22th of September, 2022

This week’s Kumi Now initiative focuses on the bloackade of Gaza. Al On Tuesday, 20^th September, we heard from George Antone from Caritas in Gaza who works to respond to the healthcare crisis in the blockaded area.

• Dear Lord, we thank you for the work of Caritas as they work to protect the health and human rights of those living in Gaza. We pray that the blockade of Gaza will come to an end and those patients can receive the treatment they require.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Anglican priest and songwriter, Garth Hewitt, has released two new songs ‘Cry for Hope’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogwDr-orP5k) and ‘Standing Against Apartheid’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfmm7u2Arg0). 

• Lord, we are grateful for the enduring and steadfast support and solidarity with the Palestinian people shown by Garth over many years. We pray that his new songs may serve as a stepping-stone towards a just peace and open the eyes of those around the world who are in a position to work towards justice.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Saturday, 1^st October 2022, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) will hold an online conference entitled “Christian Support for the State of Israel: Is it Biblical?” The conference will “hear from clergy in Bethlehem about the impact of this theology on the ground in the Holy Land and particularly how it affects the lives of the Christian community in Israel and Palestine.”

• Lord, we pray for the success of this conference focussing on an important topic to Christians around the world. The misuse of Your word to occupy, disperse, and disenfranchise the Palestinian people cannot continue. We pray that those attending the conference will have their eyes opened to the injustices caused on the ground in Palestine and Israel by those who use Christianity to support injustice.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On September 23^rd, Sabeel, with a coalition of Christian organizations and activists, will hold a one-day trip to the Old City of Jerusalem, the emphasis of the visit will be the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulcher), a holy place for Christians. People will come from different cities and villages from the Holy Land. A time of fellowship will be held in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City.

• Gracious Lord, as Christians from across the Holy Land come together for this day trip, we are thankful for the cross-denominational relationships which allow this to happen. We pray that the visit will serve to strengthen the local Christian community and act as a reminder that Christians are an important and vital part of the fabric of this place.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Catholic Youth in Palestine held their annual conference in Nativity Square, Bethlehem from 16^th – 19^th September 2022. The well-attended and enjoyable festival was centered around the Bible and the prophets in the homeland of Jesus.   

• Lord, we are thankful that the Catholic youth were able to come together and enjoy their annual conference in this special place. Bless all those involved in organizing and those who attended this special occasion, may this serve as a beacon of hope amidst the occupation to all Christian youth.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Calls are growing for Israel to immediately release a Palestinian prisoner suffering from cancer who is in a critical condition and believed to be facing death. Nasser abu Hmaid who has been in prison since 2002 was transferred to Assaf Harofeh hospital near Tel Aviv where it is reported that he is near death.

• Dear God, be with the family and friends of Nasser as they strive to have him released to spend his final days at home. Support them as they work tirelessly to find out more information about his condition and battle in the courts against his ongoing detention.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Israeli occupation authorities have so far issued more than 9500 administrative detention orders since 2015 until now, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS). Administrative detention, the process of holding people in prison with no charge and no trial, is illegal under international law.

• Lord, when will this injustice end? The Israeli authorities continue undeterred to place men, women, and children in administrative detention for extended periods of time without charge or access to legal support. We pray that the international community will respond to the calls of many human rights and legal organizations who are calling for an end to this practice and charges to be brought in the international courts.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

15^th of September 2022

Next week Kumi Now will commemorate the International Day of Peace on Wednesday, the 21st of September by focusing on the need for peace in Gaza. Israel implemented a blockade on Gaza to punish Hamas for the 2006 election victory. In reality it is the children and families in Gaza who have been punished, suffering from increasing levels of poverty and deprivation.

