Sabeel Wave of Prayer
August 3rd, 2017
Although Israel continues to impose
restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque, there have been some victories as a
result of the protests, including that the metal detectors and some cameras
have been removed. There were prayers inside the mosque on Friday, with as many
as 10,000 worshippers participating. Sabeel and Kairos Palestine led a
delegation of Christian leaders to meet with Muslim leaders and protest
together at Al-Aqsa mosque, emphasizing that increased Israeli control at Haram
al-Sharif is a concern for all Palestinians, regardless of religion.
·
Lord, we thank you for the successes that have
come from the nonviolent protests in Jerusalem, and for the unified stand
Muslims and Christians against the occupation in general, and in East Jerusalem
in particular. We pray that the nonviolent protests will continue and Israel
will end its control over East Jerusalem and all of the occupied Palestinian
territories.
Lord,
in your mercy, hear our prayer…
In March 2016, an Israeli soldier named Elor
Azaria killed Abdul Fatah al-Sharif in Hebron. Al-Sharif was wounded and
already incapacitated after attempting to stab another soldier when Azaria shot
him in the head. This week, an Israeli court denied Azaria’s appeal of his
18-month prison sentence amid calls by Israeli leading figures for his pardon.
·
Lord, we lament the killing of Abdul Fatah
al-Sharif. We mourn a climate which Palestinian attackers are extra judicially
executed while Israeli attackers are given minimal sentences.
Lord,
in your mercy…
Twenty-year-old Mahdi al-Saadi was chased and
shot to death, at close range, by Israeli police in his hometown of Jaffa while
unarmed. This is another incident in the consistent mistreatment of Palestinian
citizens by Israeli police. In response, there have been protests and clashes
with police in Jaffa.
·
Lord, we mourn for Mahdi al-Saadi and all the
other young people who are killed by police as a result of racial profiling and
prejudice. We lament that Palestinians and Israelis who are accused of crimes
are treated so differently, and pray that police officers would protect people
rather than mistreating them.
Lord,
in your mercy…
In Amman Jordan, an Israeli embassy security
guard killed two Jordanians, one of them a bystander. The security guard was
welcomed as a hero in Israel, including by Prime Minister Netanyahu, who hugged
him and praised his behavior, saying it was self-defense from an attempted
stabbing. The Israeli investigation is still ongoing, but most likely will be
superficial.
·
Lord, we lament the culture of violence in
which claims of self-defense allow Israelis to shoot and kill people with few
consequences or questions. We mourn the deaths of the two people who were
killed in Amman.
Lord,
in your mercy…
We join the World Council of Churches in
praying for the Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Sao Tomé and Principe.
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