Friday, September 30, 2011

Archbishop Chacour: We are not condemned, rather we are privileged to live together

Archbishop Elias Chacour of the Melkite Catholic Church shared some thoughts in a recent letter to Pilgrims of Ibillin, supporters of the Mar Elias schools program in the Galilee area.

Among his comments I want to share this portion, and I encourage you to meditate on  and discuss Father Chacour's ideas:
"For long we have stopped thinking that we in the Holy Land are condemned to live together, despite all the suffering, the disappointments and the disillusionment. Instead, we opt for a new approach: we are not condemned to live together, we are rather privileged to live together, to accept each other and to become a sign of hope for our local people, for the Middle East and for all those thousands who visit the Holy Places.

"Despite what appears on the political news we remain hopeful and are encouraged to see more and more officials on the Palestinian side seeking the implementation of their ancestors' rights, without any denial of any similar rights on the Jewish side. Charity and peace can start only when there is a genuine mutual recognition of each other.

"You have been extremely important with your solidarity to encourage us all, teachers and students, to persevere in our search for God in the face of our neighbors. The present difficult time of the stiffening of positions shows a real, deep fear that was planted and nurtured over the last 63 years since the creation of the State of Israel.

"I call on you, dear brothers and sisters, to continue believing that you personally can make a difference for the better..."

For more about Archbishop Chour, please see this link.

For information about Archbishop Chacour's books and the work of Mar Elias, check this book list.

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Monday, September 26, 2011

Bishop Mark Hanson urges the president not to block Palestinian statehood

Here is a message from ELCA Peace Not Walls...
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:30 AM PDT
In a letter today, the Rev. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, urged President Obama not to block the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN. US officials have vowed to use the US veto power to block the Palestinian initiative asking for full member status at the UN. In preparation for a meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a settlement freeze, one of the Palestinian demands for renewing negotiations, would not happen. The Heads of Churches in Jerusalem recently issued a statement calling for two states having justice, peace and security, a shared Jerusalem and renewed negotiations to those ends. They also urged restraint on both sides in anticipated protests after the bid is introduced.

Read Haaretz Article | See more resources at Churches for Middle East Peace website
BBC Q and A about Palestinian statehood 
Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:27 AM PDT
The most recent CMEP bulletin from September 16 focuses on the events leading up the Palestinian request for statehood and full inclusion at the UN. It gives some background of the different positions and statements made by leaders in the weeks prior to this historic event.

It also includes reports on the current situation on the ground concerning the forceable relocation of bedouins and the most recent “price tag” events carried out by Israeli settlers in response to outposts being demolished by the Israeli government.
You can read the newsletter here.

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Saturday, September 24, 2011

ELCA Action Alert: Say Yes to Peace, Say Yes to Palestine

Take Action

Tell the President: Say Yes to Peace, Say Yes to Palestine
 
September 23, 2011
For all who care about peace in the Middle East, the spotlight now is on the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. Anticipating a Palestinian bid for UN membership, leader after leader have taken to the stage to address the question. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the Assembly today. This morning, President Abbas submitted an application to the UN for Palestine to be recognized as a full member state. The prospect of a bid for UN membership has provoked a recent stream of threats to Palestinian aid from Congress.

Earlier this week, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson sent a letter to President Obama urging support for Palestinian self-determination. He wrote, "It is my hope the U.S. will act in its own best interest as well as the interest of all people in the region by not blocking the initiative to admit Palestine as a Member State of the United Nations."
He stressed the importance of our accompaniment of our Palestinian Christian sisters and brothers, saying, "Our Church's relationship with our Christian companions in the region provides me with a constant and troubling awareness of the daily suffering that persists because of the failure to resolve the conflict."

Take action now: Tell the President that as a Christian who cares about a just peace for all, you want the U.S. to support the Palestinians' quest for self-determination. Tell him you believe this is a legitimate way to pursue a just and lasting peace for the benefit of Palestinians and Israelis.

Send your message also to U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice at the UN: The Honorable Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, VIA FAX: (212) 415-4443; PHONE: (212) 415-4000.

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Bishop Hanson said in his letter to the President, "The objective of the initiative at the United Nations is to achieve a two-state solution, an objective we share with your administration. We agree with your statement to the UN last year that those who seek such a solution, '...should reach for what's best within ourselves. If we do, when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the United Nations – an independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel.'"

You can also read more about the issue in the recent ELCA news release.

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TAKE ACTION TODAY: Tell the President the time is now for an independent Palestine to be recognized alongside Israel. Tell him you support the non-violent approach of turning to the international forum of the UN to pursue this goal.


