24^th March 2022

More than thirty women attended the recent Sabeel Nazareth meeting. During this month of March they marked the beginning of springtime in Palestine, the International Women’s Day and Mother”s Day.

• Dear Lord, we thank you for your grace as we see the springtime flowers blossom and trees bud in this season in Palestine. We take time to remember days of special significance to Palestinians and to people around the world during this month.
  Lord, in your mercy…

On Tuesday, the 22nd of March, Sabeel Jerusalem and Sabeel Nazareth held a Contemporary Way of the Cross event. More than eighty participants discussed present day Palestinian issues in the light of the sufferings endured by Christ as he walked the Via Dolorosa to his crucifixion.

• We join together in the Sabeel prayer, ‘Merciful and loving God, we give you thanks for the many blessings you have so graciously given us. Thank you for your presence and guidance as we walk the way of peace. Bless the work of Sabeel and its friends, local and International.’
  Lord, in your mercy…

Last week Israeli crop duster planes flew for four consecutive days near the eastern Gazan Strip, spraying chemicals, believed to be herbicides, close to agricultural land owned by Palestinians. The spraying only starts when the wind is blowing in a westerly direction, in the direction of Palestinian land. The herbicides destroy the crops and ruin the arable land. The Israeli army claims it is clearing vegetation on the buffer zone.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the aerial spraying of Gaza by the Israeli military. We pray for the Gazan farmers who depend on crops for their livelihood and see their crops damaged over and over again.
  Lord, in your mercy…

On Friday, the 18th of March, the Eighth International Palestine Marathon took place in Bethlehem, after it had to be cancelled for the past two years due to the pandemic. Over ten thousand Palestinians and international runners took part in the event. Full marathon runners had to run the 11km course four times over, to avoid passing through Israeli checkpoints.

• Lord Jesus, we give thanks for the Marathon taking place again and for the regeneration this event brings to the town of Bethlehem. How sad it is to think that this town was under occupation at the time of your birth and remains under occupation today, scarred by the separation wall, refugee camps and Israeli checkpoints.
  Lord, in your mercy…

The Palestinian prisoners’ movement has announced that prisoners in Israeli jails will begin an open-ended hunger strike from Friday, the 25th of March. The hunger strike will be in protest at the worsening conditions being imposed upon them by the Israeli prison authorities.

• Lord, we pray that the inhumane conditions imposed on Palestinian prisoners by the Israeli authorities will be eased. We pray particularly for an end to administrative detention, which leaves Palestinians in jail for years without charge and condemns them to a life without hope.
  Lord, in your mercy…

The World Council of Churches’ Easter Initiative 2022(EAPPI) gives us a glimpse of the lives of Palestinians living in and around Jerusalem. While our hearts cry out for those suffering from warfare in Ukraine, let us also remember those who live under constant threat of eviction from their homes and communities in Palestinian neighbourhoods around this sacred city. One Palestinian interviewed in Silwan spoke about how the news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine makes him feel ‘more persecuted than ever’. He lamented,’I see the whole world and the UN standing resolutely on the side of the Ukranians- as they should. But I see a double standard and I see the world giving Israel a free hand to do whatever it wants to persecute us.’

• Lord Jesus, Prince of Peace, we pray for an end to warfare and persecution throughout the world. Help us to remember those suffering in warfare as well as the forgotten ones, living under occupation.
  Lord, in your mercy…

In Palestine, as in many Arab countries, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the 21st of March.

Traditionally Palestinian families honour their mothers with flowers and other gifts on this day.

• Lord, we give thanks on this special day as we remember the love, care and sacrifices made by mothers as they nurture their young ones. We pray especially for those mothers facing fearful times of warfare, want or need around the world at this time.
  Lord, in your mercy.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
  Lord, in your mercy…

17.3.22

Last week Sabeel invited forty-five women from different church backgrounds in Jerusalem to attend a discussion. They were asked to reflect on plans for activities for Sabeel women over the forthcoming year.

• Lord, in your sight every believer is chosen and precious and we all have a contribution to make. We thank you that the voices of so many women from different church traditions were recently heard at Sabeel. May the women be blessed as they participate in the activities and may they strengthen their bonds of friendship and support for one another.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Sabeel received the sad news of the death of Martine Millet on Wednesday, the 9th of March. Martine was a member of Friends of Sabeel France.

