November 15 marks Palestinian Independence Day.
Unfortunately, 28 years since the state was declared, true independence remains
a dream.
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God, we offer thanks for all the people and
organizations working to bring about a just peace that will allow Palestine to
experience actual independence. We pray for transformation and freedom in this
land. Lord in your mercy…
Mohammed Ja’abis was forced to demolish his house
under the pretext of being built without a permit. “I demolished it with my own
hands to avoid paying over $35,000 in demolition fees if Israeli bulldozers
demolished it,” he said. Israel rarely provides Palestinians living in East Jerusalem
with building permits forcing them to build structures “illegally”.
·
Lord, we pray for the family of the twelve people as
they become homeless. We remember especially the six children as their entire
life changes to the unknown. God we ask you not to allow the community of
Jerusalem, Palestine and the rest of the world to surrender to hopelessness and
apathy. Lord in your mercy…
Three Palestinian brothers have been on hunger strike
for 14 days to protest being held in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison.
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God, we continue to remember the Palestinian political
prisoners in Israeli jails. We ask your spirit to guide us to mobilize the
efforts of the peacemakers to set the captives free and to put an end to this
occupation. Lord in your mercy…
The Israeli organization Zochrot, with Erik Ader, a
former ambassador of the Netherlands, is organizing an event for the destroyed
and depopulated Palestinian village of Bayt Nattif. The event is organized to
apologize for the fact that the Jewish National Fund has planted 1100 trees on
the land of Bayt Nattif, to honour his father, the Reverend Bastiaan Jan Ader,
who saved Jews during the 2nd World War. On Nov. 20th, in the
village Far'ata near Qalqilia, the Olive Tree Campaign and the Dutch Plant an
Olive Tree foundation, will have a ceremony of planting of 1100 olive trees,
donated by Erik Ader on the anniversary of the death of his father, Nov. 20th
1944.
·
Lord, we pray for your blessing on this event, so that
it will be a consolation for the families of Bayt Nattif and everybody who
suffers until this day, the consequences of the Nakba. May this event
contribute to a better understanding of the injustice done to the Palestinian
people. We ask for such events to contribute to opening the eyes of the world to
the Palestinian people’s just cause. Lord in your mercy…
·
We join the World Council of Churches by praying for
the countries of the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe. Lord in
your mercy…
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