October 11th News Bulletin

From CMEP's Travels

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon leads a delegation of American and leaders from the South African Council of Churches to Egypt to meet with Muslim and Christian leaders to pursue religious solidarity with Abrahamic faith leaders in pursuit of peace. She heads to Palestine and Israel next for meetings with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders to call for an end to all violence between Israel and Hezbollah, an end to the bombing of Gaza, a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, immediate and adequate humanitarian assistance into Gaza, the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and that the core causes of the conflict be addressed."

You can learn more at CMEP’s Oct. 17th event “Updates from the Ground: Insights from CMEP's October 2024 Middle East Travel"

From CMEPS own Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

Christian Reform Church

"A few days ago marked the one-year anniversary of the horrors of the October 7th attacks at the hands of Hamas and other militants on the south of Israel. On the day of commemoration, I was in the holy city of Jerusalem. The city of peace. A city that today has no peace. October 7, 2023. What can be said about what transpired that day and over the past year? And about what happened on that horrific day a year ago?"

You can read CMEP's Official 1 Year Oct. 7th Statement HERE.

Gaza Humanitarian Snapshot #6

A year into the devastating war on Gaza the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen. Medical supplies, hygiene kits, building supplies, fuel, and more continue to be in rare supply as Israel impedes aid deliveries.Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and leading humanitarian agencies outline the delay of aid distribution, safety concerns, forced displacement orders, and logistical constraints in this latest Humanitarian Snapshot.

A destroyed part of a building stands at Al Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces withdrew from the hospital and the area around it following a two-week operation, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City April 1, 2024. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas/File Photo

UN inquiry accuses Israel of crime of 'extermination' in destruction of Gaza health system

Reuters

“A United Nations inquiry said on Thursday it found that Israel carried out a concerted policy of destroying Gaza's healthcare system in the Gaza war, actions amounting to both war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination.
A statement by ex-U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay released ahead of a full report accused Israel of "relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities" in the war, triggered by Hamas militants' deadly cross-border attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.”

Holding on in the Dark #1: Overview of the Israeli Legal System Under Occupation (ft. HaMoked)

On October 15th, join CMEP for the first installment of our five-part mini-series "Holding on in the Dark: Palestinians Pursuing Justice Under Occupation." To open the series, our first conversation will feature Jessica Montell, the Executive Director of the Israeli human rights organization HaMoked and longtime human-right activist and expert. In conversation with CMEP's Kyle Cristofalo, the episode will provide a glimpse into the systems of occupation, legal challenges for Palestinians within the Israeli system, and the cases we will be highlighting in the weeks to come. Learn more and register here.

Save the Date: Better Citizens, Better World- Oct. 16-19

Churches for Middle East Peace, in partnership with Evangelicals4Justice (E4J), Christians for Social Action (CSA), the Voices Project, and the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME), invites you to save the date for conference exploring how to take small and courageous steps together with fellow Jesus-followers. The Better Citizens, Better World conference, hosted virtually October 16-19, 2024, invites participants to explore meaningful ways of engaging as thoughtful citizens who care deeply and prayerfully about our nation. Discover your important role as a citizen AND as a follower of Jesus.  

Updates from the Ground: Insights from CMEP's October 2024 Middle East Travel

On October 17th Join CMEP's Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon as she shares insights from her October 2024 Middle East travels. During her travels she met with a number of prominent religious leaders, government officials, and more. The event will be hosted on Zoom from 3-3:45PM EST.

Learning from Palestinian Catholics: Hardship & Hope in Israel-Palestine (Session at the 2024 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice)

Join the Catholic Advisory Council (CAC) of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) for a special breakout session at the 2024 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice in Washington DC entitled, “Learning from Palestinian Catholics: Hardship & Hope in Israel-Palestine.” This special breakout session will be held from 7:30-8:30 PM on the opening night of the conference, October 26th, and feature remarks from the CAC’s Julie Schumacher-Cohen and Shaddy Maklouf, a Palestinian-American Catholic Student.

And Still We Rise

And Still We Rise 2024 (ASWR2024) provides a safe space for Palestinian/ Middle Eastern and American/ international women to build community, invite transformation, grow in ecumenical faith, and take action. The ASWR Summit seeks to support the convening and elevation of Palestinian Christian women leaders.

Members of the United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) look at the Lebanese-Israeli border, as they stand on the roof of a watch tower ‏in the town of Marwahin, in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2023.
(photo credit: REUTERS/THAIER AL-SUDANI/FILE PHOTO)

Israeli forces fire at UN peacekeeper position in Lebanon, two hurt, UN source says

Jerusalem Post

“Israeli forces fired at an observation post belonging to the UNIFIL peacekeeping force at its main base at Naqoura in southern Lebanon on Friday, wounding two people, a UN source said. An escalation of conflicts in the Middle East is a serious threat to global security, and everything must be done to avoid all-out war in Lebanon, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later said."

Casualties from the air strike were brought to the local al-Aqsa hospital.​​​​​​

Israeli strike on Gaza school sheltering displaced kills 28, paramedics say

BBC

“At least 28 people have been killed in an Israeli air strike on a school sheltering displaced families in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Red Crescent says. More than 50 others were injured in the attack on Rufaida al-Aslamia school, which the medical organization said was close to its headquarters in the town of Deir al-Balah. A video from the scene showed people running to help the injured amid a cloud of smoke and dust, while several children were pictured being treated at the local al-Aqsa hospital.”

Lebanon's Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem delivers a speech as hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel increase, from an unknown location on Tuesday. Al Manar TV/Reuters

Hezbollah publicly endorses Lebanon ceasefire efforts for the first time as Israel ramps up offensive

CNN

“Hezbollah supports efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Lebanon, its top official said on Tuesday, marking the first time the group has publicly endorsed a truce and not conditioned it on stopping the war in Gaza. “We support the political efforts led by (Parliament Speaker Nabih) Berri under the banner of achieving a ceasefire. Once the ceasefire is firmly established and diplomacy can reach it, all other details will be discussed and decisions will be made collaboratively,” Deputy Secretery General Naim Qassem said.”

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in New York City, New York, U.S., November 29, 2023.
(photo credit: REUTERS/BRENDAN MCDERMID)

Guterres: Knesset bill blocking UNRWA in Israel 'would be a disaster'

Jerusalem Post

"Two bills in the Knesset that would block UNRWA's activities in Israel if passed into law "would be a catastrophe," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday. He further asserted that the UNRWA has been "indispensable" in the midst of the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza. “That’s why I have written directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express profound concern about draft legislation that could prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” he said at the Security Council stakeout in New York, referencing his appeal to Netanyahu last week to stop the bills." 

October 7: Ecumenical Service of Lament

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) on October 7th held a virtual service of lament as we reflected on the one-year anniversary of the devastating October 7th attacks and subsequent year-long bombardment of Gaza. You can watch it here.

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