Young adults from across Holland have joined
together to form the new Young Friends of Sabeel - Netherlands. The group seeks
to connect young people interested in justice issues in Palestine and Israel by
publishing a monthly newsletter. We give thanks for this initiative and pray
for continued engagement of Dutch Christians and churches.
In recent months, the Israeli Ministry of the
Interior has drastically tightened restrictions for internationals wishing to
volunteer or work in Palestine and Israel. Many organizations (including
Sabeel) feel the effects of this policy through higher staff turnover and
additional resources spent dealing with the added bureaucracy. We give thanks
for all who offer their time and talents in service and pray for an end to the
hostility shown to them. God, in your grace, transform our world.
On Tuesday morning, a group of Israeli
settlers, accompanied by armed military and police forces, occupied the home of
Rifka al-Kurd in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. The settlers
reportedly produced a court order giving them consent for the takeover. In
compliance with another court order that prohibited their presence in the
house, the al-Kurd family was not at home when the settlers arrived. May this
injustice not go unnoticed.
Conflicts within Israel seem to be
escalating. Tensions between the ultra-orthodox and secular Jews, standoffs
between the military and settlers, and a soaring crime rate indicate a very
frustrated and fractured society. We pray that voices of moderation and justice
can prevail and that Israel will recognize “the things that make for peace.”
This week we join with the World Council of
Churches in praying for: Liberia, Sierra Leone
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