• Lord, we pray for the family and friends of Martine as they mourn her loss. We thank you for her faithful support of Sabeel.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

In the lead up to Easter, Friends of Sabeel Australia, in partnership with Sabeel, are organising a series of four online events. The first event was held on Saturday, the 12th of March. It marked the launch of a new organisation called Palestinian Christians in Australia (PCiA), which aims to support local community groups of Palestinians in their advocacy work.

• Lord, we give thanks for the work of Friends of Sabeel across the world. We pray particularly for the launch of PCiA ,in partnership with Friends of Sabeel Australia and for their Lenten programme. We pray that Palestinians in the diaspora will persevere in their efforts to call for justice and peace in Palestine.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Thursday, the 10th of March, the Knesset passed the new Citizenship Law. It replaces a temporary order introduced in 2003, which was renewed annually. The law discriminates against  those Palestinians who are Palestinian by heritage and Israeli by citizenship. It prevents them from extending citizenship and permanent residency to their Palestinian spouses, if they come from the occupied Palestinian territories or Gaza. It will force thousands of Palestinian families to emigrate or to live separately.

• Lord, we pray that the Israeli government will stop passing laws which discriminate against Palestinians. We pray that this racist law will be challenged and defeated in the Israeli Supreme Court.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

There has been another attack on the Orthodox Monastery in Nablus, at the site of Jacob’s Well. The monastery and the Superior, Archimandrite Justinus, suffered a previous attack on the 24th of January. He has survived no fewer than thirty-two life threatening attacks.

• Lord, we pray that Archimandrite Justinus will recover fully from this recent attack. We pray that the Palestinian Authority will thoroughly investigate this latest incident and bring the perpetrators of the violence to justice.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Women in Palestine celebrated Tuesday, the 8th of March, as International Women’s Day. On the eve of this day, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics revealed that only 17% of Palestinian women currently participate in the work force in Palestine, even though they outperform Palestinian men in terms of educational attainment. Women only make up 11% of the Palestinian National Council, the highest decision-making body in Ramallah.

• Lord, help us to remember that we are all ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’,(Ps.139:14). So many women in different countries still face discrimination, but Palestinian women also contend with the oppression of the Israeli occupation. We pray for strength and courage for them as they seek to overcome the obstacles they meet.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

March 10^th,2022

Last week Sawsan Bitar was invited to speak about the ecumenical work of Sabeel at the synodal conference of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem.

•    Lord, we thank you for the outreach work of Sabeel in the Holy Land. We pray for courage and strength for those who work for Sabeel, so they may continue to guide others in your ways.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Tuesday, the 1st of March, entry requirements for travelers to Israel were relaxed. The rule change means that more pilgrims and tourists can return to visit Palestine and Israel after thirty months of absence and uncertainty, due to the pandemic.

•    Lord Jesus, we are thankful that people around the world are able to travel to the Holy Land again. We ask you to bless their journeys and to help us all to prepare our hearts as we take part in the services of Lent and Holy Week.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

A project called ‘Afaq’,(meaning, horizons) is being sponsored by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Bethlehem University. It aims to help Palestinian women and young people start their own businesses. So far it has reached one hundred Palestinians across thirteen parishes.

•    Lord, we are thankful for this new outreach to young Palestinians to help support them with guidance and technical support, as they set up local businesses. We pray for a time of recovery after the difficulties experienced by so many during lockdown.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Ra’ef Salaymeh was forced to start demolishing his own home in the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina on Friday, the 4th of March. The Israeli municipality accused him of building his home without a permit. The municipality rarely grants permits to Palestinians. He would incur a fine of $35,000 in demolition costs if he had not started to demolish his own house.

•    Lord, we pray for an end to this inhumane policy of house demolition imposed on Palestinians by the Israeli authorities. Lord, the injustice of this policy is made even more painful when Palestinians see permits approved for the construction of thousands of new housing units for illegal Israeli settlers.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The funeral of Ammar Abu Afifeh  took place at his home in the Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron on Wednesday, the 2nd of March. Ammar had been shot and killed by Israeli soldiers at the village of Beit Fajjar, north of Hebron on the previous day, but the army had refused to release his body to his family for twenty four hours. Hundreds of Palestinians attended his funeral  to protest his killing. Mourners at the funeral were fired on by Israeli soldiers using rubber coated bullets and many also suffered suffocation from tear gas canisters fired at the crowd by the soldiers.

