 |  | December 12th News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. | | | | 1. Winter storm rips through Gaza, flooding tents and exposing aid shortages NBC "Torrential rain swept across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, flooding hundreds of tents sheltering families displaced by two years of war and leading to the death of a baby girl due to exposure, local health officials said. Medics said eight-month-old Rahaf Abu Jazar died of exposure to cold after water inundated her family’s tent in Khan Younis, in the south of the enclave." | | | | | | 2. Israel to review reports that troops killed three-year-old in Gaza BBC "A three-year-old girl was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on Sunday, according to local sources inside the Palestinian territory. Ahed Tareq al-Bayouk was reportedly playing near her family's tent in Mawasi, Rafah, southern Gaza, when she was shot. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that it was "not aware of a strike" but would "conduct an additional review" as more information was provided. Since a ceasefire came into effect in October, at least 370 people have been killed in Gaza including 140 children, according to Amnesty International." | | | | | | 3. Trump to host Netanyahu on December 29 for talks on advancing Gaza plan Times of Israel "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump in the United States on December 29 to discuss plans for Gaza’s future, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Monday. “The Prime Minister will meet with President Trump on Monday, December 29 they will discuss the future steps and phases and the international stabilization force of the ceasefire plan,” government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said in an online briefing to reporters." | | | | | | 4. Israeli surveillance targets US and allies at joint base planning Gaza aid and security, say sources The Guardian "Israeli operatives are conducting widespread surveillance of US forces and allies stationed at a new US base in the country’s south, according to sources briefed on disputes about open and covert recordings of meetings and discussions. The scale of intelligence gathering at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) prompted the US commander of the base, Lt Gen Patrick Frank, to summon an Israeli counterpart for a meeting to tell him that “recording has to stop here”. | | | | | | 5. Tony Blair left out of Gaza ‘board of peace’ due to Iraq war history Independent "Sir Tony Blair will not hold a leading position on Gaza’s peace council following objections from Arab states over his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, according to a report. The former Labour prime minister had been closely linked to Donald Trump’s plan to rebuild the war-torn Palestinian enclave, unveiled in September." | | | | | | 6. Bethlehem’s Christmas tree lights up after two years of darkness Al Jazeera "Bethlehem, occupied West Bank – For the first time in two years, the Christmas tree in Bethlehem lit up the night sky, restoring a glimmer of joy to the birthplace of Jesus after seasons overshadowed by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Palestinians watching the lighting said the celebration carried a dual meaning: Hope in the Nativity and a yearning for freedom from the Israeli siege gripping Bethlehem and cities across the occupied territory." | | | | | | | | Still Active: ACTION ALERT "Block the Bombs Act" On May 21st, 2025, House Resolution 3565 was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives, also known as the "Block the Bombs Act." The resolution calls for a limit on the sale of bombs, ammunition (including white phosphorus), and ammunition manufacturing capability. The act comes as Israel has strengthened its assault on Gaza and the West Bank, with an estimated death toll since October 7th, 2023 standing at 54,000 Palestinian men, women, and children. Congress needs to pressure the Trump Administration to protect Palestinian civilians through the passage of HRes. 3565. Your voice can push your representative to support this vital resolution and limit offensive weapon capabilities of Israel, protecting Gazan civilians from relentless bombs. Contact your representative and urge them to support the initiative. | | | | | | | | Peacebuilding Lessons from the Middle East February 16, 23, March 2, 9, 2026 | Noon–2 PM
Instructor: The Rev’d Mae Elise Cannon, PhD, Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
Offered at Berkeley Divinity School at Yale In a time of deep global division and conflict, this course invites participants to learn from the lived witness of Christians in the Middle East who embody faith, resilience, and hope amid adversity. Taught by the Rev’d Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), the course focuses on Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, exploring how the church in the Holy Land seeks justice, reconciliation, and spiritual renewal in the face of ongoing struggle. Through an interdisciplinary blend of theology, history, and practical ministry, participants will engage in spiritual formation, examine models of conflict transformation, and gain tools for peacebuilding and advocacy. Together, we will explore what it means to “love one’s enemy” and move from apathy to action in the pursuit of justice