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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Jerusalem Heads of Churches Statement Concerning Palestine and the UN

Heads of Churches in Jerusalem Release Statement Concerning Upcoming Palestinian UN Statehood Bid

Find the Statement here and share it with your networks and the media.

Looking toward the upcoming Palestinian UN Statehood Bid, the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem released a statement last week. 

We invite you to read the statement below: 

Looking ahead to the upcoming General Assembly of the United Nations in this September 2011 and the bid for Palestinian statehood, the Heads of Christian Churches in Jerusalem feel the need to intensify the prayers and diplomatic efforts for peace between Palestinians and Israelis, see this as the most appropriate time for such an opportunity, and thus wish to reiterate the following principles upon which we agree:

  • A two-state solution serves the cause of peace and justice.
  • Israelis and Palestinians must live each in their own independent states with peace, security and justice, respecting human rights, according to international law.
  • Negotiations are the best way to resolve all outstanding problems between the two sides.
  • Palestinians and Israelis should exercise restraint, whatever the outcome of the vote at the United Nations.
  • Jerusalem is a Holy City to the followers of all three Abrahamic faiths, in which all people should be able to live in peace and tranquility, a city to be shared by the two peoples and the three faiths.   
Thus, we call upon decision makers and people of good will, to do their utmost to achieve the long awaited justice, peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians so that the prophecy of Prophet David is lived again:

"Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” (Ps. 85: 10)


12 September 2011

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

From Sabeel, two statements on Palestine and the UN and the Wave of Prayer

Two Sabeel Statements and the Wave of Prayer from Sabeel

The UN: Problem or Solution is a short statement from Sabeel to help friends understand what might happen in the UN after September 20, 2011.

Dilemmas and Opportunities Facing the Palestinian People is a much longer version offering our friends a more detailed background material about the pros and cons of what might transpire.

Every Thursday in Jerusalem friends of Sabeel, the ecumenical liberation theology center, gather for prayer. Here's the focus:

The 21st of September is the day the UN General Assembly starts its new session for 2011. Let us keep this date in our thoughts and prayers, especially that the Palestinian Leadership will be submitting its bid for the recognition of Palestine as a member state.  We pray that all UN decisions will be made on the basis of Justice, and that the powerful will refrain from applying double-standards that discriminate against the weaker states.

Israeli settlers on the West-Bank have accelerated their aggression in the past two weeks.  They set fire to three mosques in villages around the city of Nablus. They also painted graffiti abusive to Islam and the Prophet Mohammad on the walls of the mosques.  In the West-Bank town of Bir-Zeit, settlers sprawled abusive graffiti on the walls of Bir-Zeit University and one of the mosques in town.  Israeli settlers also physically attacked a Bethlehem University lecturer and a female student on their way to University.  We pray that the Government of Israel will take measures to put an end to such attacks, and that the settlers would realize that they cannot continue to occupy another people's land forever.

The Human Rights organization, B'tselem, draws the attention to the way the Israeli army, violently, deals with peaceful demonstrations on the West-Bank, especially most recently, in the West-bank village of Nabi-Saleh near Ramallah. B'tselem fears that this is an indication of the way the Israeli army plans to deal with further peaceful demonstrations the Palestinians may hold to express the affirmation of their rights to statehood and self-determination.  We pray that the Israeli government will itself recognize Palestinian rights and the right of people to demonstrate peacefully.

Sabeel's founder Rev. Naim Ateek took part in a conference in the Netherlands last week, organized by the Netherlands Kairos Palestine Group. The event was to discuss, promote and spread the "Kairos Palestine- Document "A Moment of Truth." We pray for all those who attended the conference - speakers and participants - that they will speak a word of truth for the glory of God, and for the sake of peace in Palestine and Israel.

Click this link for a short video with Naim Ateek and Stephen Sizer in the Netherlands.

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CMEP Resources on Palestinian Initiative at the UN

The 2011 session of the United Nations General Assembly opened on September 13 in New York City. During this gathering of the global community, the Palestinian Authority is expected to request statehood recognition at the United Nations. There is little clarity and much speculation on what form this request will take and what impact it will have.

CMEP has put together a collection of materials from trusted sources on the Palestinian initiative at the United Nations. These resources offer a combination of legal details, facts, and analysis of the possible Palestinian actions at the UN and potential results and consequences of those actions. Click this link for Resources on the Palestinian Initiative at the United Nations.

An example is Al-Haq’s Questions & Answers on Palestine’s September Initiatives at
the United Nations. Al-Haq is a Palestinian human rights organization.