•    Lord, we pray for the lifting of the Israeli blockade of Gaza to enable the people there to rebuild their shattered economy.
Lord, in your mercy…

Sabeel Australia will be hosting its fifth event this year with a celebration of Palestinian cookery and other aspects of Palestinian cultural heritage on Saturday, the 17th of September. Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuceuvqDIvHdeCm6GqXDpdUSmKo0uH8Skz

•    Lord, we give thanks for the work of Sabeel Australia as they raise awareness in their country of the situation faced by those living in Palestine, Israel and the Middle East.
Lord in your mercy…

On Sunday, the 18th of September, Sabeel France will host an event led by Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh who will speak about his work at the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability and the Palestine Museum of Natural History based at Bethlehem University. Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAoc-qgpjMsHteQKDr6ZxVYo7xg9oMal8QO

•    Lord, we thank you for all those working to inspire Palestinian communities by showing them sustainable ways of respecting and interacting with their environment, even under the difficulties brought about by the Israeli occupation.
Lord, in your mercy…

The Israeli authorities have taken a further step in tightening the rules over foreigners living in the West Bank. Foreign spouses of Palestinians in the West Bank are already banned from receiving residency status. Now the Israeli Defense Ministry requires all foreigners to declare on their visa applications if they have a romantic attachment to anyone with a Palestinian ID. This regulation was later rescinded under pressure from the US administration.

•    Lord, we pray for the end of the use of permits to control and effectively disrupt and isolate the lives of Palestinians living in the West Bank. We cry out to you as we see Palestinian families separated and relationships threatened by harsh regulations.

Lord, in your mercy…

A long-lost Banksy mural called ‘Slingshot Rat’ originally painted in protest at the nine-metre-high separation wall in Bethlehem, has turned up in an expensive Tel Aviv art gallery. The artwork had been spray-painted on a concrete block that was part of an abandoned Israeli army position. It was later defaced with acrylic paint and then secretly removed. Banksy has worked in the West Bank and Gaza since 2005 to draw attention to the sufferings of the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.

•    Lord we pray that Israel will abide by the Hague Convention to which it is a signatory and prevent the removal of cultural property from the occupied Palestinian territory.
Lord, in your mercy…

Don Wagner’s newly published book ‘Glory to God in the Lowest:

Journey to an Unholy Land’ was the focus of a discussion which took place on Wednesday, the 14th of September in Maryland. Rev. Sari Ateek invited Rev. Don Wagner to talk about his memoir and to trace ‘his personal, political and religious journey from evangelical Christian faith and conservative politics to solidarity with the poor and advocacy for anti-war, anti-racism and Palestinian rights.’ Attend the meeting online: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87257497516?pwd=TWc3MlJxaDJobExlRUlNTkpIUTk4Zz09&utm_campaign=STJNFallForums#success

•    Lord, we give thanks for the life and work of Don Wagner and for his heart for justice and peace for the Palestinian people.
Lord, in your mercy…

•    We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Ghana and Nigeria.
Lord in your mercy…

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

 8^th of September 2022

Next week Kumi Now will focus on the West Bank city of Bethlehem and how the Israeli occupation has ravaged its economy. At the north end of Bethlehem lies Rachel’s Tomb, which is a site sacred to Christians, Muslims and Jews alike. However in 2002 Israel annexed the tomb, built high walls around it and prohibited Palestinians from visiting the site. Thriving Palestinian businesses in the area have now all closed down.

• Lord, we pray for Palestinians living in Bethlehem and struggling to survive. They live in the shadow of the separation wall, their lives are dominated by military checkpoints and they look out over vast, illegal Israeli settlements on nearby hillsides. Lord, in your mercy..

Palestinian prisoner, Khalil Awawdeh, has ended a hunger strike which lasted more than 170 days, after the Israeli authorities agreed to his release in October. He is weak and frail and will have to remain in hospital until he has recovered some strength. He began his hunger strike after his arrest in December 2021 in protest at being held in Israel without charge or trial, on ‘administrative detention’. On this charge prisoners can be arrested on ‘secret evidence’ and cannot defend themselves in court. They are often held for renewable six-month periods that can lead to years of detention.

• Lord, we pray that Khalil Awawdeh will recover strength after his hunger strike. We pray for  the other Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel on administrative detention, now 530 Palestinians, including women and children. Lord, in your mercy..

Last week the Beersheba District Court ruled against the appeal for the early release of Ahmed Manasra on the grounds of his deteriorating mental health. He was arrested at the age of 13 years in horrifying circumstances, interrogated and sentenced to nine years in prison. Despite his diagnosis of schizophrenia he has recently been kept in solitary confinement for ten months.

• Lord, we pray that international bodies, including the UN and the EU will continue to press the Israeli government to grant the immediate release of Ahmed Manasra on humanitarian grounds. Lord, in your mercy…

The UN Human Rights’ Commissioner, Michelle Bachelot has deplored Israel’s refusal over the past two years to grant visas for  international staff to return to the UN Human Rights’ Office. She reminded the Israeli authorities of their obligations as a UN Member State to process UN visa applications as speedily as possible. She stated, ‘Israel’s treatment of our staff is part of a wider and worrying trend to block human rights’ access to the occupied Palestinian territory. This raises the question of what exactly the Israeli authorities are trying to hide.’

• Lord, we lay before you our grave concerns over human rights’ violations by Israeli forces in the occupied Palestinian territory. We see more and more Palestinians being shot and killed by Israeli forces, at the same time as the work of local and international human rights’ organisations is being shut down and silenced by the Israeli authorities. Lord, in your mercy..

Sabeel, in partnership with Jussor from Nablus, are organising a special event on Friday, the 9th of September. The event will be an opportunity for the community of Nablus, including Samaritans, Muslims and Christians to come together to show their gratitude and respect for the devoted service of Father Ioustinos, who is recovering from a recent attack by Palestinian criminals who broke into the Greek Orthodox Jacob’s Well Church.

• Lord, we pray that this special community event in Nablus will lift the spirits of Father Ioustinos. We pray that the incident will be thoroughly investigated by the Palestinian Authority and that the criminals will be held to account. Lord, in your mercy..

More than 1.3 million Palestinian schoolchildren living in the occupied territories are at risk as they start back at school, according to the UN. Since the beginning of the year twenty children have been killed in the West Bank, while seventeen children died in Gaza during the Israeli offensive in July. Many schools are overcrowded and 6,400 children attend schools which have been targeted for demolition by the Israeli authorities.

• Lord, we pray for the safety of Palestinian children as they return to school. So many of these children living under the Israeli occupation witness scenes of violence and experience intimidation as they travel to school. We pray for courage and perseverance for them as they continue with their studies. Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo. Lord, in your mercy…    

1.9.22

It is the start of the new academic year in Palestine and Israel and students will be returning to classes which are funded quite differently. Next week Kumi Now will consider the unjust discrimination faced by Palestinian citizens of Israel when it comes to educational funding from the Israeli authorities.

• Lord, we pray that all students in Palestine and Israel will be given equal support and educational opportunities, which is not dependent on their ethnicity or religious background.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Wadi Rabah is an area in the occupied West Bank which is extremely important for the conservation of wild animals and delicate biodiversity. It also needs protection as it forms a corridor for millions of migratory birds flying across the Jordan River to the Mediterranean. Experts and activists are concerned that plans to build the Nahal Rabah cemetery for settlers in this sensitive area have been passed without an environmental survey.

• Lord, we cry out to you as we see more land seized from Palestinians for settlers and we see Israeli businesses ready to upset the balance of nature at a time of climate change.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Last week Father Ioustinos, the 81-year-old Archimandrite of the Greek Orthodox Church of Jacob’s Well was injured by some Palestinians who broke into the church. Father Ioustinos is much respected in his Nablus community and has worked for years to restore the church and monastery after they were damaged in the 1927 earthquake. This is one of many attacks he has had to endure and the Palestinian Authority have been criticised for not providing sufficient levels of security in this area which is under their supervision.

• Lord, we thank you for the devoted service of Father Ioustinos and pray that he will soon recover from the shock and injuries he sustained in the recent attack. We pray that this incident will be fully investigated by the Palestinian Authority and that any criminals will be held to account for their actions.
  Lord, in your mercy…

On Thursday, the 25th of August, hundreds of Palestinian detainees throughout the Israeli prison system began a sit-in protest in prison courtyards. They are protesting against the harsh measures taken by Israeli prison authorities to constantly transfer Palestinian prisoners with longer sentences and to keep them in solitary confinement.

• Lord, help us to ‘remember those who are in prison as though in prison with them’ (Hebrews 13:3). We pray for the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners now being held on administrative detention, for those on hunger strike in protest, for those in solitary confinement.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Rev. Don Wagner has just published his memoirs after five decades of working as an activist to expose the injustices perpetrated against the Palestinian people by Israel. The book is entitled, ‘Glory to God in the Lowest. Journeys to an Unholy Land’. He has persevered in his activism through his work for Friends of Sabeel North America and has devoted his life to understand Christian Zionists and the uncritical support they give the Israeli occupation.

• Lord, we give thanks for the courage and steadfastness of Don Wagner in his life’s work to reveal the truth about the Israeli oppression of Palestinians.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Last week Human Rights’ Watch wrote an open letter to the Biden Administration about the Israeli governments’ targeting of seven notable Palestinian Civil Societies. They have been designated as ‘terror’ organisations by the Israeli Defence Minister. The UN and nine European Foreign Ministries have stated that there is no substantial information to support this designation and that the organisations should continue to receive funding. However  the letter states that the Biden Administration has not voiced concern over the lack of evidence and is ‘effectively acquiescing’ to repressive attacks on Palestinian civil society.

• Lord, we pray that the US government will speak out over the attacks on Palestinian civil societies and challenge the Israeli government over any unfounded allegations against them.
  Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.
  Lord, in your mercy…

 25^th of August 2022

Next week Kumi Now will consider the topic of Art as Resistance. The Kairos Palestine Document,(4.2.3) states: ‘We say that our option as Christians in the face of the Israeli occupation is to resist. Resistance is a right and a duty for the Christian. But it is resistance with love as its logic. It is thus a creative resistance for it must find human ways that engage the humanity of the enemy.’

• Lord, we give thanks for the courage and steadfast determination of Palestinian artists as they use their gifts to portray their struggle to survive under Israeli occupation, even at great personal risk.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Israeli forces shot and killed Waseem Khalifa, an 18-year-old from Balata, the refugee camp on the outskirts of Nablus on Thursday, the 18th of August. The forces raided the camp just after midnight to secure the entry of settlers to the site of Joseph’s Tomb. More than thirty Palestinians were wounded, three of them critically.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Waseem as they mourn his untimely death and we pray for the other Palestinians who were wounded in the raid. It is deeply shocking to hear of the large numbers of Palestinians being shot, maimed and killed by Israeli soldiers with apparent immunity.
  Lord, in your mercy…

On the same day as the Nablus raid, Israeli forces raided seven non-governmental organisations in the occupied West Bank. The forces ransacked the offices, confiscated the computers and equipment before sealing them off with metal plates. The Israeli authorities have designated them as militant organisations, without producing evidence for such claims.

• Lord, we look to you as we see yet more attempts from the Israeli authorities to stifle the voice of justice and truth in the Holy Land.  We pray that the UN and other international organisations will continue to challenge the Israeli government over their unfounded banning of these Palestinian human rights’ organisations.
  Lord, in your mercy..

The first Palestinian Feminist Theatre Festival was held in Jenin Refugee Camp this summer. Jenin Camp is under constant military invasion, with boys and men being regularly killed and imprisoned. Families already suffering poverty due to high levels of unemployment are put under further strain with the burden falling on women to make ends meet. On the opening day of the festival Israeli forces raided the camp and shot and killed 17-year-old Dirar al Kafrayni. The festival was then postponed out of respect for his family’s mourning.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Dirar as they grieve the loss of his young life. We also pray for the Palestinian women forced to live in refugee camps as they try to support their families in such harrowing conditions.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Next week schools start again in Palestine. Six privately-run schools in East Jerusalem have been placed under threat of losing their operating licenses by the Israeli Minister of Education. The pretext given by the Minister is that their Palestinian curriculum is critical of the Israeli government. They have been given one year to replace the Palestinian curriculum with the Israeli curriculum, or they will lose their licenses permanently.

• Lord, we pray that Palestinian students living in East Jerusalem will still be able to study the agreed Palestinian curriculum. We pray for an end to the Israeli government’s policy to force Palestinian schools to abandon their curriculum and only teach the Israeli one.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Khalil Awawdeh has now been on hunger strike for 165 days in protest against his administrative detention. The Israeli military court rejected a recent appeal for his release on the grounds of his deteriorating health. His lawyer will now take his appeal to the Supreme Court in Jerusalem.

• Lord, we cry out to you as we hear of the sufferings of Khalil starving himself to the point of death to be released. We pray for an end to the policy of administrative detention which denies hundreds of Palestinian prisoners due process.
  Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone.
  Lord, in your mercy..

18^th of August 2022

Next Tuesday Kumi Now will remember the Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism which was made on the 22nd of August, 2006. Palestinian Christians wrote this declaration to address the threat of Christian Zionism. Palestinians are seen as alien residents in Israel and Arab Christians are dismissed by Christian Zionists, who believe in the sovereignty of the Jews over the whole land. 

• Lord Jesus Christ, we remember your great commission to make disciples of all nations, as so many Arab Christians fulfilled in the days of the early church. Give us courage to challenge any attempts to distort your holy word to oppress other people.
  Lord, in your mercy…

A fire caused by an electrical fault swept through an Egyptian Coptic Church during mass on Sunday the 14th of August, causing a stampede and killing at least 41 people, most of them children and many suffering from smoke inhalation.

• Lord, the news from Egypt is overwhelming and distressing. May your spirit comfort all who have lost loved ones. We pray for the speedy recovery of all who are injured. We pray that all places of worship are in-line with safety measures and in accordance with required standards.  
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers   

The Israeli District Court in Jerusalem has just ordered the immediate demolition of a school for the village of Ein Samiya and neighbouring nomadic communities, near Ramallah. The school opened in January 2022, after being funded by countries from the European Union. The court order requires the petitioners to demolish the school themselves or else to pay for Israeli bulldozers to come and destroy it.

• Lord, we cry out to you over the Israeli policy of demolitions on occupied Palestinian land, including donor-funded buildings. We pray that governments and organisations around the world will challenge the Israeli authorities over their violations of international law.
  Lord, in your mercy…

An Israeli bus company, Tnufa has had to issue an apology after it was revealed that fifty Palestinian workers were forced to get off one of its buses. Last week three Jewish passengers had boarded the bus in a suburb of Tel Aviv and then complained that they would not travel with the Palestinians and that the driver must demand that they disembark. More than 100,000 Palestinians in the West Bank have permits to cross into Israel and West Bank settlements, where most of them are employed as construction workers and gardeners.

• Lord, we pray that there will be no further attempts to segregate bus transport in Israel.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Israeli forces entered the Silwan neighbourhood of East Jerusalem to demolish the home of Hazem Abu Sneineh on Wednesday, the 4th of August. Israeli police and a crew of municipal workers with a bulldozer came to flatten his home on the pretext that he had no building permit. While extensive programmes of settler homes are built in the occupied 

Palestinian territories, hardly any building permits are ever granted to Palestinians.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the policy of home demolitions carried out by the Israeli authorities on Palestinians to try to force them to leave their land so that Israeli settlers can move in.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Shireen Abu Akleh’s memory has been honoured with a monument set up on the street in Ramallah which now bears her name. The Palestinian American journalist is depicted on the monument carrying out her work covering an Israeli military operation outside a refugee camp in Jenin. Despite the fact that she was wearing a vest clearly marked ‘Press’ and a helmet, she was shot and killed. Investigations carried out by the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations have established that the Al Jazeera journalist was shot by Israeli forces.

• Lord, we pray for the family and friends of Shireen Abu Akleh as they grieve their loss and seek to establish the truth over her unlawful killing. We pray for all Palestinian journalists who risk their lives to expose the realities of life under Israeli occupation.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Mua’ns Dabbour, a Palestinian Israeli footballer has decided to quit the national team. The 30-year-old player was born in Nazareth and he now plays for the German Bundesliga team Hoffenheim. He has spoken out against the Israeli occupation and was forthright in his criticism of the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli forces in May 2021. After these comments he became a target for booing by Israeli football fans.

• Lord, we pray for Palestinian sportsmen and women and others in the public arena who have to pay a high price for criticising the oppressive policies of the Israeli occupation.
  Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
  Lord in your mercy..

11^th of August 2022

Next week, on Friday the 19th of August, Kumi Now will mark World Humanitarian Day. 
On this day we advocate for humanitarian aid workers and for all those affected by crises around the world. At the same time we call to mind the massive cuts in US humanitarian aid to Palestinians and for the suffering of refugees living in Gaza, Syria and the Lebanon now living in dire need.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the Israeli occupation and for the right of return for all Palestinian refugees forced from their land.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Palestinian students have succeeded well in their Tawjihi high school general certificate examinations this summer. More than 85,300 students took the exam in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza and there was an overall pass rate of over 68 per cent.

• Lord, we are thankful for the determination of so many young Palestinians to focus on their education despite the difficult circumstances of growing up under Israeli occupation. We pray for these students as many will now seek work, while others pursue their studies.
  Lord, in your mercy…

After three days of fighting, Israel and Islamic Jihad have agreed to a ceasefire negotiated by Egypt. The death toll in Gaza reached 44, including 15 children, and 360 injured due to Israeli airstrikes. 

• Lord, we thank you for all the people involved in the negotiations to bring about the ceasefire and to deescalate the mounting violence.
  Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Nineteen families have left the herding community of Ras a Tin in Area C in the West Bank, with many of them relocating to Area B. The community was formerly made up of 35 households, comprising 250 people. It has been subjected to continual harassment from Israeli forces with frequent damage to their homes and livestock structures, as well as violent assaults from settlers, including a recent arson attack.

• Lord, we pray for the Palestinian herding communities who are attacked by settlers and Israeli forces, making their lives intolerable. We pray for an end to the Israseli occupation so that these Palestinian herding communities can go back to their pastures.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Nuzhah ‘Afanah, a young Palestinian woman with a Palestinian Authority identity card was arrested on Wednesday, the 29th of June, when her husband was driving her and their two baby daughters in East Jerusalem. Under the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, (2003) Nuzhah is required to have a temporary permit to allow her to enter East Jerusalem, but these permits are rarely, if ever, granted. She was taken to the police station to be interrogated and then driven to Checkpoint 300 in southern Jerusalem and left there alone in the middle of the night. Relatives had to go and collect the young children and later go and rescue her.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the discriminatory laws imposed on Palestinians by the Israeli authorities which prevent married couples  and their families from living together without the constant fear of separation.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Nabil Ghanum,(53), lived in Sara, a village near Nablus. On Sunday, the 19th of June, Nabil tried to cross through one of the gaps in the separation barrier near Qalqiliyah Checkpoint to enter Israel to work. As soon as he crossed the fence with some other Palestinian workers, Israeli soldiers fired at them. Nabil was shot and injured and later died of his wounds in an Israeli hospital. The B’Tselem report of this incident states that, ‘the opening of live fire against Palestinians seeking to work in Israel is unlawful and cannot be justified’.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Nabil Ghanum as they grieve his loss. We pray for an end to the policy of using live fire to shoot Palestinians crossing the separation barrier to seek work in Israel.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Musicians Michele Cantoni and his wife Mathilde decided to move to Palestine and have dedicated their lives to supporting young Palestinians. They set up the Amwaj Choir in 2015, an Arabic name meaning waves. There are sixty choir members between the ages of 7-21 years. They come from cities, refugee camps and rural areas in the Bethlehem and Hebron area. Standards are high and the choir members are expected to rehearse for 6-8 hours each week.

• Lord, we thank you for the gift of music and for the deep joy and fellowship inspired among the members of the Amwaj Choir. We pray for them as Michele and Mathilde Cantoni continue to train them for their proposed tour of Italy.
  Lord, in your mercy

The Ramallah-based Lawyers for Justice group have reported that 94 activists have been arrested by the Palestinian Authority over the past two months. This is one of the widest political arrest campaigns in years. Students and journalists have been among those arrested, but none have been charged with offences. Many were released after ten days in prison, but twenty remain in detention.

• Lord, we pray that the Palestinian Authority and its security forces will stop arresting activists as a means of intimidating their critics and opponents.
  Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Cameroon, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea.
  Lord, in your mercy…,

 4^th of August, 2022

Kumi Now marks the ‘International Day of the World’s Indigenous People” on Tuesday, the 9th of August. Recent history is full of evidence to establish Palestinian claims of indigenous status. The Nakba and its consequences, dispossession of land, forced exile, the denial of history and culture are experiences similar to those suffered by other indigenous people around the world.

•     Lord, we pray for the indigenous populations of the world as they raise their voices and hold on to their distinct identities in the face of colonial powers.
Lord, in your mercy…

A six-year-old boy, Hasan al-Abayat was grabbed by Israeli soldiers and kept for more than an hour in Kisan in the Bethlehem District. B’Tselem reports that soldiers came to his home on Saturday, the 25th of June, to question his father Musa, the head of the village council. Earlier in the day Musa had supervised a peaceful protest over the pungent smell generated by a waste recycling plant at the nearby settlement of Ma’ale Amos. Family and friends tried to rescue Hasan, but the soldiers threw stun grenades at them to fend them off. The young child was finally released when his father returned from work and he was then frisked, interrogated and detained.

•     Lord, it is harrowing to think of Hasan, such a young child, terrorized by fully armed soldiers and separated from his family. We pray for the al-Abayat family and for the trauma they recently suffered. We pray for the residents of Kisan whose daily lives are blighted by pollution coming from the nearby settlement.
Lord in your mercy…

In another report B”Tselem has provided witness statements about assaults being carried out by Israeli forces on mourners at Palestinian funerals. Since the date of Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral on Friday, the 13th of May, there have been violent assaults by Israeli forces at three other Palestinian funerals. Israeli forces have used clubs, tear gas, stun grenades and sponge rounds on Palestinian mourners.

•     Lord, we pray for all those Palestinian families who attended family funerals and experienced violent assaults from the Israeli authorities. We pray for the families and friends who suffered this contempt at the funerals of Shireen Abu Akleh, Walid a-Sharif, Ghufran Warasnah and Nayfeh a-Tous. We pray that the Israeli authorities will leave the Palestinian people to mourn their loved ones in peace.
Lord, in your mercy…

Hundreds of Palestinian lawyers held a street protest on Thursday, the 25th of July, against the Palestinian Authority’s ‘rule by decree’ and condemned President Abbas for governing without a parliament. Suhail Ashour, the newly-elected President of the Palestinian Bar Association stated that the rights of Palestinians are at risk when new decrees are being imposed by very few lawmakers.

•     Lord, we pray that Palestinians will be able to participate fully in their own governance through free and fair presidential and legislative elections.
Lord, in your mercy..

The former Deputy Chief of the Israeli Police Investigation Department, (PID), Moshe Saada has revealed in a recent television interview that he was subjected to pressure to close down an investigation into the killing of Ya’akub Abu al Qi’an in 2017.
Israeli police shot and killed Abu al-Qi’an, a 50-year-old Bedouin Maths teacher, during the home demolition operation at the village of Umm al-Hiran in the Naqab.

•     Lord, we pray for the family of Ya’akub Abu al Qi’an as they seek to discover the true circumstances surrounding his death. We pray that the Israeli police and military authorities will stop granting immunity to their officers for the killing of Palestinians.
Lord, in your mercy..

On Sunday, the 24th of July, two people were killed and twelve were injured by the bombardment of  Ayia Sofia Church as it was being inaugurated in Syria’s province of Hama. The attack on the church comes just two days after bombs killed seven people in the rebel-held Idlib region.

•     Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters in Syria and especially those who attended the inauguration of Ayia Sofia Church, only to witness more bloodshed. Lord, we pray for an end to violence in Syria, eleven years since war broke out. We pray that Syrians will be able to restore their communities and once again live in peace and security.
Lord, in your mercy …

•     We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe.
Lord, in your mercy…

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

 28^th of July, 2022

On Tuesday the 2nd of August the Kumi Now community looks at the Geneva Convention, adopted in 1949. Article 33 of the fourth Geneva Convention outlaws the use of collective punishment. And yet, Israel has used collective punishment as one of the key components in its policies towards Palestine, apparently without drawing down international condemnation.

• Lord, we pray that the Israeli government will change its stance regarding the use of collective punishment towards Palestinians. We pray that international organisations and governments around the world will hold Israel to account for breaching international law. Lord, in your mercy..

Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of thirty US churches, released a statement on Tuesday, the 19th of July, expressing disappointment with President Biden’s visit to Israel and Palestine. It stated, ‘while affirming the US/Israel relationship and the billions of dollars of US assistance that go with it, the President said almost nothing about the abuses committed by Israel with that assistance against Palestinians’.

• Lord, we pray that the US administration will  follow up on this visit by starting to speak out against the Israeli human rights abuses against Palestinians. Lord, in your mercy…

The US Presbyterian Church has declared that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people constitutes apartheid. The General Assembly voted decisively for the resolution on Friday, the 8th of July.

• Lord we give thanks for the clear declaration of the US Presbyterian Church. We pray that this resolution will be ‘pursued with the hope it will lead to a peaceful reconciliation for the people of Israel and Palestine, similar to that which occurred in South Africa when apartheid was internationally acknowledged.’ Lord, in your mercy…

Kabelo Masalesa , an 11-year-old boy from Alexandra, South Africa, drowned in a swimming pool in Palestine when his team was visiting to take part in a football tournament. His team was one of eighteen teams which had been sponsored to participate in the tournament from the 13th-21st of July.

• Lord, we pray for the family and friends of Kabelo who are grieving for their sudden loss. We pray that the links forged between young footballers from both countries will not be broken by this tragic accident. Lord, in your mercy…

The Palestinian composer, Ahmed Abu Abed won first place at the USA Music Composition International Competition in June 2022. Abu Abed is a music teacher at the Modern American School in Amman, Jordan. He will travel to New York in early 2023 to perform his prize-winning piece before a live audience.

• Lord, we give thanks for the international recognition of Abu Abed’s musical gifts. We are thankful for his longing to share his heritage of expressive Palestinian folk tunes through his orchestral compositions. Lord, in your mercy..

Young Palestinian musicians were invited to perform concerts in Ankara and Istanbul this July. Palestinians from the diaspora joined together with musicians from the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Ramallah to perform with Turkish musicians from the Presidential Symphony Orchestra. The young musicians wanted to send a message of peace through their concert performances.

• Lord, we are thankful for the unifying power of music and for the way young musicians have been drawn together from Palestine, from the diaspora and from Turkey to learn from one another and to convey their mutual longing for peace. Lord, in your mercy…

After a long struggle with illness, Archbishop Gabriel Daho died on Thursday, the 21st of July. Three years ago he was consecrated as the Archbishop of Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Jordan by Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem ll, the head of the Syrian Orthodox Church.

• Lord, we give thanks for the life and service of Archbishop Gabriel Daho. We pray for members of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate, which represents one of the oldest Christian communities in the region. Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. Lord, in your mercy…