•    Lord, we pray for the family of Ammar as they grieve over his violent death at the hands of the Israeli military and for the further distress they suffered during the violent attacks by soldiers at his funeral. We pray for an end to the Israeli army’s use of excessive force and live ammunition against the Palestinian people.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Wednesday, the 2nd of March, Israeli settlers chased Palestinians who were foraging for gundelia,(or akkoub) in the Khallet Makhoul area, in the northern Jordan Valley. Israeli soldiers provided protection for the settlers and detained some of the foragers. Gundelia is a thistle-like plant which grows for a brief season in the springtime and has been used in traditional Palestinian dishes for generations. Israeli authorities claim the plant is now an endangered species. Palestinians maintain that environmental degradation and any threat to plant species is caused by rapidly expanding Israeli settlements and the proliferation of closed military zones in the occupied Palestinian territories.

•    Lord, we pray that the Palestinian foragers will be released from detention. We pray for an end to the constant harassment by those Israeli settlers who are resolved to force Palestinians off the land.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

In May 2021, extremist settlers established a new settlement called the Evyatar outpost on land south of Nablus, belonging to the Palestinian towns of Beita, Qabalan and the village of Yatma.

Palestinians have been protesting the theft of their land, but their outcries have been met with the use of extreme force by the Israeli military. Since May 2021, nine Palestinians have been shot and killed in the locality, many others have been injured, arrested and stifled by tear gas attacks.

•    Lord, we pray for the residents of Beita, Qabalan and Yatma as they mourn their loved ones who have been killed by the Israeli military. We pray that this annexation of Palestinian land by illegal Israeli settlers will be thoroughly investigated by the International  Criminal Court in the Hague.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

•    We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the United Kingdom: for the countries of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

3^rd of March, 2022

The Diyar women’s football team from Bethlehem won the national soccer championship for the fourth consecutive year.

• Lord, thank you for the enthusiasm and dedication of the women living in Bethlehem who are so determined to practice and excel at their chosen sport.
  Lord, in your mercy..

On Thursday, the 3rd of March a team from South Africa and the US will launch a six-week Lenten series looking at the spirituality of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

• Lord, we pray that this study of one man’s unwavering commitment to peace and justice through a time of oppression will be an inspiration to many around the world.
  Lord, in your mercy…

A fourteen-year-old Palestinian boy, Mohammed Shehadeh, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank town of al-Khader near Bethlehem on Tuesday, the 22nd of February. The military accused him of throwing a Molotov cocktail at passing cars. He was shot in the chest.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Mohammed as they mourn his untimely death. We pray that Israeli soldiers will cease to use Extra-judicial assassination, especially against Palestinian children.
  Lord, in your mercy…

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court temporarily stopped the eviction of the Salem family from their home in Sheikh Jarrah on Tuesday, the 22nd of February, while it considers their appeal.

• Lord, we continue to pray for the Salem family, as well as the other Palestinian families in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan areas of East Jerusalem, who are threatened with eviction to make way for illegal Israeli settlers.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Video footage of Israeli police manhandling Muhammad al-Ajlouni, a young Palestinian man with Downs’ syndrome, has caused outrage. On Monday, the 21st of February, Muhammad started to join in with the protesters he came across at Sheikh Jarrah. When soldiers attempted to restrain him, he was terrified. An Israeli police officer came to apologise to his family for the rough treatment on the following day and stated that the police had, ‘a duty to take care of people with special needs’.

• Lord, we pray that Muhammad will soon recover from the trauma he experienced. We pray that the Israeli authorities will exercise compassion and understanding when they come across vulnerable people under their care, including children and those with special needs.
  Lord, in your mercy..

On Thursday, the 24th of February, B’Tselem published the full witness statements of those Palestinians who had been affected by settler attacks while driving in the Nablus and Ramallah areas over a period of four days, from the 21st to the 24th of November, 2021. The settlers had damaged Palestinian vehicles by driving by and throwing large stones at their windscreens, injuring three Palestinians and inflicting life-changing injuries on one driver.

