November 15th News Bulletin

Donald Trump said Mike Huckabee would "work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East.”

Trump's pick of Huckabee and Witkoff a clue to Middle East policy

BCC

“For now, Mike Huckabee seems to be keeping his cards close to his chest. Shortly after being announced as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for US ambassador to Israel, the former Republican governor of Arkansas said: “I won't make the policy. I will carry out the policy of the president. But he did give an indication of what he expected that policy to be, citing the previous Trump administration’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and to recognise the occupied Golan Heights as Israeli territory – decisions as warmly welcomed by the Israeli right wing as they were categorically rejected by Palestinians.”

A Palestinian man searches for missing family members, after Israeli bombing flattened a building in Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza on November 7. AFP/Getty Images

Israeli attacks reportedly kill dozens across Gaza, including 27 in one strike

CNN

"An Israeli airstrike on a multi-story building in northern Gaza killed at least 27 people, relief officials said, as the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders in the area, where it is mounting a major offensive. The home of the Mbahouh family in Jabalya was struck on Thursday afternoon, according to the spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, Mahmoud Basal. He said the four-story property was sheltering more than 50 displaced people, and some had been trapped in a warehouse at the bottom of the building."

Copyright Abdel Kareem Hana/Copyright 2024, The AP. All rights reserved

Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of forced displacement, amounting to war crimes

Euro News

“Israeli authorities have facilitated a deliberate campaign of forced displacement in Gaza that amounts to crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, according the a new report by Human Rights Watch. The 154-page report details the destruction caused by Israel's year-long military campaign in Gaza, which has displaced over 90% of the population. Researchers collected evidence based on interviews with displaced Palestinians, and analysed satellite imagery, Israeli evacuation orders and statements by senior Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu.”

 Palestinians line up for food distribution in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on 17 October (AP)

US says Israel has not breached American laws on blocking aid supplies in Gaza

The Independent

“The US said Israel didn’t breach its laws on blocking aid supplies even as a number of international organisations accused the country of failing to meet America's deadline to allow greater humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip. Washington on 13 October set a 30-day deadline for Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza or potentially face restrictions on weapons supplies amid reports that it had cut off 90 per cent of aid movement between north and south Gaza nearly 13 months into the war on Gaza.”

CMEP Action Alert

During the Advent season (through Orthodox Christmas) Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and other partners are joining together to call for a suspension of arms sales to Israel and push for a comprehensive permanent ceasefire and an end to all violence. As Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank continue to suffer under the Israeli military aggression, the United States must end its active participation in the ongoing violence by halting all arms sales to Israel.

As Christians prepare for the season of Advent where we celebrate the Prince of Peace, please consider joining CMEP in our Advent not Arms campaign. Make your voices heard today by letting your members of Congress you want the U.S. government to prioritize peace and an end to violence over continuing to supply weapons that will cause further death and destruction.

Gaza Humanitarian Snapshot #7

Humanitarian aid entering Gaza has fallen to an all-time low. CMEP, along with dozens of other humanitarian organizations, outlines the dire conditions found in Gaza in this Humanitarian Snapshot. These include the direct targeting of aid workers and aid distribution points. Furthermore, tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped in Northern Gaza, which Israel has stated is a combat zone and will not allow aid to enter the region.

Letter to President Biden to Change U.S. – Israel Policy

CMEP and dozens of other organizations call on President Biden to change the U.S. policy vis-a-vis Israel during the outgoing days of his presidential term. The letter calls on President Biden to acknowledge that the U.S. policy towards Israel has failed and further eroded U.S. interests in the region. It also calls on the President to hold Israel accountable before the law and halt weapons shipments until Israel properly facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

CMEP Releases its 2023-2024 Annual Report

2024 marked the 40th year that Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has been working for justice.  The work has never been more urgent. Review all the ways CMEP has been at work in our 2023-2024 Annual Report. In this report we highlight our work to educate, elevate, and advocate in pursuit of justice and sustainable peace.

 Mini-Series: Holding on in the Dark: Palestinians Pursuing Justice Under Occupation

Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) for a five part mini-series featuring stories from several notable Palestinian Christian cases currently making their way through the challenges, injustices, and frustrations of the legal system under occupation. Over the course of the series, we will hear from the families and loved ones of Palestinian youth in detention, families whose lands are at risk of annexation, experts on the Israeli government’s use of legal proceedings, and CMEP staff and board members. Each week, will also include action-steps for how Americans can support and advocate for Palestinians in the U.S.

Mini-Series #5 Holding on in the Dark: Spotlight on the Case for The Armenian Quarter

On Tuesday, Nov. 19th, as part of the final installment of CMEP's Holding on in the Dark mini webinar series, we will explore the case of the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. The Armenian Quarter is part of the Old City and finds itself within Occupied East Jerusalem. This Quarter, home to around 2000 Armenians, has been under threat. In April of 2023, a deal was signed between the Armenian Patriarchate and an Israeli firm called Xana Capital, which sent shockwaves through the Armenian population worldwide. Around 25% of the historic quarter would be leased for 99 years to the company to build a hotel on. This deal was made without the consent of the quarter's residents and fueled fears of displacement. Since then, the Patriarchate has tried to backtrack on the deal, taking it to the Israeli courts, saying that they were misled by Xana Capital on the conditions. As a result, Israeli settlers have begun to periodically attack and intimidate the Armenians living there. Join us as we host Malkon Marizian, an Armenian Palestinian living in Jerusalem who will tell us about his experiences growing up in this Holy City and why this deal is so contentious. Join us on Tuesday, Nov. 19 from 11-11:45 am EST to learn more!

