December 20th News Bulletin

Screengrab as attendees sing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” during the the “Advent Not Arms Prayer Vigil” at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 10, 2024.

Seeking ‘Advent Not Arms,’ Global Christian Leaders Demand End of Arms Sales to Israel

Word and Way

“In December 2024, over 200 Christian bishops and executive leaders worldwide issued a letter calling for an immediate suspension of arms sales to Israel amid ongoing Middle East violence. Organized by Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) in the U.S. and Embrace the Middle East in the U.K., the letter urges a ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid, and a shift towards peaceful resolutions. Signatories from more than 36 nations, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Italy—the largest arms suppliers to Israel—emphasize that continued military support fuels the conflict and implicates these governments in violations of international humanitarian law. The campaign, titled "Advent Not Arms," aligns with the Christmas season's message of peace, advocating for an end to violence and the pursuit of justice in the region."

Screenshot from Article.

From CMEP's Own: This Advent Season: Hope Has Come

Christian Reformed Church in North America

“The article "Advent: A Season of Hope Has Come", written by CMEP's Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, reflects on the Advent season as a time of anticipation and preparation for the arrival of Christ, the embodiment of hope. It emphasizes the importance of embracing hope even in the midst of personal and global challenges, encouraging readers to actively pursue justice and renewal in their communities. Advent serves as a reminder that, despite the brokenness of the world, God’s promises remain steadfast. Through acts of faith and love, Christians are called to reflect God’s light, bringing hope and healing to those in need.”

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in Damascus on December 10. Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty Images

Unsettling Advent 2024, Day 17

Word and Way

“The article "Unsettling Advent 2024: Day 17", by CMEP’s Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, reflects on the paradoxical nature of Advent, a season of waiting that challenges comfort and complacency. It highlights the unsettling aspects of the Christmas story, including Mary and Joseph's struggle, political oppression, and the marginalization of those at the heart of Christ’s birth. The piece invites readers to embrace the discomfort of Advent as a call to action, urging them to confront injustice and align their lives with God’s transformative work. By doing so, Christians can rediscover the profound hope and disruption that Advent brings to the world.”

Displaced Lebanese twins who fled with their parents from their village of Mais al-Jabal in south Lebanon amid the Hezbollah-Israel war, play on a gun with a twisted barrel statute to symbolize anti-violence, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 31, 2024. (Hussein Malla/Associated Press

Lessons From Unsettling Advent

World and Way

“A classic tale this time of year — with multiple movie versions — is Dr. Seuss’s heartwarming The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. A less inspiring version occurred in a British elementary school last week: The Priest Who Ruined Christmas. A school in Lee-on-the-Solent invited Rev. Paul Chamberlain, a local Anglican minister, to come talk to the children about the biblical Christmas story. They soon learned they shouldn’t have touched him with a 39-and-a-half foot pole. As cuddly as a cactus and as charming as an eel, the priest decided to spoil everybody with his bad attitude.”

Dec 16, 2024: Press Release: Advent 2024 Global Bishops and Christian Leaders Letter

This Advent season, as Christians worldwide prepare to celebrate the Prince of Peace, a groundbreaking global campaign, Advent Not Arms, is calling for an end to violence in Gaza and the broader Middle East. Organized as a collaboration between Embrace the Middle East (UK) and Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) in the United States, this campaign unites Christian leaders from more than 40 countries in a powerful plea for peace and the suspension of arms sales to Israel. In a powerful letter, more than 200 global Christian bishops and executive leaders are calling on world governments to take decisive action to end the ongoing violence in Gaza and the Middle East. The signatories demand an immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian aid, and the suspension of arms sales to Israel, emphasizing the urgent need for justice and peace during the Advent season.

Dec 17, 2024: Gaza Humanitarian Snapshot #8

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and other Humanitarian organizations express a profound concern over the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza, as highlighted in the recently released Humanitarian Access Snapshot #8. CMEP urges the international community to act decisively to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s people and uphold the principles of human dignity and justice.

Dec 19, 2024 Advent Not Arms Frequently Asked Questions U.S.-Israel Arms Shipments

In this FAQ CMEP uncovers the extent of armaments that the United States has sent Israel since October 7th. The report uncovers that the United States has sent Israel over 50,000 tons of armaments at an estimated value between 6-17 Billion USD. If every military equipment delivery to Israel from the United States were spaced out evenly in time, this would then translate to a shipment of military aid to Israel approximately every 13 hours over the past 332 days since October 7th, highlighting the scale of U.S. complicity in war crimes in Gaza. Read more in the report.