• Lord, levels of settler violence in the occupied West Bank have risen to a harrowing level. Palestinians live in fear of attack when driving to visit relatives or going about their everyday business. However, the settlers who perpetrate these crimes seem to escape detection or punishment. We pray for an end to the settler violence, which appears to be sanctioned by the Israeli authorities.
  Lord, in your mercy…

B’Tselem has also highlighted the disruption caused by the 50-day closure of the village of Deir Nizam in the Ramallah District by the Israeli military during this past December and January. On the premise of looking for Palestinian children who may have thrown stones at Israeli settler cars, the army set up a checkpoint to control movement in and out of the village, patrolled the village and detained residents as a form of collective punishment.

• Lord, it seems incredible that the Israeli authorities are prepared to break national and international laws by using collective punishment to investigate possible incidents of stone throwing by Palestinian children, when they do not act to punish Israeli settlers who have caused actual injury and harm to Palestinians. We pray for an end to the Israeli occupation and for the oppression suffered by so many in the occupied Palestinian Territories.
  Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
  Lord, in your mercy…

February 24_^th, 2022

On Friday, the 18th of February, representatives from the Humanitarian Country Team in Palestine met with the Salem family in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem. The family of twelve, including six children, face forcible eviction from their home in March. The team, comprised of members of UN agencies and international and Palestinian NGOs has called on the Israeli authorities to halt all further evictions from the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem. 218 Palestinian families are living with this imminent threat.

• Lord, we pray for the Salem family, who have lived in their home in Sheikh Jarrah for more than seventy years, that they may not be forcibly evicted. We pray that the Israeli authorities will abide by international law and will put an end to their policies of forcible evictions and house demolitions.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Footage of Israeli soldiers arresting a 19-year-old Palestinian at his workplace at night in al-Bireh, near Ramallah was released on Wednesday, the 16th of February. Malik Maala was working as a guard at an industrial facility to raise money for his university tuition fees when soldiers arrived to arrest him. The film shows that when the soldiers came to detain him, he raised his hands behind his head, expecting to be handcuffed. At this point an Israeli soldier released a military dog which pounced on him and attacked him. Some moments later the dog was recovered by a soldier and Malik was detained and taken to an undisclosed location.

• Lord, we pray for Malik that he may be treated for any injuries he received during his brutal arrest. We pray that the Israeli military authorities will stop treating Palestinians with such cruelty and inhumanity.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Acute water scarcity has forced the villagers of Furush Beit Dajan, near Nablus, to abandon their once famous lemon trees and to grow tomatoes in greenhouses instead. There are plenty of wells under their land for crops but their water has been diverted. The Israeli army  has  constructed artisian aquifers and supplies unlimited quantities of water to the nearby Israeli settlements of Hamra and Mekhora. 

• Lord, can it be just and fair that Palestinian farmers hardly have enough water to raise their crops and livestock, while Israeli settlers fill their swimming pools less than half a mile away? Lord, the settlements are built on occupied land and the settlers have no right to the land or the underground water. We pray that the occupation will end and the farmers will regain their rights.
  Lord, in your mercy..

On Friday, the 25th of February Sabeel Jerusalem will host an event with Rev. Mitri Raheb. He will be discussing a document he helped to write which is entitled, ‘We choose abundant life’. It is the work of a group of theologians and specialists in human and geopolitical sciences, both women and men, from different church traditions, who have come together to lay out a new vision for the people of the Middle East.

• Lord Jesus, our Good Shepherd, You laid down Your life so that we may have life and have it abundantly, (John10:10). In the face of dark times we place our trust and hope in You. We are thankful for the renewed vision for Christians in the Middle East as described in the ‘We choose abundant life’ document. We pray that it inspires others to trust in the power of life over the the culture of death.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Last week Palestinian Christians gathered in Beit Sahour to pay tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who died in December 2021. The prayer service was held at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, where Tutu prayed when he visited in 1989. Tutu came to Beit Sahour during the first Palestinian Intifada. He spoke at Shepherd’s Field, where he was welcomed by thousands of Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim. Tutu identified the situation in Palestine/Israel as apartheid three decades before the recent reports of B’Tselem, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

• Lord, we join with Kairos Palestine in their tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, (Dec.2021) ‘We will continue to turn our eye to Tutu’s lifelong aspiration for a better world where everyone enjoys liberty, equality and equity and we will remember him as we march on in our path for self-determination and independence.’
  Lord, in your mercy…

Samir Mansour once again opened his bookstore/library  in Gaza to customers on Thursday, the 17th of February. His shop had been completely destroyed by Israeli bombing in May 2021. Last year Human Rights lawyers Mahvish Rukhsana and Clive Stafford Smith led a fundraising operation called 3DC to help raise donations from all around the world to help him rebuild and restock his shop.

