Podcast with Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon: 

On November 1, The Practicing Gospel podcast released an interview with David Rayburn and CMEP's executive director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon about her book Beyond Hashtag Activism: Comprehensive Justice in a Complicated Age. The podcast featured discussions about CMEP's work and the Middle East.

Action Alert:

On October 28, 2021, Rep. Betty McCollum introduced H.Res 751 in the House of Representatives opposing the designation of six Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist” organizations. On October 19, Benny Gantz, the Israeli Defense Minister, signed an executive order designating 6 prominent Palestinian human rights groups as “terrorist” organizations. The named organizations include: Addameer, al-Haq, Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees. The executive order did not provide any public evidence to substantiate these claims.

Press Release: October 18, 2021: CMEP Announces its Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations

CMEP is pleased to announce that it has been granted special consultative status as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN). Special consultative status allows for an NGO to engage with the ECOSOC, the Human Rights Council, and, at times, the General Assembly and the United Nations Secretariat. As an NGO with special consultative status, CMEP will have the privilege of designating official representatives to the UN Headquarters in New York and UN Offices at Geneva and Vienna, as well as offering expert information, advice, and statements to the Council on topics related to faith, justice, and peace in the Middle East.

October 28, 2021: CMEP Supports Biden Administration’s Opposition to the Israeli Government’s Approval of New Settlement Construction
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomes the Biden Administration’s opposition to recent actions of the Israeli Government, expressed publicly and privately in conversations between senior officials from both governments. In the past week, the Israeli Government has launched several provocative actions that individually and collectively are a threat to peace in Israel/Palestine. Should these stand, they would also undermine the Biden Administration’s stated policy opposing any unilateral measures that could damage the prospects for a two-state solution.

October 28, 2021: CMEP Joins 14 Churches and Church-Based Organizations in Calling on Secretary Blinken to Oppose the Israeli Government’s designation of Palestinian Human Rights Groups as Terrorist Organizations
We write to you as Churches and church-based organizations to express our significant concerns about the recent Israeli decision to label key Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as “terrorist organizations.” Our shock and anger echoes the concerns raised by groups like Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, and over twenty Israeli human rights and peace organizations.

October 26, 2021: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Strongly Opposes Designation of Palestinian Human Rights Groups as Terrorist Organizations
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) strongly opposes the Israeli Defense Ministry’s decision issued last week to declare six Palestinian human rights groups as terrorist organizations. The named organizations include: Addameer, al-Haq, Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP), the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, and the Union of Palestinian Women Committees. Many of these human rights organizations work closely with the international community to develop Palestinian civil society, document human rights violations, and defend Palestinians in Israeli courts.

Giving Tuesday: 

Join Churches for Middle East Peace this #GivingTuesday (November 30) to support our mission of working towards justice and peace in The Holy Land. Please donate on our webpage to educate peacemakers in the U.S. about what’s happening in the Holy Land, elevate the voices of peacebuilders doing the groundwork in the Middle East, and advocate for peace and justice on Capitol Hill. 

CMEP in the News:

Women in the Middle East Claim Their Place in the Pulpit, Sojourners, Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, October 13, 2021. 
 

Discussion series to focus on situation in Israel and Palestine, Wayland Town Crier, WickedLocal, October 4, 2021.
 

Armenian Assembly’s Fall 2021 Advocacy Week Panels Inform, Educate & Motivate, Massis Post, October 2, 2021.

Upcoming Event: 

On behalf of the Bishop's Committee for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land, you are invited to attend an upcoming conference entitled "Doing Justice: Israel/Palestine”. Speakers will address the current situation in Palestine, urgent reasons for change, and strategies for advocating to the US government. There will be panel discussions and Q&A.

This conference will be held on Saturday, November 13th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in Bloedel Hall at St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle, WA, and will also be available online for those who are unable to attend in person. Tickets to attend in person or online can be purchased at the link below. 

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