 | October 23rd News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. |
| | 1. West Bank Christians Put Trump’s Support for Israel to the Test Newsweek "The Reverend Mae Elise Cannon, Protestant pastor and director of Churches for Middle East Peace, told Newsweek how 'every Christian family' she knows in the West Bank town of Bethlehem 'has at least someone who has already fled the country or is considering leaving because there is little opportunity to have a safe and prosperous life.' Both called on the Trump administration to add pressure to Israel to address settler violence, with Pouliot urging it to use the 'window' of the October 27 election. In response, a White House official told Newsweek it has 'clearly communicated' to 'all parties' that a 'stable' West Bank helps keep Israel secure and is part of the administration’s goal for peace in the region." |
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| 2. Israeli settlers torch cars and trees in West Bank villages, disrupting Palestinians’ olive harvest AP News "Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian villages across the occupied West Bank on Friday, setting fire to cars and trees and beating residents and a foreign journalist, in the latest violence to disrupt the territory’s annual olive harvest this month. Local officials and the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported attacks in at least eight villages in the northern West Bank, where most of the olive groves are concentrated and tens of thousands of Palestinian families depend on them for income." |
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| 3. UN food agency to cut aid to 500,000 people in Gaza as funding dries up Euronews "The World Food Programme will stop monthly assistance to half a million people in Gaza because of a funding shortfall, the UN agency said on Monday. The cuts leave 1.1 million Palestinians, around half of Gaza’s population, receiving food or cash each month. Since the October 2025 ceasefire, the WFP had been reaching between 1.5 million and 1.8 million people a month. 'This has been a lifeline. But now, rather than being able to sustain and scale up that assistance, we’re actually having to reduce it,' Shaun Hughes, the WFP’s country director, told AFP in east Jerusalem." |
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| 4. Israeli settlers attack Palestinians, European diplomats in West Bank, Belgium says Reuters "Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians, European diplomats and a French mayor in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, Belgium's foreign minister said, a day after settlers beat an American photojournalist. Maxime Prevot said Belgium's consul general to the Palestinians, French and Polish diplomats, and Catholic representatives were among those attacked. A Belgian vehicle was also damaged, he said. […] Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the attack, describing the perpetrators as Israeli rioters. He also suggested the diplomats should have coordinated their visit with the Israeli military." |
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| 5. Church leaders in Jerusalem condemn recent attacks in Taybeh Vatican News "The patriarchs and heads of Churches in Jerusalem have issued a statement firmly condemning the 'heinous attack' carried out on Saturday, October 17, by 'masked settlers' in the Christian village of Taybeh. The attack targeted residents harvesting olives, as well as diplomats and officials from European countries who were visiting the area on a solidarity mission. 'This wild attack on the Christian village of Taybeh and against its peaceful population is not an isolated incident,' the Church leaders stress in the statement published on the website of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem." |
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| | 6. Trump endorses Netanyahu in close Israeli election Reuters "US President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed his ally Benjamin Netanyahu as the longtime Israeli prime minister struggles for an edge in next week's parliamentary election. Trump praised Netanyahu as a 'great warrior prime minister' and peace partner, crediting him with joining the United States in launching strikes on Iran in February. The conflict, in its seventh month, has disrupted energy markets globally and wreaked havoc across the Middle East, damaging critical infrastructure and destabilizing regional economies." |
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| 7. Israel detains then frees dozens of Americans, including Congress nominee, in West Bank NPR "U.S. Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander was detained by Israeli security forces along with dozens of American and Israeli rabbis and activists on Wednesday, as the U.S. and Israeli delegation was helping Palestinians harvest olives from their grove close to a settlement in the occupied West Bank. Israeli security forces, including military and police, declared a closed military zone around a olive grove and escorted activists and rabbis away from the area before detaining them near the Israeli settlement of Beitar Illit in the occupied West Bank." |
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| 8. Israel orders ‘full lockdown’ of West Bank after deadly shootings NBC Israel ordered a “full lockdown” of the occupied West Bank Friday after the Israeli military said two of its soldiers were killed in a shootout that also left two Palestinian gunmen dead. |
| | 9. At least 7 killed in attack on Jordan church during funeral, authorities say CBS "Gunmen carried out a deadly attack on a church in southern Jordan during a funeral Friday, authorities said. At least seven people were killed in the shooting, the kingdom's interior minister said. Mazen Al-Faraya said at a press conference that 34 other people were wounded in the rare attack on Christians in the majority Sunni Muslim kingdom. The interior minister said a group of extremists carried out the shooting. Jordan's King Abdullah II vowed the "harshest retaliation" against the attackers." |