• Lord, we are thankful that Samir Mansour”s bookshop has risen from the ashes. We pray that the store will be a beacon of hope to a people who have been confined and oppressed by the Israeli blockade for the past fourteen years.
  Lord, in your mercy..

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

17.2.22

This year Kumi Now is taking a fresh look at the different challenges faced by Palestinians and finding out from them about the innovative ways they have come up with to overcome them. On Tuesday, the 15th of February, Vera Baboun, who served as the first female mayor of Bethlehem, was featured in the new Palestinian Innovator Series.

• Lord, we pray that this new platform for Palestinians through the Kumi Now series will give us all a deeper understanding of the struggles and opportunities faced by a population which has lived under Israeli occupation for over seventy years.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Sabeel has been developing its Annual Plan in a workshop in the Jerusalem office during this week.

• Lord, we pray for your wisdom and guidance for the staff of Sabeel as they come together to decide on their priorities and where they should focus their energy this year.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Michael Benyair, a former Israeli Attorney General, has recently spoken out about Israel’s apartheid rule in the occupied Palestinian territory. In an interview published by Ireland’s ‘The Journal’ magazine he stated, ‘Between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, it is Israel that is permanently depriving millions of Palestinians of their civil and political rights. This is Israeli apartheid.’

• Lord, we thank you for the courage of Michael Benyair to speak out about the ‘moral abomination of apartheid’ in Israel. We pray that more and more witnesses, Israeli, Palestinian and international will speak out about their experience of the occupation.
  Lord in your mercy..

On Saturday, the !2th of February, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory reported that the Israeli authorities had demolished, confiscated or forced owners to demolish 53 Palestinian-owned homes in Area C of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The authorities cite the reason for the demolitions is the lack of Israeli building permits,(which Palestinians find almost impossible to obtain). The demolitions affected the livelihoods of 400 Palestinians and displaced 26 people, including 13 children. Some of the structures that were torn down were temporary shelters, which had been provided as humanitarian assistance to families whose homes had already been demolished.

• Lord, we cry out to you as we hear of Palestinian families having their homes and temporary shelters demolished. It is hard to think of the despair and discouragement they face this winter after such  treatment. We pray for an end to inhumane policies of the Israeli authorities.
  Lord, in your mercy…

‘Coalition-stop settlements’ is a broad alliance of NGOs, grassroots movements, trades unions and politicians who have come together to halt the annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory. On Sunday, the 20th of February, they are launching the European Citizen’s Initiative. They are aiming to get one million signatures to support their petition. They are appealing to the European Commission to start respecting international law by stopping all trade with illegal settlements.

• Lord, we give thanks for all those who continue to work for justice and peace through non-violent means. Help us to place our trust in your living and active word and to advocate for justice through our governments and institutions.
  Lord, in your mercy..

During the first month of 2022 the Israeli authorities have arrested 502 Palestinians, according to prisoner advocacy groups. Among the detainees were 6 women and 54 children, one of whom was younger than twelve-years-old. There are now 4,500 Palestinian detainees in Israeli military prisons, 500 of whom are held on administrative detention. Many prisoners are suffering from Covid, with 500 cases reported in Ofer Prison alone.

• Lord, so many Palestinian families are affected by imprisonment under the Israeli military court system. We can only imagine the anxiety and concern of the Palestinian family whose young son is now in a military prison far from home. We pray for an end to the occupation and the dismantling of this oppressive and alienating system.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Stanford University in the US has announced that the scientist Bassam Dally is now ranked in the top two per cent of scientists across the world. Bassam is a Palestinian- Australian academic and his family originated from Kafr Yassif, near Galilee. His research currently focuses on the use of renewable energy sources to decarbonise pollution from heavy industries. Alongside his academic work he has continued to support Palestine.

• Lord, we thank you for the gifts and hard work of Bassam Dally which has brought this recent academic recognition. We thank you that he still finds time to advocate for his Palestinian brothers and sisters.
  Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
  Lord, in your mercy…

February 10^th,2022

Amnesty International launched its most recent report, entitled ‘Israel’s apartheid against Palestine’ on Tuesday, the 1st of February in occupied East Jerusalem. The report concludes that the Israeli occupation state has imposed a ‘cruel system of domination and has committed crimes against humanity’. Fourteen Israeli NGOs and human rights’ groups have signed a statement in support of the Amnesty International report and expressed their concern over an attack against the report by the Israeli government which accuses it of being antisemitic.