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Monday, September 19, 2011

Join in worldwide prayers on International Day of Prayer for Peace

This is a much-abbreviated clip of a bulletin distributed by the World Council of Churches.

Prayers and signs of commitment will be offered for the International Day of Prayer for Peace on 21 Sept. Observances in parishes and on Facebook grow out of a May World Council of Churches peace convocation in Jamaica.

"The Palestinian Coalition of Christian Organizations, with Palestinian Moslem brothers and internationals, will celebrate at the YMCA Shepherds' Field in Beit Sahour with much commitment and dedication to work for peace and human dignity,“ writes Nidal Abuzuluf, in Palestine.

Click this link for resources and much more about International Day of Prayer for Peace.

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Friday, September 16, 2011

ELCA concern intensifies for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

ELCA Peace Not Walls Newsletter -  14 Sept. 2011

Recent acts of violence and the potential for violence against civilians intensify concerns for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In recent weeks, there have been several reports of violence against civilians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as nearby countries in the Middle East region. These reports point toward an increasingly disturbing trend that may lead to more violence against civilian populations in the near future. This increased violence takes place within the contexts of 1) the ongoing series of revolutions in the Middle East known as the 'Arab Spring,' and 2) increased international diplomatic efforts for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state. The ELCA has important resources for reflecting on the trend toward violence in the region.

As noted in a recent Security Council briefing by Lynn Pascoe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs,
"On 1 August, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) shot and killed two Palestinians during a search-and-arrest operation in the Qalandiya refugee camp. Five Israeli soldiers were injured in that operation.... On 2 August, the IDF issued restraining orders against 12 settlers from a village south of Nablus who were suspected of so-called 'price tag activities' against Palestinians. The Secretary-General has consistently called for perpetrators of such incidents to be brought to justice."

Pascoe also reported that terrorists of unclear origins targeted several civilian vehicles and one military vehicle on August 18 in southern Israel.
"The coordinated attacks resulted in the death of eight Israelis, including two soldiers and six civilians. Egyptian security forces cooperated with the (IDF) on their side of the border to counter the attacks. However, five Egyptian security personnel died in the operation."

"Citing intelligence attributing the attacks to a Palestinian group based in Gaza, Israel conducted 45 air strikes on Gaza that killed 19 Palestinians, including three civilians. Thirty Palestinians, including at least 10 militants, were also injured. The IDF also conducted search operations in Hebron in the West Bank, reportedly arresting about 120 Hamas members and injuring 55 Palestinians. Gaza militants indiscriminately fired more than 100 rockets and projectiles into Israel, killing one Israeli civilian and injuring 27. The Secretary-General and the Quartet strongly condemned the terror attacks."

On August 29, eight people were wounded near a Tel Aviv nightclub by a suspect from Nablus who stole a taxi and crashed it into a group of border guards. He then attacked the guards and two others near the nightclub before being subdued and detained.

In Syria, long-standing grievances against the government of President Bashar al-Assad and that of his father, Hafez al-Assad, surfaced in March when protests over a lack of political and economic reforms began in Dar'a and quickly spread to other parts of the country. Based on reports of arbitrary arrests and detention, initially of youths and children, armed attacks on demonstrators and funeral processions, shut-offs of water and electricity supplies to towns, and denial of access to medical equipment, among other abuses, the United Nations Human Rights Council authorized a fact-finding mission in late April to investigate these and other reports.

The mission issued its report in mid-August and discussed it at a special session of the Council on August 22. At that meeting, Ms. Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, noted that the report which covered the period from mid-March to mid-July "found a pattern of widespread or systematic human rights violations by Syrian security and military forces, including murder, enforced disappearances, torture, deprivation of liberty, and persecution," and, she added, "there are indications that the pattern of violations continues to this day." The report said that the demonstrations were largely peaceful but that military and security forces attacked demonstrators, bystanders, and those who came to the aid of the injured. These constituted wide-spread acts against unarmed civilian populations.

In late August, media reports surfaced about plans by the Israeli Defense Forces to train and equip settlers in the West Bank with potentially lethal means to deal with Palestinian demonstrations. President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority (PA) had earlier called for demonstrations later in September at the time when the PA has announced it will petition the United Nations to admit Palestine as a UN Member State. He has repeatedly urged that any such demonstrations remain peaceful and that the participants be unarmed. Nonetheless, Ha'aretz, which broke this news, said that
"The army [the IDF] is establishing two virtual lines for each of the settlements that are near a Palestinian village. The first line, if crossed by Palestinian demonstrators, will be met with tear gas and other means for dispersing crowds."

