Image: Hebrew graffiti in the village of Deir Estya, which translates as 'village of terrorists', in an apparent 'price tag' attack by Jewish settlers, 18 June 2019. (AFP)

Israel-Palestine: Settler attacks on Palestinians more than double in two years, says report

Middle East Eye

“Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian villages and properties in the occupied West Bank have more than doubled in the first half of 2021, compared with the same statistics over the past two years, Haaretz reported on Sunday (October 3). The spike may be linked to a change in tactics from authorities following the death of teenage settler Ahuvia Sandak, who died in a car crash fleeing Israeli police, and the killing of 52-year-old mother Esther Horgan by Palestinians in December 2020. To avoid confrontation, Israeli authorities created what officials described as a ‘permissive atmosphere’, including allowing settlers to ‘let off steam’, according to the Israeli newspaper. In 2019, 363 settler attacks were reported, while in 2020, that number was 507.”

Image: Israeli policemen and IDF border police arresting Israeli protestors for waving Palestine flags in the weekly solidarity protest in Sheikh Jarrah, in September. (Matan Golan)

Palestinians of Sheikh Jarrah can breathe easier now – for a price
Haaretz

“For the past 12 years – with unprecedented consistency for the Israeli left – a few dozen or hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians have protested in a public park in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood against plans to evict residents of the neighborhood in favor of Jews. Last week, as it does almost every week, the demonstration passed quietly – until a few protestors started waving small Palestinian flags. The police, as they do, violently attacked the protestors, snatched away the flags and arrested four people. The demonstration dispersed with rage and frustration in the face of the police's actions, which only reinforced the general rage and frustration due to the impossible situation of the neighborhood’s residents: The descendants of refugees could be evicted from their houses because the property was owned by Jews before the War of Independence in 1948, while their own property from the same period will remain in Jewish hands.”

Become a Church Partner: CMEP relies on partnerships to promote a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. CMEP helps churches, organizations, leaders, and individuals advocate for justice and peace for all people. We provide opportunities to learn about the Middle East, elevate diverse voices, and support local peacebuilding efforts in the region. Join us today!

Prayers4Peace is Back: CMEP’s Prayers4Peace blog returned on October 13, with an article from CMEP’s Manager of Middle East Partnerships, Kevin Vollrath, entitled “Commemorating Martyrs in the Ancient Assyrian Church of the East in Iraq”. We will also be revisiting previous Prayers4Peace using the hashtag #P4Previsited, so keep an eye out on our blog and social media for those.

Image: From left: Shireen Hilal, Sally Azar, Najla Kassab, Rima Nasrallah, Grace Al-Zoughbi, Rola Sleiman. (Illustration by Raz Latif)

Women in the Middle East claim their place in the pulpit
Sojourners

This article was written by CMEP’s Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon.

“For years, women called to leadership in the church in the Middle East have faced a stained-glass ceiling of limitations imposed by the surrounding patriarchal culture and theological presuppositions about the role of women in the church. But while some interpretations of Paul’s instructions to the early church (such as Timothy 2:12) are used as a rationale for limiting the role of women, long-standing cultural traditions regarding women’s roles in religion and society have played a more prominent, and more difficult, role.”