•    Lord, we pray that the Israeli government will put an end to its discriminatory practices against Palestinians. We pray that it will stop avoiding debate over oppressive policies by accusing any critics of being antisemitic.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Rawajba family have spent the last fourteen months trying to establish what has happened to their son. They do not know if he is alive or dead and they are worn down with suffering. Their son, Bilal was wounded by the Israeli army when he drove by Huwara, an army checkpoint near Nablus. He was reported to have been injured and airlifted to an unnamed hospital in Tel Aviv. At one point the family were contacted to let them know he had died, but they were later told he was still receiving treatment.

•    Lord, we pray for the Rawajba family, not knowing the fate of their son and unable to establish his whereabouts. We pray that the Israeli army will give clear statements to Palestinian families about their relatives and not cause such turmoil and suffering.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The scenes of Syrian refugees struggling to survive in wintry conditions moved Ibraheem Khalil and his friend Jabr Hijaz to launch an online campaign to raise funds for the work of relief organisations building houses for them in Syria, Jordan and Turkey. They have raised more than 10 million shekels in relief funds from Palestinians living in Arab cities in Israel.

•    Lord, we thank you for the inspiration of Ibraheem and Jabr as they work to ease the plight of refugees suffering in the cold winter months. May our hearts be moved with compassion when we see the suffering of those afflicted by war and calamity.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Saturday, the 29th of January, Episcopalians from the Washington D.C. area adopted resolutions, (3 to 1), to oppose the Israeli apartheid, to confront Christian Zionism and to defend the right to boycott as a legitimate form of protest.

•    Lord, we pray that the worldwide church, made up of many denominations, will finally turn its eyes to Palestine and, in the words of the late Archbishop Tutu, ‘liberate the Israelis themselves, as well as the Palestinians from the traumatic burden of apartheid’.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

This week five Palestinian NGOs, supported by Israeli human rights’ NGOs, made a formal request that the IDF Legal Advisor from the West Bank reverse his declaration, made in October 2021, that they were ‘unlawful associations’. A sixth group is not part of the latest legal challenge. The Palestinian NGOs have long established records of working to support the human rights of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, and have worked in partnership with the UN and the global human rights’ community. The IDF has stated that it will not produce evidence against the groups as it is based on classified intelligence.

•    Lord, we pray for all the members of the Palestinian NGOs and the wider community they serve. We pray that they may receive a fair hearing in the Israeli court system to re-establish their reputations and that any defamation may be exposed.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, first passed in 2003, makes inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza ineligible for the granting of Israeli citizenship and residency permits that are usually available through marriage to other Israeli citizens. Palestinians living in East Jerusalem pay a particularly heavy price for this law, often denied unification rights with members of their family. Some Palestinian families have recently been granted residency permits, but many thousands are still denied the right to live with their own family members.

•    Lord, we are thankful that some Palestinian families have been granted the right to reunite. We  continue to pray for those Palestinians forced to live apart from one another or to risk living together without legal rights under these discriminatory Israeli laws.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

A US District Court judge has blocked the State of Texas from enforcing its Anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Law against a Palestinian-American contractor who refused to sign a pledge not to boycott Israel. The judge stated that this law infringed Rasmy Hassounas’ First Amendment rights. A number of US states have recently introduced legislation to prevent citizens from participating in any economic boycott of Israel and from any expression of support for Palestinians on the grounds of antisemitism.

•    Lord, we thank you that men like Rasmy are still prepared to stand up for Palestinians and to protest peacefully against the Israeli occupation of Palestine, even at a cost to their livelihood and their reputation.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

•    We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Andorra, Italy, Malta, Portugal, San Marino, Spain and Vatican City.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

February 3^rd,2022

Kumi Now online sessions restarted on Tuesday 1st February with the first in our new ‘Palestinian Innovators’ series. These sessions, which take place on the first Tuesday of each month, will hear from upcoming and influential Palestinians. On the third Tuesday of each month we will hear about possible solutions to the situation in Palestine.

