army troops on their village in the occupied West Bank, local officials and the Palestinian health ministry said, amid an uptick in violence by Jewish settlers in the territory. The Palestinian health ministry said the two youths were ages 16 and 19 while a local official told Palestinian news agency WAFA they died in al-Mughayyir village near Ramallah." |
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| 3. Settler Violence Threatens West Bank’s Last Christian Village Christianity Today "In early August, Joseph Hazboun visited a newly built home among the fields near Taybeh, considered the last Christian village in the West Bank. Its owner, a Palestinian Christian, claimed he could not access his property safely due to intimidation by Israeli settlers. As Hazboun inspected fencing that was reportedly cut to allow settlers’ sheep onto the land, a settler approached him driving a tractor at full speed, he said, in an attempt to intimidate and chase him and his group away." |
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| 4. UN cuts West Bank food aid by half as funds run short Reuters "The World Food Programme said on Tuesday that funding shortages are forcing it to cut in half its food assistance in the occupied West Bank at a time when it says escalating settler violence and Israeli military operations are driving needs higher. The U.N. agency has been providing food, vouchers and cash to 400,000 in the West Bank, mostly in rural areas and the south, such as villages like Hebron, but this will be scaled back to 200,000 people from this month, it said in a statement." |
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| 5. Palestinian woman and NBC News team attacked by masked Israeli settlers NBC "Masked Israeli settlers attacked and injured a Palestinian woman and members of an NBC News team reporting in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The United Nations and media workers have reported an uptick in attacks on foreign, Palestinian and Israeli journalists in the West Bank amid an increase in settler violence." |
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| | 6. Iran war escalation raises concern over civilian death toll Reuters "Iranian mourners carried caskets at a funeral on Thursday for victims of a U.S. airstrike said to have struck a wedding party, and Tehran launched missiles and drones overnight at a U.S. base in Kuwait, after the war's biggest escalation in more than a month. Mourners assembled in the late afternoon outside the village of Kuhestak in Sirik County, along a stretch of the Strait of Hormuz coast that was hit by heavy U.S. airstrikes late on Tuesday. Iranian state television on Thursday said that a 22-year-old woman had died in hospital following the strike that hit a home during a wedding, taking the total reported death toll to five. Iranian officials said that nearly 70 were wounded." |
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| 7. More Israelis are leaving as war, economy and political divisions reshape the country Religion News Service "When Michal Cohen asked her husband to search for a job outside Israel last year, she said she imagined a life without the constant fear of the next missile attack or phone call ordering her husband back to military reserve duty. While the couple had always dreamed of spending an extended period abroad to expose their children to other cultures and religious pluralism within the Jewish community, the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre and ensuing war gave their plans a new urgency." |
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| | August 28, 2026: Dialogue in the Egyptian Desert Written by CMEP AWC Fellow Giselle Soares, “Dialogue in the Egyptian Desert” is about an Evangelical-Orthodox consultation in Egypt that brought Christians from different traditions together to learn from one another. The experience went beyond theological discussions, as participants visited historic Coptic churches and Christian communities around Cairo. Seeing these communities firsthand helped connect their conversations about faith to the real-life challenges facing Christians in Egypt and the Middle East. Participants shared that meaningful dialogue is less about agreeing on everything and more about listening, building trust, and appreciating each tradition’s strengths. In the end, the biggest takeaway was that Christians can grow closer by simply sharing prayers, meals, conversations, and experiences with one another. |
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| Action Alert: Funding for the East Jerusalem Hospital Network in the 2027 Fiscal Year As the IDF moves further into Gaza, it is forcing the entirety of Gaza’s remaining population into just 30% of the strip’s area, where the medical situation grows increasingly untenable. It is in this environment of shortage and restriction that the East Jerusalem Hospital Network (EJHN) operates and makes its vital impact. They are the only hope for Gazans, and even West Bankers, in need of sustained, complex treatment for their survival. To secure funding and ensure EJHN can continue to serve the vulnerable of the West Bank and Gaza, urge your Member of Congress to pressure the State Department to allocate the EJHN funds. |
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| Action Alert: Tell Congress to Respond to Settler Violence and Protect Palestinian Lives Since October 7th, 2023, illegal Israeli settlements have grown and spread across the West Bank in complete contravention of international and even Israeli law. These settlements undermine Palestinian access to critical natural resources and land and undermine hope for a just and lasting solution. Furthermore, the Israeli settlers at the forefront of these illegal land grabs assault Palestinians with almost no punishment from the Israeli justice system — and many times are aided by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). To stop this violence, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) calls for immediate U.S pressure on Israel to stop approving settlements and prosecute those that commit crimes against Palestinians. |