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.

CMEP Sponsors Take a Stand for the Holy Land Campaign

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is co-sponsoring the Take a Stand for the Holy Land Campaign alongside the Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace (PCAP) and Friends of Sabeel North America. This campaign was created to call attention to Israel’s confiscation of Christian and Muslim property and escalation of violence against Palestinians. The campaign is also endorsed by sixteen organizations, including groups from nine major US denominations as per the latest press release. Take a Stand for the Holy Land aims to increase awareness among American Christians on the land left and persecution facing the Palestinian Christian community.

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.

CMEP Announcement: Live Thursday News Briefings

Every Thursday, CMEP Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon held live briefings about the latest developments in the Middle East. We will pause our live Thursday news briefings for the rest of December as we observe the holiday season.  As we discern how to continue with these updates into 2025, we solicit your feedback on the format and timing of our weekly news summaries and whether or not you’ve found them helpful. Please click the link below and fill out the survey so we can hear your feedback!

HRW accused Israel of deliberately damaging water infrastructure.

Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of acts of genocide in Gaza over water access

BBC

“Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing "acts of genocide" in Gaza by deliberately depriving Palestinian civilians there of adequate access to water. It says Israel's actions include intentionally damaging water and sanitation infrastructure.The campaign group says this has probably caused thousands of deaths, which it says is also tantamount to "committing the crime against humanity of extermination".

Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, December 19, 2024. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas 

Israel keeps up Gaza bombardment as ceasefire talks intensify

Reuters

“U.S. and Arab mediators are working round-the-clock to hammer out a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, sources close to the talks said, while in the Gaza Strip medics said Israeli strikes had killed 41 Palestinians on Thursday. The mediators, at talks in Egypt and Qatar, are trying to forge a deal to pause the 14-month-old war in the Hamas-ruled enclave that would include a release of hostages seized from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, along with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.”

An Israeli soldier walks past tanks deployed near the Israel-Syria border in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on December 8, 2024. Jalaa Marey/AFP/Getty Images.

Watching with trepidation and glee, Netanyahu orders military to seize Syria buffer zone

CNN

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria was a “direct result” of Israel’s military campaign against Iran and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. “This is a historic day in the history of the Middle East,” he said.But in a sign of the potential danger Israel feels from unknown rulers in Damascus, Netanyahu ordered the military to seize the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria.”

 Intense Israeli Airstrikes Shake Yemen’s Rebel Held Capital and Port City.

Israeli airstrikes hit Yemen’s rebel-held capital and port city after Houthi attack targets Israel

AP News

“A series of intense Israeli airstrikes shook Yemen’s rebel-held capital and a port city early Thursday and killed at least nine people, officials said, shortly after a Houthi missile targeted central Israel.Thursday’s strikes risk further escalating conflict with the Iranian-backed Houthis, whose attacks on the Red Sea corridor have drastically impacted global shipping. The rebels have so far avoided the same level of intense military strikes that have targeted Palestinian militant group Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, fellow members of Tehran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance.”

O Come, O Come Justice: A Global Advent Not Arms Vigil 

On December 18th, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) hosted "O Come, O Come Justice: A Global #AdventNot Arms Vigil." The ecumenical vigil featured remarks from 16 bishops and executive leaders who were signatories of the Advent Letter. These leaders repeatedly called for leaders in the U.S, U.K, and around the world to end military support for Israel's war on Gaza, and prayed for an end to violence and promotion of just peace in the Holy Land.

Christ is Still in the Rubble: A Liturgy of Samud

On December 20th, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) joined Christ at the Checkpoint and a number of co-sponsoring organizations for 'Christ is Still in the Rubble: A Liturgy of Sumud' streamed live from Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. The service featured readings and remarks from several Palestinian clergy and figures, including Yousef Khoury, Rev. Sally Azar, Rev. Ashraf Tannous, and a sermon from Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac. Rev. Isaac's sermon focused on themes of resilience and steadfastness, and the embodiment of Christ as a symbol of hope in the Advent season and always. More than 500 people joined the service live.

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