English 21 February 2019

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

21^st February 2019

For the 47th consecutive Friday the “Great March of Return” continued along the border between Gaza and Israel. At least sixty Palestinians were injured by Israeli soldiers using live ammunition.

·         Lord, we pray for all those injured in the protest. Lord, we pray for a breakthrough in the peace talks so that there may be a just end to the blockade of Gaza. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers.

When the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) force was unilaterally expelled by Israel last week, a group of Palestinian activists set up their own group as a protective presence in the city. On their first day of escorting Palestinian children to school the group members were harassed by Israeli settlers.

·         Lord we pray for all those who set out to protect the weak and to witness oppression. Lord, guard the paths of justice and watch over those who seek to walk the ways of righteousness and justice (Prov 2:6-9). Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers.

On Friday the 15th of February, two Palestinians were shot in Urif village, southern Nablus. Clashes took place when farmers tried to remove the dirt mounds dumped by Israeli forces to prevent them from reaching their land.

·         Lord, we pray for the Palestinians who are trying to earn their livelihoods on the land or at sea. We pray for an end to the violent treatment of the Palestinians by the Israeli authorities. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers.

In its monthly report, the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (OCHA), in occupied Palestine stated that 40 Palestinian-owned homes and other structures were demolished or seized by Israeli authorities during January. One of the demolitions took place on punitive grounds and the others happened due to the lack of permits. Building permits for Palestinians are almost impossible to obtain.

·         Lord, it is so difficult to imagine how it feels to have your home, school or business broken up before your eyes. We pray for families who suffer this trauma, that they may have the strength to recover and start their lives again. We pray for those who carry out this demolition work that they may question this heartless policy and cease what they are doing. Lord, in your mercy ...hear our prayers.

Dozens of Israeli ministers and political officials have signed a petition to settle two million Israeli settlers across occupied Palestine. The petition has been put forward by the Nahala Movement. They demand a rapid expansion of Jewish-only settlements, as well as an end to the two-state solution. There are already between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis living in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, in violation of international law.

·         Lord, we pray that international laws would be respected by the Israeli government. We pray that international organisations like the UN would bring pressure to bear on Israel to halt the illegal expansion of Jewish-only settlements in occupied Palestine. Lord, in your mercy...

This week’s Kumi Now initiative focuses on the work of the Regional Council of the Palestinian Unrecognised Bedouin Villages (RCUV). Bedouin villages have no legal recognition in the Israeli state and no access to municipal services like water or electricity. They wish to continue to follow their traditional way of life, rearing livestock and farming. Bedouin villagers, like those in al-Araqib, live under constant threat of demolition. The Israeli government wants to relocate them to urban centres without regard for their rural way of life.

·         Lord, we pray for the work of the RCUV as they seek to protect those who have no rights in their own land. We pray that the way of life of the Bedouin people would be respected and that they would be left to farm in their traditional ways. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers.

·         We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of France, Germany and Monaco. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayers.