May 3rd, 2018
Last Monday a young deaf man,Tahrir Mahmoud Wahba, (18 years old),died of the injuries he sustained during the ‘Great March of Return’ protest in the besieged Gaza Strip. The protest has continued for five weeks so far and during that time forty five Palestinians have been killed and five thousand five hundred have reportedly been injured.
- Lord, we pray for all the families that have lost loved ones, especially the family of Tahrir. We also pray for the recovery of all those who have been injured by the military forces of the State of Israel. We continue to pray for the safety of those taking part in the non-violent protest. They are demonstrating for the internationally recognized right of Palestinian refugees to return to the land which they were forced to leave. Lord in your mercy…
Last week, twelve Palestinian and Israeli teenagers died in flash floods which hit various cities in Palestine and Israel.
- Lord, we pray for the families of both communities as they mourn for their children. Dear God, only your Holy Spirit can give comfort to the hearts of the parents who have to bury their children. Lord in your mercy…
The Israeli government has scrapped a controversial plan to deport thirty six thousand African migrants after an Israeli High Court petition, filed by human rights groups, challenged the feasibility of the plan.
- Lord, we give thanks that the refugees will not now be faced with deportation back to their troubled home-lands. We give thanks for the politicians and human rights organizations who challenged their government for the sake of the refugees. Lord in your mercy…
In many countries around the world the first of May is the day designated as Labour Day. In Palestine this date is an official holiday to remember and support their workers. Many Palestinian workers are underpaid and unemployment levels have risen to an all-time high in 2018.
- Lord, we remember the Palestinian workers who struggle to secure their daily bread. We ask that the military checkpoints and the danger zones may be cleared to enable the Palestinian people to travel freely to and from their places of work. Lord in your mercy…
Israeli authorities handed notifications on Saturday to confiscate forty two dunums, (over 10 acres), of Palestinian land in the village of al-Khader, to the south of Bethlehem in the Occupied West Bank.
- Lord, we turn to you as the Israeli military forces continue to take possession of Palestinian land and confiscate their property. We pray for an end to the Israeli occupation which deprives them of their property and threatens their basic human rights. Lord in your mercy…
In May 2014 Nadim Nuwarra, a seventeen year old youth was taking part in a protest at the Beitunia checkpoint in the Occupied West Bank. Israeli border police officer Ben Deri was filmed shooting him dead, even though the lad posed no danger. Ben Deri has been sentenced to nine months in prison in a plea bargain with the Israeli Jerusalem District Court.
- Lord, we pray for your justice as the Israeli military courts continue to provide protection for their military forces and to marginalize the rights of the Palestinians. We ask that the international community may have the courage to speak out and to help bring an end to the Israeli occupation and hold the Israeli army accountable for its crimes. Lord in your mercy…
On April 29th, 2018 the Samaritan community, the smallest religious sect in the world, celebrated the feast of Passover. Today seven hundred and fifty people constitute the small community which lives on top of Mount Gerizim, just a ten minute drive from the Palestinian city of Nablus.
- Lord, we pray for the Samaritan community as they celebrate their sacred day. We give thanks for the mosaic of the Palestinian community and all its members. We wish the Samaritan community a happy and peaceful holiday. Lord in your mercy…
- We join the World Council of Churches in praying for the countries of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Lord in your mercy…