In his final address to the
Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, general secretary Rev.
Samuel Kobia called Israel’s
occupation of the Palestinian territories a “sin against God.” We are thankful
for Kobia’s strong public statement about the need for justice in
Palestine/Israel. We pray for Kobia’s successor, Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit. May
he find the resources to meet the many challenges he will face.
On Tuesday
morning, Israeli military forces entered Jalazoun Refugee Camp north of Ramallah.
Using live ammunition, concussion grenades and tear gas, the military kidnapped
several young men, injured three paramedics responding to the attack, and shot
and killed Mohammad Riyadh Nayef (a 15 year old boy). We pray for Mohammad’s
family and the thousands of other Palestinian families affected by military
incursions in the West Bank and Gaza
each week. May God give them abundant strength, courage, and comfort.
This week in Jerusalem,
Fr. Jean Nyembo (who is currently volunteering at Sabeel) will present the
Sabeel community with a glimpse at life in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nyembo will speak about how he hopes to use his experiences in Palestine
to influence his home community and how to apply the lessons from this conflict
to the conflict in the Congo.
We pray for peace and justice in that land and pray that international
solidarity will help bring new hope to the Congolese people.
Last Saturday, Sabeel staff
joined with over two hundred Israeli peace activists in a candlelight vigil in
the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem.
People gathered to demonstrate against the eviction of the al-Hanoun and
al-Ghawi families. Settlers now occupy the homes with the approval of the
government. We thank God for the support shown by so many Israelis and we pray
that more Israelis will take action to end injustice in Israel and Palestine.
This week we
join with the World Council of Churches in praying for: Czech Republic,
Poland,
Slovakia
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