July 2022

Check out the latest opportunities and events from Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP). 

 

Tala Raheb (Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow) and Jennifer Maidrand (Outreach Manager) at an event in Michigan, June 2022.

Pilgrimage2Peace tour extended:

CMEP's Pilgrimage to Peace (P2P) tour was extended to Southern Michigan in June! We were grateful to be hosted by our church partner, Kairos West Michigan, as well as St. Paul Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Church to discuss the journey ahead in peacebuilding work for Palestine and Israel.

CMEP's Outreach Manager, Jennifer Maidrand, and Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow, Tala Raheb, were pleased for more opportunities to speak with CMEP friends and supporters.

If you would like to have a CMEP representative speak at your church or organization, please reach out to Jennifer at jennifer@cmep.org.

 
 

Recent Events:

On May 19, 2022, Churches for Middle East Peace, in collaboration with the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests, hosted a series of webinars on Christians in the Holy Land entitled, "Mystagogia: What Can We Do to Build a Better Future in Palestine and Israel." In this conversation, Amy Cohen (Ir Amim) and Zoughbi Zoughbi (Wi'am) addressed some of the key ongoing challenges for peace and a just future in Israel, Palestine, and East Jerusalem (demolitions, evictions, and confiscations) and the West Bank (challenges within Palestinian civil society). Watch the webinar recording here.

On Thursday, June 23, Churches for Middle East Peace hosted a webinar "Israel/Palestine and Apartheid: How Should the Church Respond?" The webinar was facilitated by CMEP Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon with speakers: Peter Makari (United Church of Christ/Disciples of Christ), Dawood Hammoudeh (American Friends Service Committee), and Lara Friedman (Foundation for Middle East Peace). The webinar comes at a time when CMEP Member Communions, including the Presbyterian Church (USA) will consider policy positions related to Apartheid at their denominational gatherings. You can view the webinar here. 

 

Action Alert:

Urge President Biden to Stand Up for Peace and Justice During His Trip to Israel and Palestine
As President Biden’s July 13-14 visit to Israel and Palestine approaches, events on the ground are propelling the region towards escalating conflict, violence, and suffering. The President must address these issues in his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leadership.
 

Ongoing Webinar Mini-Course:

We hope you were able to join CMEP, Embrace the Middle East, and author Colin Chapman for the first two sessions of our webinar mini-course. If you missed them, there’s still time to register for the next two sessions, which will take place weekly from July 5 and July 12. If you missed the first two week's sessions (on July 21 & 28) or would like to re-watch them, the videos can be found on our YouTube.

If you'd like to purchase Colin's book upon which this mini-course is based, you can do so via the publisher's website. Use coupon code CMEP through July 2022 for a 50% discount.  
 

Virtual Advocacy Summit:

Advocate for Palestinian Children & Families: A virtual Advocacy Summit this August. Join Churches for Middle East Peace for a series of virtual events this August including a webinar, advocacy training, and virtual meetings with your elected officials. This summit will feature flexible scheduling to join parts live or watch recordings and the opportunity to meet others in your local community for a virtual congressional meeting. Accountability Matters will focus on the importance of Human Rights, specifically via the support of HR 2590: Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act introduced by Congresswoman Betty McCollum.
 

Meet the Academics of CMEP:

Register to meet the Academics of CMEP on September 29, 2022 at Noon Eastern via Zoom to learn about the work each is doing. We’ll hear from:
  • Tala Raheb: Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow & a Ph.D. candidate in West and South Asian Religions (WSAR) at Emory University
  • Ben Norquist: Research Assistant & a PhD candidate in Higher Education, Azusa Pacific University
  • Jennifer Maidrand: Outreach Manager & a Ph.D. candidate in Bible and Cultures at Drew University
  • Kevin Vollrath: Manager of Middle East Partnerships & a Ph.D. candidate in Religion and Society at Princeton Theological Seminary
  • Facilitated by Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon: Executive Director & holds both a Ph.D. in American History with a minor in Middle Eastern studies from the University of California (Davis) and a D.Min in Ministry in Spiritual Formation from Northern Theological Seminary
 

Public Statements:

June 23, 2022: CMEP Joins National Faith Group Leaders in Calling on President Biden to Rejoin Iran Deal
CMEP Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon joined twenty-four other national Faith leaders in a letter to President Biden requesting his administration rejoin the Iran Deal.
 
June 17, 2022: CMEP Identifies Upgrade in State Department’s Palestinian Office as a “Good First Step”
CMEP welcomes the decision by the United States government to upgrade its Palestinian Affairs Unit (PAU) to a more independent Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) as a good first step toward the re-establishment of a Consulate General in East Jerusalem.

June 10, 2022: CMEP Dismayed by Israeli Court Ruling to Expropriate Greek Orthodox Church Property in Jerusalem
CMEP opposes such unlawful incursions and stands with the Greek Orthodox Church as it defends its rights and the rights of Palestinian Christians.  
 
June 1, 2022: CMEP Supports the Bipartisan Yemen War Powers Resolution, HJRes 87, Introduced to Congress on June 1, 2022
The resolution, which was put forth by Representatives Jayapal, DeFazio, Schiff, and Mace, calls for an end to U.S. involvement in the war on Yemen.
 

Press Releases:

June 23, 2022:  Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Announces New Board Member Organization
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is pleased to announce the addition of Community of Christ (CoC) as CMEP’s newest member communion.
 
 

CMEP in the News:

 

Contact Us

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 311
Washington, District of Columbia 20002
(202) 543-1222  info@cmep.org

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