•	 Lord, as we begin a new series of Kumi Online sessions, grant those involved, the knowledge and understanding to lead the programme. Grant those attending ears to hear, and hearts to act for a just peace.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Saturday, 29th January , Sabeel international held a service of thanks for the life of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The service, on Zoom, was very well attended and Sabeel are thankful to all those who attended to celebrate the life of Archbishop Tutu, a former patron of Sabeel.

 •	Lord, we are grateful for all of those who led, took part in, and attended the celebration for the life of Archbishop Tutu.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Sunday 30th January, Friends of Sabeel France held an online session concentrating on the situation of Christians in Palestine and heard about the situation on the ground.

  •	Loving God, we are thankful for the ongoing support for Friends of Sabeel France and all friends of Sabeel around the world. Grant that these sessions serve to deepen the understanding of the plight of Christians in the Holy Land.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Friday, 29th January, Daoud and Daher Nassar from the Tent of Nations were attacked by a group of 15 men carrying clubs and other weapons. Daoud and Daher were both hospitalised with head injuries following the assault.

•	 Lord, our prayers are with the Nassar family, and especially with Daoud and Daher, as they recover from this attack. Bless the Tent of Nations as they strive to live on their farm and seek the way of peace as they ‘refuse to be enemies’.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

13-year-old Lujain Alqattawi is a finalist in the Time Magazine Kid of the Year competition. Lujain, an American Palestinian, began to teach Palestinian refugee girls in her community to speak English and has created a programme with the aim of healing Palestinian refugee girls to achieve their dreams.

•	 Lord, we are blessed with young people such as Lujain, who are using their time, talents, and youth to help others. Grant them support and strength as they continue to make the world a better place for all.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Saturday, the 23rd of January a group of lawless Palestinians attacked Archimandrite Ioustinos, the caretaker of the Church on the site of Jacob’s Well in the city of Nablus. He suffered medium physical injuries. This attack is not the first one, as it happened several times in the past. The Palestinian Authority promised to bring the persons who did it to justice but until now no one was arrested.

•	 Lord, at Jacobs well you engaged the Samaritan woman and showed us how to build bridges and connections. Lord, empower the community of our troubled land to continue their steadfastness and solidarity with each other. God, grant the people of Nablus your living water to have security replace fear and let love triumph over hate.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

•	 We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Algeria,Libya, Morocco, Western Sahara, and Tunisia.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Thursday 27^th January 2022

On Wednesday 19^th January, Israeli occupation forces evicted the Salhiye family from their home and plant nursery business in the East Jerusalem area of Sheikh Jarrah. In previous days attempts to force the family out had failed due to the peaceful resistance of the family and others, however, the forces arrived in the very early hours of Wednesday morning, evicted the family and demolished their house and several surrounding structures.

• Lord, we weep to hear of families evicted from their homes and businesses once again. Grant solace to the Salhiye family and strengthen and encourage the international community to act rather than speak against these ongoing evictions and demolitions.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

After 13 days in a coma, South Hebron Hills community leader Suleiman al-Hathalin (Haj Suleiman) passed away in hospital. 75-year-old Suleiman had been run over by a tow truck operating for the Israeli occupation forces and had suffered head injuries and broken bones.

• Dear Lord, be with Suleiman’s family and the communities of Umm al-Khair and other places nearby to whom Suleiman was so important. Grant him eternal rest.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

This week marks the Week of Prayers for Christian Unity in Jerusalem where many churches come together for a week of ecumenical prayer services (a week later than everywhere else due to Orthodox Epiphany). On Monday 24^th January, Sabeel, in cooperation with the catechetical office of the Latin Patriarchate, Jerusalem held a worship service for 10 Christian schools. The service was held in the Latin Patriarchate cathedral in Jerusalem.

• “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). Lord, strengthen those who are willing to put their differences aside and come together in unity for peace and justice. Bless all the services taking place in Jerusalem in the name of unity this week.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Rasmia Barbur, 28, from the northern city of Nof Hagalil became the 6^th victim of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian community this year after being killed by her husband. Violence in the Arab community in northern Israel has been on the rise in recent years with 126 Israeli-Palestinian citizens killed in 2021. Police investigation of these killings is not always completed with only 23 percent solved compared to 71 percent in the Jewish community.