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| Oct 21, 2026: CMEP Affirms Jerusalem Patriarchs and Heads of Churches Statement on Taybeh and European Delegation Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) affirms the recent statement from the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem concerning recent settler attacks against Palestinians in Taybeh and a visiting European Diplomatic delegation. CMEP stands in solidarity with the people of Taybeh as they face increasing intimidation and attacks from settlers. |
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| Oct 25, 2026: Peace Sunday Offering for Churches for Middle East Peace As we look forward to this year’s 40th anniversary of the Global Day of Prayer for Peace on October 27th, we join Pope Leo XIV and Christians around the world in renewing the call offered by St. John Paul II at Assisi in 1986 and reaffirmed by Pope Francis in 2023: to reject violence, uphold human dignity, and pursue a just and lasting peace. In the spirit of this global effort, Churches for Peace in the Middle East invite Christian churches throughout the United States to come together on Sunday, October 25th to participate in a national Giving Sunday. On this day, we ask U.S. churches to commit a portion of their daily collection or a special offering to the cause of our educating, elevating, and advocating for peace and make a one-time donation from this offering to Churches for Peace in the Middle East. |
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| Join the CMEP Team! Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is hiring a part time Advocacy and Bulletin Fellow (average of 12 hours a week). This position is hybrid with one day every other week in the DC office. See cmep.org/work for more information and how to apply. |
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| | November 2: Spotlight on Taybeh: CAC Fall Webinar Session #1 Join the Catholic Advisory Council of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) for the first installment of its Fall webinar series. This session will feature a special conversation with Fr. Bashar Fawadleh, the parish priest of Christ The Redeemer church in Taybeh, West Bank. Often termed "the last remaining Christian village" in Palestine, Taybeh has faced significant violence from extremist settlers. This webinar provides a platform for us to hear the latest from Fr. Bashar's experience on the ground and offer practical ways Catholics, Christians, and all people in the U.S. can take action to support Taybeh and the broader communities under threat of settler violence and land theft in the West Bank. |
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| November 3: 2026 Fr. Drew Christiansen Lecture at the Catholic University of America On November 3rd, join the Institute for the Study of Eastern Christianity at the Catholic University of America and Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) for the annual Fr. Drew Christiansen Lecture at the Catholic University of America. This year’s lecture will feature Mr. Farid Jubran, who serves as Public & Governmental Affairs Advisor to the Roman Catholic diocese for Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine. Mr. Jubran’s lecture “The Lord is the Maker of Them All” The Church’s Vision for Building a Holy Land of Equals will discuss challenges and opportunities for building a Holy Land of equals for the Abrahamic faiths in Palestine and Israel. H.E. Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia of the Apostolic Nunciature USA will deliver an opening blessing for the event. |
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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. Use code CMEP for $30 off! |
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| November 14: Not in Christ's Name– An Orthodox Christian Summit for Palestine Churches for Middle East Peace is grateful to elevate the November 14th "Not in Christ's Name" Summit, led by our organizational partners, Orthodox Christians for Palestine. Orthodox Christians from every jurisdiction, along with those who share concern for justice and peace, are invited to gather for a one-day summit on Palestine. As the suffering, ongoing persecution, and displacement of our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land persists, we believe our Orthodox community and all people of conscience are called to respond. This summit brings our communities together to learn how we can put our faith into action. Inaction is not an option. ALL ARE WELCOME, including those new to the Orthodox faith and those from other faith traditions. |
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| November 17: And So How Shall We Live? Palestine, Israel, & Catholic Social Teaching How should Catholics think about Israel-Palestine? How can our faith guide us? Join the Catholic Advisory Council of Churches for Middle East Peace for the final session of its Fall webinar series with a conversation with Jordan Denari Duffner, PhD and Julie Schumacher Cohen on their new book "Israel, Palestine, and Catholic Social Teaching" (Orbis, 2026). The book draws on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) to help Catholics look anew at the Holy Land and envision how each of us can contribute to a just and peaceful future there. The book explores key ideas from CST like human dignity, solidarity, and subsidiarity, while also introducing readers to the difficult history of the region, its present-day realities, and its connections to policies and controversies in the United States. |
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| April 19-21 Christian Advocacy Summit for Just Peace in Palestine The Christian Advocacy Summit team is thrilled to announce our first keynote speaker for April's summit will be H.E. Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land. You can read more about Bishop Haddad's ministry and leadership, and get your summit tickets at summitforpeace.org. We hope to see you in DC April 19-21, 2027! |
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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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