 |  | December 19th News Bulletin Here’s what’s upcoming and what you may have missed at CMEP and in the news. | | | | 1. Gazans struggle to retrieve bodies as storms lash war-damaged buildings Reuters "Authorities in Gaza warned on Monday that more war-damaged buildings may collapse because of heavy rain in the devastated Palestinian enclave and said the weather was making it hard to recover bodies still under the rubble. Two buildings collapsed in Gaza on Friday, killing at least 12 people according to local health authorities, amid a storm that has also washed away and flooded tents, and led to deaths from exposure." | | | | | | 2. Israel targets senior Hamas official in deadly Gaza strike BBC "Israel said it killed a senior Hamas commander on Saturday in a strike on a vehicle inside Gaza. In a joint statement, the Israeli military and security agency Shin Bet announced it had "eliminated" Raed Saad, the head of weapons production for Hamas's military wing, the Qassam Brigades, in Gaza city." | | | | | | 3. UN and Palestinians warn West Bank demolitions could permanently displace hundreds CNN "Palestinian officials have warned of “forced displacement” after the Israeli military ordered a series of demolitions in the occupied West bank, citing security and “operational need.” The Palestinian Refugee Affairs Department condemned the decision by the Israeli authorities to demolish 25 residential buildings in the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem calling it ” blatant violation of international humanitarian law,” in a statement on Tuesday." | | | | | | 4. Israel to advance plans for 9,000 units in occupied East Jerusalem Al-Jazeera "Israeli authorities are expected to advance plans to build 9,000 new housing units in an illegal settlement on the site of the abandoned Qalandiya airport in occupied East Jerusalem, in another attempt to cut off Palestinian lands from each other and block any possibility of a contiguous Palestinian state ever emerging. The so-called Atarot neighbourhood in northern East Jerusalem, reminiscent of the E1 plan to undermine Palestinian statehood, is to be discussed and have its outlines approved on Wednesday by the District Planning and Building Committee, according to Israeli group Peace Now." | | | | | | 5. Trump expands travel ban and restrictions to include an additional 20 countries NPR "The Trump administration announced Tuesday it was expanding travel restrictions to an additional 20 countries and the Palestinian Authority, doubling the number of nations affected by sweeping limits announced earlier this year on who can travel and emigrate to the U.S.." | | | | | | 6. Three Americans killed by IS gunman in Syria, US military says BBC "Two US soldiers and a US civilian interpreter have been killed in Syria in an ambush by an Islamic State (IS) gunman, the US Central Command (Centcom) has said. Officials said three other service members were injured in the attack, during which the gunman was "engaged and killed". Syria's state news said two Syrian service personnel were also injured." | | | | | | 7. Pro-Israel influences targeting US churches "More than 1,000 US pastors and Christian influencers last week concluded a trip to Israel organized and paid for by the Friends of Zion. The trip had a very clear objective: indoctrinate those on the trip and enlist them as ambassadors of Israel to the faithful Christian community in the US. However, this drives a very simple question: Should it not trigger an investigation under the Foreign Agent Registration Act, which is known as FARA? Under this 1938 law, American citizens who are working or lobbying on behalf of a foreign government should register as foreign agents." | | | | | | | | 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 15, 2025: Public Statement: CMEP Condemns the Terrorist Attack at Bondi Beach Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) joins the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem in strongly condemning the horrific terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Australia, which targeted the Jewish community on the first night of Hanukkah. We echo their unequivocal rejection of this violence and stand in deep solidarity with the Jewish community in Australia and across the world. | | | | | | Dec 17, 2025: Press Release: UNRWA USA Leads 104 Organizations Urging Trump Administration to Include UNRWA in Gaza’s Recovery UNRWA USA National Committee (UNRWA USA) led a national coalition of 104 civil society organizations, including Churches for Middle East Peace, to urge the Trump Administration to include the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in its plans for Gaza’s recovery. In a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, refugee, human rights, and humanitarian organizations called on the Trump Administration “to re-open lines of communication with UNRWA and allow the Agency to continue fulfilling its mandate in accordance with international humanitarian principles, until a just and lasting solution to the plight of Palestine refugees is secured.” | | | | | | December 18, 2025: Public Statement: CMEP Supports the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches’ Appeal for Children with Cancer in Gaza Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) elevates and stands in solidarity with the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem in their statement of support for the Augusta Victoria Hospital and Gazan children seeking cancer treatment there. Children must never be denied life-saving medical care, and granting these permits is a concrete, immediate step that can save lives and affirm our shared humanity. | | | | | | 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. | | | | | | From CMEP's Own: The Church Should Be More Like Ms. Rachel In this piece for Baptist News Global, CMEP programs and outreach manager Destiny Magnett explores how children’s influencer Rachel Anne Accurso, better known as Ms. Rachel, offers a prophetic example of how the church ought to stand in solidarity with children facing unimaginable violence in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian territories. Ms. Rachel’s courage and moral clarity set an example for Christians everywhere. Her refusal to turn away from the horrors of Israel’s military campaign across occupied Palestine and its disproportionate impact on children should prompt the church to do the same. | | | | | | | | 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. | | | | | | Join CMEP from January 18–25, 2026 for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed January 18–25, 2026. This year’s theme, drawn from Ephesians 4:4, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” , invites Christians around the world to reflect on unity as a sacred calling of the Holy Spirit. Throughout the week, CMEP will host prayer, reflection, and conversation centered on the unity of the global Christian community, with a particular focus on the witness and life of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Armenian clergy and speakers will join CMEP to pray together and engage a range of topics that affirm the shared faith, resilience, and interconnectedness of Christians worldwide. Additional details and speakers will be announced soon. | | | | 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 | | | | | | | |
