Extreme settler violence continued in and around
Nablus and Hebron this week. Stones
launched by illegal Jewish settlers also struck the bus full of students from Bethlehem
Bible College as it returned from a choir concert. Settler violence against Palestinians
increased by 50% in 2011, and has terrorized people, agricultural land, and
caused considerable amount of property damage.
In just this month, three mosques near Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Salfit
were torched and covered with racist graffiti.
Rather than enabling these attacks and then protecting settlers from
prosecution, we pray that the Israeli government takes responsibility for
stopping this violence. We pray that God will change the hearts of the settlers.
Lord in your mercy…
People around Palestine rejoiced as 550 more
political prisoners were released from Israeli jails early this week,
completing the second stage in the prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and
Israel. The detainees included 55
children and six women. We pray for
their swift reintegration in society, and increasing wisdom. We pray for the release of all political
prisoners. Lord in your mercy…
We pray for all those who must
pick up the pieces of life and death after the official end to the US-led war
in Iraq this month. Looking at the effects of this war that raged for nine
years and destroyed millions of lives, we grieve. We pray for the people of
Iraq as they face a very uncertain future, and seek to rebuild after the unjust
war. Lord in your mercy…
The Christmas season continues in Palestine-Israel with multiple
celebrations led on different days by Roman Catholics and Protestants,
Armenians and Orthodox Christians. While
we are privileged to host people from all over the world for the celebration of
Jesus’ birth, we mourn the fact that many Palestinian families cannot reunite
at this time, because they did not receive travel permits to leave the West
Bank. Lord in your mercy…
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