Press Release

Washington, D.C. - March 21, 2024

Media Contact:
media@cmep.org
202-543-1222

Christian Groups Lead Washington DC Pilgrimage/Rally for Ceasefire In Gaza

This Saturday, March 23, ahead of the start of Holy Week, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) will lead a multi-denominational group of Christians on a 22-mile prayer pilgrimage around Washington, D.C. in solidarity with the people of Gaza. The all-day event will culminate in a rally with Christian leaders in Lafayette Square at 5:45 pm.

Covering the 22 miles from Gaza City to Rafah, the global Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage movement was created to spotlight and meditate on the suffering that the Palestinian people are experiencing as a result of weeks of bombardment, ground invasion, hunger,  and now imminent famine.

Speakers at the rally in Lafayette Square will include:

• Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director of CMEP
• Rev. William Young, III, Senior Pastor of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
• Joyce Ajlouny, Palestinian Christian and Executive Director of American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

Undertaken during the Lenten season, ceasefire pilgrimages are taking place in cities around the world and are focused on four main asks of US and world leaders:

• An enduring and sustained ceasefire.
• Immediate flow of life saving food, water, fuel, and humanitarian aid into Gaza.
• The release of all hostages/political prisoners – both the Israeli hostages held by Hamas – and Palestinians held in the Israeli prison system.
• An end to the occupation and the achievement of a just Israeli-Palestinian peace.

“It was a great privilege to launch the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages movement from Dominus Flevit, the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem in January, alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ from Palestine,” said  Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP). “It is incredibly powerful to know that there are people in cities on all seven continents who have committed throughout Lent to walking the distance of Gaza while praying and calling for a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire. Might God hear our prayers, and might our elected officials not ignore the cries of #CeasefireNow ringing out across the United States and the world.”

What: A multi-denominational Christian-led prayer vigil and rally for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza, concluding the 22-mile Washington, D.C., Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage.

When: Saturday, March 23, 2024 5:45 PM EST

Where: Lafayette Square, Washington D.C

Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. CMEP works to mobilize US Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.

Recent CMEP Statements and Press Releases:

March 1, 2024: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Joins the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem in Condemning Events Yesterday That Caused the Deaths of Civilians in Gaza Seeking Aid. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) joins the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem in condemning the atrocious and despicable events yesterday that caused the deaths and injuries of so many civilians in Gaza seeking aid and humanitarian assistance. We pray for the sustainability of our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Holy Land and that all who have suffered and experienced trauma from the atrocities of the October 7th attacks, the violence between warring parties, and the ongoing injustices of decades of occupation might be brought comfort and healing.

February 23, 2024: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Calls on US Government to Hold Israel Accountable to US Laws and for the Deaths of American Citizens. We mourn the staggering loss of life that we continue to witness. We fervently pray and work for an end to the assault on Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. We call upon the US government to cease sending additional military to Israel, to support and press for an immediate ceasefire, to ensure the provision and delivery of necessary humanitarian aid, to work for a just and lasting peace that ensures the rights of all involved, and to hold Israel accountable to US laws and for the deaths of American citizens

February 15, 2024: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Executive Director joins 22 church-based denominational leaders in a letter to President Biden. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon joined 22 church-based denominational leaders in a letter to President Biden. Several signatories of the letter were in Washington, DC where they delivered the letter during meetings with staff at the State Department Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and with Ambassador Rashad Hussain, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.

See all of our public statements and press releases.