"The second line is a 'red line,' and if this one is crossed, the soldiers will be allowed to open fire at the legs of the demonstrators, as is also standard practice if the northern border is crossed."

The IDF has declined to comment on the operational aspects of their preparations. However, a number of observers have expressed concerns about what the arrangements may portend. The Guardian reported:
"Arik Ascherman of Rabbis for Human Rights said there were already 'serious questions and problems' with settlement security officials acting outside their designated boundaries. 'We're very concerned that [the IDF move] will not reduce conflict but increase it,' he said."

The trend toward more violence and the potential for violence against civilians should prompt members of the ELCA to reflect further upon the 1995 social statement, "For Peace in God's World", and the counsel it offers (under "Tasks") concerning peaceful conflict resolution:

Strengthen the will and ability to resolve conflicts peacefully. Disagreements, conflicts, and competition among nations, groups, and individuals are inevitable, but wars are not. One essential ingredient for reducing the likelihood of war is the steady resolve and intense effort of the parties involved to settle conflict nonviolently. Another essential ingredient is the ability to explore all avenues for common interests, to compromise interests, to conciliate differences, and to prevent, moderate, or isolate destructive conflicts. These ingredients are as vital for resolving conflict in international diplomacy as they are in families and communities.
and
Strengthen international cooperation. Belief in a common humanity, increasing global integration, and national self-interest all compel this task. In the Charter of the United Nations and in other international agreements, nations have stated how they believe their relations should be ordered. Normally nations comply with these principles. States pledge to respect the sovereign equality and territorial integrity of other states and not to intervene in their internal affairs, and to honor the self-determination of peoples. They also pledge to fulfill international obligations, to cooperate with other states, and to settle disputes peacefully. While states have the right of self-defense and may resist aggression, they are otherwise to abstain from the threat or use of military force. At present, such principles offer the best framework for a just ordering of international relations. Citizens have responsibility to hold governments accountable to these principles.

The ELCA's Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine is also quite clear about these matters. Among the political and humanitarian outcomes it says the ELCA has committed itself, especially relevant is:
An end to terrorism and violence by individuals, groups, and states.

This principle is one the church should continue to uphold and advocate, especially against the current trends in the region.

Dennis W. Frado
Director, Lutheran Office for World Community,
Congregational & Synodical Mission Program Unit
http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Advocacy/Advocacy-Ministries/Lutheran-Office-for-World-Community.aspx

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

OCHA Movement and Access Report

The regular reports from the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are full of detail that helps us comprehend the situation for Palestinians.  Full of pictures too!  In this most recent publication, Movement and Access Report August 2011, a photo on page 18 was taken by an Ecumenical Accompanier (EAPPI).
 
Click this link to a pdf file of the Movement and Access Report, and please look it over carefully and share it widely.  
Blessings, Ann

Monday, September 12, 2011

A few of the many events coming up

My mailbox fills up with announcements of fascinating events. Here are a few of them.

++ US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
10th Annual National Organizers’ Conference in Washington, DC, September 16-19.
Online registration will close on Wednesday, September 14 at 5:00pm Eastern, after which, only on-site registration will be available. 

As part of this year’s conference, Grassroots Training Institute/Member Group Workshops session.  We received so many amazing workshop submissions that we had to add additional slots to fit all of them in the schedule! These workshops will inspire you to take action and become a more effective activist.

++ US Policy in Palestine-Israel - Engaging Faith Communities in Pursuit of a Just Peace
Ankeny, Iowa
October 14-15
Our Lady of Immaculate Heart Church
510 East 1st Street, Ankeny, Iowa (near Des Moines)

Scholarships are available.
For more information or to volunteer to help with the conference, contact Kathleen McQuillen, kmcquillen@afsc.org.

See the Conference Website for conference program/schedule/speakers/co-sponsors/registration.

++ Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation
Dr. Hanan Ashrawi will keynote the HCEF Awards Banquet to be held Friday, October 28, 2011 at the Washington (D.C.) Marriott Hotel. As member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Legislative Council she brings a unique insider's perspective to the burning issues of the region.

The Awards Banquet is held in Conjunction with HCEF's 13th International Conference and the 2nd Investment and Business Conference, which will be held Friday, October 28 through Sunday, October 30, 2011 with sessions hosted at the Washington Marriott and The National Presbyterian Church, both venues located in Washington, DC.

To register and/or learn more about the 13th International Conference or HCEF and its programs please visit www.hcef.org. or click on one of these helpful links:
Print Conference Flier
Conference Registration


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Friday, September 2, 2011

Rallies sponsored by Students for Statehood

Quick bulletin to folks in the Washington, D.C., area, and please share with others in your networks. This comes to us from the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA).