and peace in the Middle East and in our own communities. | | | | | | Call to Prayer for Shadi Khoury On Sept, 8th 2025, after two years and eleven months of procrastination in the corridors of the occupation's courts, after an arrest accompanied by torture, Shadi's steadfastness during interrogation, a full year of house arrest, and thirty-seven consecutive court sessions, the judge issued his decision convicting Shadi. Please join us on Wednesdays 12:30pm EST as we pray for Shadi and all other affected by unjust violence. | | | | | | December 9, 2025: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Calls for Respect of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church and Recognition of its Independence from Government Interference In light of the Church’s historic and ongoing role, CMEP urges full respect for the Armenian Apostolic Church’s independence and internal governance vis-à-vis the Armenian State. Matters concerning the election of the Catholicos of All Armenians or the discipline of clergy should remain within the Church’s own canonical processes, free from external interference and secular political influences and interventions. | | | | | | December 10, 2025: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Elevates the Findings of the “Protecting Holy Land Christians” Report Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomes and affirms the newly released Protecting Holy Land Christians report and its urgent call to safeguard the Christian presence in the Holy Land. We stand in deep solidarity with our sisters and brothers whose testimonies fill these pages, and we bear witness to the daily realities facing Christian communities, churches, and institutions across Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. | | | | | | December 12, 2025: Humanitarian Snapshot 13 Reveals Dire Post-Ceasefire Conditions in Gaza and the West Bank Humanitarian Snapshot 13 exposes the grim realities facing Palestinians in the wake of the recent ceasefire deal. Drawing on testimonies from 45 NGOs and signed by more than two dozen leading aid and humanitarian organizations, the report documents ongoing Israeli obstruction of life-saving assistance, the deepening hardship on already-devastated communities, and the continued pattern of Israeli airstrikes despite the ceasefire framework. It also chronicles a sharp escalation of violence by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank, underscoring the widening crisis across the occupied territories. This snapshot offers an urgent, evidence-based call for action to protect civilians, ensure unfettered humanitarian access, and confront the structural violence driving this humanitarian emergency. | | | | | | Be Part of CMEP’s Let Children Live Advent Prayer Chain and 2025 Advent Devotional This Advent, CMEP invites you to journey with us through the Let Children Live campaign with our 2025 Advent Devotional Booklet and Prayer Chain. In a season marked by hope and longing, we lift up the names of Palestinian children living under occupation and commit to praying that they may live and flourish.
As we prepare for Christmas, we remember that the peace of Christ is revealed in the lives of children, their resilience, their joy, and their vulnerability. Each day of Advent, pray for your assigned child by name, reflect on Scripture, and take simple steps toward peace.
Walk with us this season as together we pray to Let Children Live. | | | | | | | | Support CMEP’s Work for Peace
If you value the programs and advocacy efforts highlighted in the bulletin, we invite you to partner with us. Your generosity makes it possible for CMEP to continue hosting events, leading education initiatives, and amplifying voices for justice and peace in the Middle East. If you would like to support CMEP in expanding this important work, please consider making a donation today. Thank you for standing with us. | | | | | | | | | | | | Receive the Name of a Palestinian Child Alive Today and Lift them up
in Prayer and Advocacy "Let Children Live" More than two million children in Gaza and the West Bank live under brutal oppression, their lives too often reduced to statistics. Yet each child is beloved by God. The Let Children Live campaign invites you to receive the name of a Palestinian child alive today and lift them up in prayer and advocacy. Together, we can remind the world of their dignity, hope, and right to a future. Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and our global partners in this urgent call to stand with children who deserve to live and thrive. | | | | | | Save the Date May 5-7: Joint Christian Advocacy Summit 2026 Join CMEP and a broad coalition of co-sponsors May 5-7, 2026 as we converge in Washington, DC for a Joint Christian Advocacy Summit for the Middle East. Centered on the theme “Do Right; Seek Justice (Is. 1:17): Christians Uniting Against Oppression in Palestine/Israel,” this gathering will equip and mobilize Christian advocates from across the country in support of U.S. policies that uphold dignity, human rights, and lasting security for all who call the region home. Attendees will learn from experts, gain advocacy skills, and have the opportunity to meet with their congressional offices to call for a just peace in the Holy Land. | | | | | | | | | | 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 | | | | | | | |
