Earlier this week, Israel
approved the construction of 450 new settlement housing units in defiance of international
pressure to freeze all settlement expansion. We pray for strong action from the
international community.
This week, Greek Orthodox Bishop
Atallah Hanna addressed Sabeel’s weekly young adult Bible study group on the
topic of the transfiguration. Bishop Atallah engaged in conversation with the
participants and discussed everyday interfaith encounters. We praise God for
church leaders like Bishop Atallah who take interest in the spiritual formation
of young people and in speaking candidly about realities facing Christians in Palestine.
On Thursday, eight Israeli human
rights and peace organizations from Jerusalem
and Tel Aviv are joining together in a public demonstration against settlement
activity in East Jerusalem. We pray that the gathering
at Jaffa Gate will draw helpful attention to the injustices being committed in Jerusalem by the Israeli
government.
Nightly raids by the Israeli
military continue in the West Bank town of Bil’in, one center of the Palestinian
nonviolent resistance movement. In recent months, the military has undertaken
regular early morning incursions and has targeted leaders of the nonviolent
resistance organized against the route of the Separation Wall that cuts the
villagers off from their fields. We pray that leaders and participants in the
nonviolent resistance to the Occupation will find strength and resilience to
continue in their struggle.
This week we
join with the World Council of Churches in praying for: Albania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Croatia,
Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia
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