Layan Nasir was detained on April 7, 2024 when around 20 Israeli soldiers hammered on the door of her parents' house in the West Bank town of Birzeit near Ramallah, before her mother, Lulu Aranki Nasir, opened it. Then on the 15th of April, Israeli intelligence placed Layan in administrative detention for four months without charges. By the end of July, Layan’s administrative detention was extended by an additional four months, putting her family in a state of desperation. As Layan's court date approaches on November 18th, we call our community to join us in sustained and ongoing prayer for her release. We will pray together for Layan each Wednesday during our community prayer time on Zoom and also ask that you include this case in your individual daily prayers, Sunday prayers of the people during worship, and in other communities of faithful solidarity. 

You can watch the recording of our Mini-Series #3: Holding on in the Dark: Spotlight on Layan Nasir HERE.​​​​​​

Advent not Arms

Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and other partners this Advent season (through Orthodox Christmas) as we call for a suspension of arms sales to Israel and push for a comprehensive permanent ceasefire and end to all violence. As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we invite you to journey with us in advocating of an holy season of peace through our campaign Advent Not Arms. Throughout the next several weeks we will provide multifaceted resources and events including a virtual and in person Advent vigils for peace, ways to reach out to your elected officials, and more as we continue to  pursue peace for all in Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, and all in the region. For more information and to contact your members of Congress click the link below.

A Peace & Reconciliation Conference Series Jesus/Eisa & the Qur'an

This educational conference is inspired by the fact that Jesus (Eisa in The Quran) holds a unique and revered position in both Islam and Christianity. It aims to explore Jesus and his teachings, focusing on his principles rather than doctrinal differences. By doing so, we seek to foster understanding, reconciliation, and collaboration between Muslim and Christian communities.

The dates for this educational conference are December 13-15, 2024. The conference will be hybrid, conducted online to support global participation and in-person in Washington D.C. to support in-depth engagement amongst U.S. Government influencers and decision-makers. The core of the conference consists of three two-hour sessions of expert speakers conducted in a time frame that allows all participants to connect simultaneously from time zones around the world: 11AM-1PM EST, 8AM-10AM PST, 8PM-10PM PKT (Pakistan).

There will be an in-person gathering as part of the online-conference on Friday December 13th, 10:30AM – 1:30PM at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20001 (Conference Room 401-F). The room capacity is 40 people, so please let us know upon registration if you would like to attend the local gathering. Seats will be allocated on a first come first serve basis.

Call to Prayer Preceding the Tent of Nations December 18th Court Date

As the Tent of Nations court date approaches on December 18th, we call our community to join us in sustained and ongoing prayer for the land, the Nassar family, and for justice to finally be done. We will pray together for the Nassar's each Wednesday during our community prayer time on Zoom and also ask that you include this case in your individual daily prayers, Sunday prayers of the people during worship, and in other communities of faithful solidarity. 

 Damage following an Israeli strike in Damascus is seen on November 14. Syrian state media said at least 15 people were killed. Louai Beshara/AFP/Getty Images

Fifteen killed in Israeli strikes on Damascus, Syrian state media say

CNN

“Fifteen people were killed and 16 others injured in Israeli strikes on Damascus in Syria, state media SANA said, citing a military source and marking one of the deadliest strikes in months to hit the Syrian capital. The strikes targeted several residential buildings in the upscale Mezzah neighborhood in the capital and the Qudsaya area in the Damascus countryside, Syrian state media reported. Among those killed were women and children, Syrian state media added.”

Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon November 14, 2024. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani 

Israel hits Beirut again, ceasefire terms in focus

Reuters

“A senior Lebanese official has signalled that Hezbollah is ready to pull its forces away from the Lebanese-Israeli border in any ceasefire, while rejecting Israel's demand for freedom to act against the Iran-backed group in Lebanon in the future. An Israeli minister indicated that a ceasefire was closer than at any point since the war began, though he said a sticking point was ensuring Israel retains freedom to act inside Lebanon should any deal be violated.”

Arab and Muslim leaders at the summit of Muslim and Arab leaders in Riyadh.

Saudi crown prince says Israel committing 'genocide' in Gaza

BBC

“Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” in some of the harshest public criticism of the country by a Saudi official since the start of the war. Speaking at a summit of Muslim and Arab leaders the prince also criticised Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Iran. In a sign of improving ties between rivals Riyadh and Tehran, Prince Mohammed also warned Israel against launching attacks on Iranian soil.”

The USS Stockdale, which came under recent Houthi attack, in 2018 [File: Handout/US Navy via Reuters]

Houthis launch missile, drone attacks on US warships off Yemen’s coast

Al-Jazeera

“US warships came under sustained missile and drone attack from Houthi fighters as they sailed off the coast of Yemen, the Pentagon has confirmed, with the armed group claiming it attacked the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and two US destroyers. Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder said on Tuesday that the  United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) forces “successfully repelled multiple Iranian backed Houthi attacks during a transit of the Bab al-Mandeb strait”, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.”

November 7th: Mini-Series #4 Holding on in the Dark: Spotlight on Shady Khoury

On November 7 CMEP heard Rania Khoury recount the heartbreaking story of her son, Shadi's, arrest. At the age of 16, Shadi was arrested in the early hours of the morning, beaten, and detained for 45 days, all for the crime of "participating in a demonstration". Two years later, his court case continues to be unresolved. After Rania narrates Shadi's story, Miranda Cleland from Defense for Children International will joined us to share information about the arbitrary arrests of Palestinian children and the conditions they face in detention.

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