• Lord, be with the family of Rasmia and all those who have lost loved ones in violent ways. Encourage and strengthen the Israeli police to investigate these crimes and bring the perpetrators to justice.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Jewish settler extremists from the illegal outpost of Givat Ronen attacked Palestinians and left-wing Israeli activists, including some from Rabbis for Human Rights, as they planted olive trees in the area of Burin, near Nablus in the West Bank. In an unusual move, the Yesha Council which represents much of the settler leadership, condemned the attacks as ‘aberrant’ and said that ‘such grave conduct is against the values of the people of Israel…It is not our path. We call for authorities to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

• Lord, we see the olive branch as a sign of peace, grant a swift recovery to those injured during the attacks and guide justice in the way of the attackers. Strengthen the hearts of those in positions of power, that they may work to eliminate such violence from their communities.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

UN agencies, including UNICEF, UNWRA, and OHCHR, have called upon Israeli occupation authorities to immediately release Palestinian teenager Amal Nakhleh. Amal, who suffers from a severe autoimmune disease requiring continuous medical treatment and monitoring, has been held in an Israeli military prison on administrative detention without charge or trial for over a year.

• Lord who said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matt. 19:14) grant those holding Amal the foresight to see the wrongs in their actions and the compassion to release him to his family. Strengthen Amal and his family as they wait and wonder if and when he will be freed.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.
  
• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Thursday 20^th January 2022

An 82-year-old Jewish woman, who is being investigated by Labour for alleged antisemitism for the third time in less than three years, is threatening legal action against the party, claiming it has unlawfully discriminated against her based on her belief in anti-Zionism.

• Lord, for all those wrongly accused, we pray. Give to those who strive to define antisemitism clarity to see the difference between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, to those who would commit acts of antisemitism, give them the foresight to see the wrong in their actions or words.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Film stars including Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon, Gael García Bernal, and Viggo Mortensen, have backed Harry Potter actress Emma Watson, after her social media post about Palestinian solidarity drew ire from Israeli officials. “We join Emma Watson in support of the simple statement that ‘solidarity is a verb’, including meaningful solidarity with Palestinians struggling for their human rights under international law,” said a statement signed by more than 40 film industry notables.

• Lord, we are thankful to those whose voices are the loudest in today’s society and are willing to stand up against oppression of Palestinians.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Israeli settlers attacked the Palestine TV crew this morning while they were returning from a filming assignment in the Jordan Valley. The crew, composed of three members, were stopped and forced out of their vehicle near the village of Bittin, east of Ramallah. The settlers proceeded to harass and attack the Palestine TV members until they were bruised. They, the settlers, were protected by Israeli occupation officers nearby, who did nothing to stop the brutality.

• Lord, the constant attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians must end. Freedom of the press is a keystone of a just and open society, grant a swift and full recovery to those injured, and give them strength to resume their reporting.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Dozens of Palestinian Bedouins have been wounded in a crackdown by Israeli forces on a protest against continuing Israeli forestation work on land residents say they privately own near the southern city of Beer al-Sabe (Beer Sheva). The Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) use tree planting as a method of preventing Palestinians from accessing their land and to obliterate Palestinian villages.

• O’ God, we pray for all those injured as they protested against the unjust forestation on Palestinian lands. We pray that those responsible for the planting, will cease their actions and allow those who own the land to live in peace with full and unrestricted access to their lands.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

An 80-year-old Palestinian was found dead in a village in the West Bank early Wednesday, his body still handcuffed after an Israeli arrest raid. Omar Abdulmajeed Asad and other family members were returning from visiting relatives when they were stopped by the soldiers. After the troops withdrew, villagers found Asad’s body in a building under construction.

• Lord, grant peace and solace to the family of Omar Abdulmajeed Asad. We pray that a full and open investigation into his death will take place and that those responsible will be brought to justice.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Friends of Sabeel Australia held a zoom meeting, the first of a series, in 2022. The session was led by Bishop Emeritus Munib Younan and focussed on Palestinian Christians.

• Lord, we are thankful for Friends of Sabeel Australia and their commitment to Palestinian Christians. We are thankful for all those involved in organising these sessions, bless the sessions to come and those who take part.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Sabeel-Kairos UK are launching a series of studies for Lent 2022 focused on the Palestinian Cry for Hope and associated themes. This series will include live online events with international speakers, discussion, prayers and actions every Sunday for 5 weeks during lent.

• Lord, we continue to Cry for Hope, for a just peace, and an end to oppression. Bless Sabeel-Kairos UK and their Lent series.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.