ACTION ALERT
September 1, 2011 Contact: news_editor@wrmea.com
 
We've been asked to send this information to our lists. Visit Students for Statehood for information about additional rallies in New York, Philadelphia, Blacksburg, Chicago, Jacksonville, Albany, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Sacramento and Boise.

For Immediate Release
Rally in Support of Palestine Becoming the United Nation's 194th Member-State
Sunday, September 4, 12pm-3pm
White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW (Lafayette Park Side)
Students for Statehood

September 1, 2011–A peaceful rally supporting Palestine to become the 194th Member-State of the United Nations will be held  in Washington, DC this Sunday, September 4 from 12pm to 3pm in front of the White House.

The event is the culmination of a series of rallies and activities taking place across the United States in conjunction with the movement entitled Students for Statehood (SFS).

Featured events will also be taking place on Sunday in New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Blacksburg, Virginia; Chicago, Illinois; Jacksonville, Illinois; Albany, NY; Cleveland, Ohio; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; Boise, Idaho.

SFS (www.studentsforstatehood.com) advocates for Palestine's admission to the United Nations as a member state.  SFS believes that pursuing membership at the United Nations reaffirms the chances of reaching a just and lasting peace for the Palestinian people and an end to the illegal, Israeli occupation of Palestine.


WRMEA: 1902 18th St NW • Washington, DC 20009 | (800) 368-5788 • Fax: (202) 265-4574

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Thursday, September 1, 2011

ELCA Assembly Acts on Kairos Palestine, ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan Responds


ELCA Churchwide Assembly Action on Kairos Palestine and ELCJHL Bishop Younan's Response

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America issued this notice last week. The Churchwide Assembly provided the first opportunity for the ELCA to respond to Kairos Palestine, "A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of the Palestinian suffering." 

From ELCA Peace Not Walls blog:
The following action was passed by the 2011 Churchwide Assembly (CWA) at its meeting in Orlando by a vote of 868-73. This action is in line with the original strategy for engagement in Israel and Palestine adopted in 2005. It is a call to receive, share and prayfully consider the voices of our Palestinian brothers and sisters and contained in the Kairos Palestine document.
Action of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly
Passed August 18, 2011


To receive with gratitude the memorials of the Northeastern Pennsylvania, Lower Susquehanna, and Metropolitan Washington, D.C., synods related to investment for positive change in Palestine;
To encourage members, congregations, synods, and agencies of this church to:


  1. seek ways to achieve a deeper understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the perspectives of other faith communities, and receive, read, and discuss the Kairos Palestine document as an “authentic word from our brothers and sisters in the Palestinian Christian community” that “warrants our respect and attentiveness”;
  2. affirm this church’s commitment to non-violent responses to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the Peace Not Walls campaign’s efforts toward strengthening accompaniment, awareness-building, and advocacy; and
  3. consider making positive economic investments in those Palestinian projects and businesses that peacefully strengthen the economic and social fabric of Palestinian society;
To commend the policy, “ELCA Economic Social Criteria Investment Screens,” to the members, congregations, synods, and agencies of this church; and
To decline to undertake a review of the investment of funds managed within the ELCA but to commend these recommendations to the Office of the Treasurer, the Office of the Secretary, the Congregational and Synodical Mission unit, the Mission Advancement unit, and the ELCA Board of Pensions for consideration.
Response of Bishop Munib Younan to Churchwide Assembly Action
Dear friends in the ELCA,
Thank you for your continued and reaffirmed commitment of the ELCA to justice in Palestine and Israel. The ELCA has been a faithful accompanier on the journey, and the passionate work and witness of our companions strengthens us.

As the ELCA moves forward from this Assembly action, I urge the ELCA to remain careful in its decisions as to how it chooses to promote peace. As you know, it is not always the loudest voice that elicits the greatest change. Sometimes it is the patient and perseverant who bring about great change through diligent but quiet work.

I encourage the ELCA to invest in clear and accessible resources for ELCA congregations that encourage awareness-building, accompaniment and advocacy at the individual and personal level.

I encourage the ELCA to continue to advocate for synodical, congregational and personal visits to the Holy Land to witness the situation first-hand, to visit with us, their Lutheran sisters and brothers and to be a part of the deep roots and broad mission of the ELCJHL.

I also encourage the ELCA to continue its support of the ELCJHL, its ministries and its mission, and to continue its investment in education through the ELCJHL Schools.

So that, together in awareness-building, accompaniment, and advocacy, we continue our work toward lasting peace based on justice for all.

Your Brother in Christ,
Bishop Munib A. Younan
Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land


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