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| Blogging for Peace: Follow Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director of CMEP, on Substack Stay up to date with reflections from CMEP Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon. Her Substack features updates on developments in Gaza and across the Middle East, commentary on U.S. policy, CMEP webinars and events, meeting transcripts, and reflections on faith, justice, and peace. |
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| | | | September 8, 2026: Preserving Christian Presence in the Birthplace of Jesus Christian communities have called the Holy Land home for nearly two millennia, yet today Palestinian Christians face growing pressures that threaten their land, livelihoods, cultural heritage, and continued presence. Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and Rebuilding Alliance on September 8th, 11:00 AM–12:00 PM EST, for a conversation, featuring Alice Kisiya, Palestinian Christian journalist, activist, and founder of the Save Al-Makhrour Initiative, and Mother Agapia, an Orthodox nun and teacher whose years of ministry in Bethany connected her deeply to the experiences of Palestinian communities, on what it means to preserve a vibrant Christian presence in the birthplace of Jesus and how communities in the Holy Land are working to protect their future. |
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| September 13, 2026: Let Children Live A Guest Sermon at Grinnell UCC Join CMEP programs and outreach manager, Destiny Magnett, at Grinnell UCC (Grinnell, Iowa) on Sunday, September 13th as she delivers a guest sermon on Matthew 18:10-14 inspired by CMEP’s 2025 Let Children Live campaign. Join us in person if you’re local, or online through livestream. |
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| October 22, 2026: Peacebuilding Lessons from the Middle East Time: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET This moment in history is marked by profound brokenness and trauma affecting individuals, communities, and nations alike. In a world increasingly divided by conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, Christians from the region offer invaluable insights on resiliently living out one’s faith amidst adversity. Join Churches for Middle East Peace executive director, Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, for this course exploring the vibrant, living church in the Holy Land, with a focus on Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories as they strive to deepen their relationship with God through their commitment to peace and justice within their communities. This workshop takes an interdisciplinary approach, interweaving history, practical theology, and contemporary ministry practices in peacebuilding. Participants will gain access to essential tools for spiritual formation and advocacy applicable in a variety of ministry settings. A central theme will be the transformative journey of learning to 'love one’s enemy,' even in the face of conflict and strife, ultimately equipping learners to apply these lessons in their own lives and ministries. |
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| November 5-7: Church at the Crossroads in Atlanta This November, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is excited to once again partner with the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice (BIPJ) as they bring the Church at the Crossroads conference to Atlanta November 5-7, 2026. Rooted in Scripture and kingdom-focussed theology, this conference invites participants to wrestle honestly with biblical questions, hear directly from the indigenous Church in the Holy Land, and discover faithful discipleship in a violent world. |
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| Christian Advocacy Summit for Just Peace in Palestine Join Christians from across the United States in Washington, D.C. April 19-21, 2027 for the Christian Advocacy Summit as we gather to uphold the cause of the oppressed (Psalm 146:7–9) and advocate for a just peace in Palestine and Israel. Over three days, participants will engage in inspiring plenary sessions, practical breakout workshops, worship, fellowship, and advocacy training focused on advancing U.S. foreign policy that promotes peace, justice, human rights, and equal dignity for all people in the Holy Land. Together, we will strengthen our shared Christian witness and prepare to engage policymakers with a unified call for a just and lasting peace. Discounted early-bird registration is available until October 15, 2026 or until we've sold our first 50 tickets–– so act fast! |
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| | August 23, 2026: Destiny Magnett at Westminster Presbyterian (Wilmington, DE) On August 23, 2026, CMEP outreach manager, Destiny Magnett, joined Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, DE for a full slate of events on the call to pursue peace with justice in the Middle East and beyond. Her sermon, titled "Fan into Flame: Courage Witness in Trying Times" explored 2 Timothy 1:3-14 as a call to today's church to live courageously not only as reflections of ourselves, but as examples of what it means to be followers of Christ and bearers of the Gospel. Then, after worship, she shared updates from the ground including rising settler violence, ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, and direct action steps Christians can take in the U.S. context to confront these injustices. |
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| | Contact Us Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 505
Washington, District of Columbia 20002
(202) 543-1222 [email protected] |
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