This week’s Kumi Now online gathering will focus on how Christian Zionism affects every-day life in Palestine.

Next week’s Kumi Now on Tuesday, the 31st of August, will look at how Palestinian artists express their non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation.

•    Lord, we pray that Palestinian artists will continue to use their creative gifts to find ways of engaging with the humanity of those who seek to oppress them.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

More than 2,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes when wildfires took hold of the wooded hills near Jerusalem on Sunday, the 15th of August. The Israeli fire brigade were joined by Palestinian firefighters and the Israeli Air Force to battle the flames and douse them with flame retardant. The fires were brought under control after burning for three days.

•    Lord, we are thankful that these wildfires near Jerusalem did not cause any reported serious injuries or loss of life. We thank you for the courage of the firefighters and pray for those who have lost their homes and livelihoods. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Israeli authorities introduced new restrictions to curb Covid transmission on Wednesday, the 18th of August, after the highest daily infection numbers were reported since the start of the year. The new Delta variant has also caused infections to rise among Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, with several hundred cases of infection reported every day.

•    Lord, we continue to pray for all those suffering from Covid-19. We pray too for those who are denied access to vaccines, due to lack of financial resources. We pray that the Israeli government will step up to its international responsibilities as an occupying power to provide rapid and equitable access to vaccines for Palestinians.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Monday, the 16th of August, four Palestinians were killed and a fifth was seriously injured when undercover Israeli soldiers attempted to detain a suspected militant. The incident took place in Jenin, in the northern West Bank, where tensions have been high after a Palestinian was killed by Israeli soldiers earlier in the month. There have been at least eight violent clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the past two months.

•    Lord, we pray for your restraining hand over the serious spiral of violence now rife in the Occupied Territories. We pray for an end to the Israeli military occupation that is the main source of violence.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

According to Israel’s Peace Now organization, the Israeli government is set to start planning a new illegal settlement on the site of the former airport at Atarot, East Jerusalem. If the plan is accepted, in early December, it would deal a blow to any hopes for a two state solution as it would deny Palestine a capital in East Jerusalem. The plan to build a 9,000 housing unit settlement would effectively sever links between the Palestinian communities in Ramallah and East Jerusalem.

•    Lord, we pray that international governments and human rights’ organizations would speak out against this new Israeli plan to  further divide and contain Palestinian communities and surround them with yet another massive illegal settlement.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

For the life of Roni Rock- the child entertainer from Nazareth – who died recently.

•    Lord, we give thanks for the life of Roni Rock who died recently. We thank you for the way he dedicated his life to writing songs and performing shows to bring joy and laughter into the lives of Palestinian children.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Yabous Cultural Centre hosted the Jerusalem Music Festival on Wednesday, the 11th of August. Palestinian musicians from different parts of the country came together to perform their music in a wide variety of styles.

•    We thank you, Lord, for the skills of musicians who can make melodies and gladden hearts, even when our hearts are heavy and downcast.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

This week’s Kumi Now online gathering on Tuesday, the 17th of August, looked at the role of the US in Palestine.
Next week’s gathering will look at how Palestinians address the threat of Christian Zionism. Christian Zionists support Zionism as a national movement for the return of the Jewish people to Palestine and the sovereignty of the Jews over the whole land.

• Lord Jesus, our Rock and our Redeemer, we pray for our Palestinian people who face the scorn and abuse of those desiring to force them from their land. We pray that you will remember the indigenous Palestinian people of the land.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Wednesday, the 11th of August, the Defence Minister, Benny Gantz, approved the construction of 863 Palestinian homes in Israeli controlled Area C, mostly in Jenin and Bethlehem. At the same time the Israeli Civil Administration agreed to the construction of more than 2200 new homes for illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

• Lord, we pray for a halt to the rapid expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories. We are saddened that our legal rights for building permits is linked to illegal settlement building on our lands.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Since the beginning of the year the Israeli authorities have raided and destroyed eleven printing presses, media offices and bookstores belonging to Palestinians. In May four bookstores and four printing presses were destroyed in Gaza. In Ramallah, the Bisan printing press has been ordered to close for six months, while other presses were destroyed in Bethlehem and Izzariyeh.

• Lord, we pray that all attempts to stifle the freedom of expression of Palestinians will be frustrated.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

A Jerusalem court issued a ruling on Wednesday, the 11th of August, that the demolition orders on hundreds of Palestinian homes in the Silwan neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem should be frozen until February 2022. However the demolition of sixteen Palestinian homes was ordered immediately. Israeli authorities claim the homes have been built without permits. The permits are rarely granted to Palestinians and the Israeli authorities plan to move illegal Israeli settlers into the area under heavily armed protection and allow the creation of a public park devoted to King David.

• Lord, we pray for the Palestinian families in Silwan who now have to demolish their own homes to avoid extreme demolition charges from the Israeli authorities. We pray that international organisations will challenge the Israeli government over their policies of home demolitions and the denial of building permits to Palestinians.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Saturday, the 7th of August, Adalah,(The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights), wrote to the Israeli Attorney General to seek urgent clarification over recent measures taken by Israeli municipalities to block access to Palestinians to open spaces under the guise of Covid 19 protection. The municipalities of Acre, Netanya and Hadera took measures to prevent Palestinians from visiting beaches and parks, whether or not they had valid permits or had been vaccinated.

• Lord, we pray that the Israeli authorities will draw back from introducing apartheid measures in their communities. We pray that any further unauthorised prohibition of movement on racist grounds will be stopped. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

There has been an increase in the number of patients suffering from serious coronavirus infections in Israel. The government is forecasting a possible increase in the number of patients requiring hospital care to five thousand by the second week of September. They have funded new healthcare provision and have reintroduced restrictions on entry to venues and limitations on large gatherings.

• Lord, we continue to pray for the end of the suffering caused by the Covid pandemic. We pray that wealthier countries will distribute vaccines more equitably, so that all peoples can develop immunity.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

• 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…hear our prayers.

The 9th of August was celebrated as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The Kumi Now Online gathering on Tuesday, the 10th of August considered how indigenous people, including Palestinians, struggle for their rights.
On Tuesday 17th August, Kumi Now looks forward to remembering the World Humanitarian Day.The gathering will consider the US humanitarian support for Palestinians, which has been cut drastically in recent years.

· ‘Lord, we pray for Palestinian refugees and the people of Gaza. May their needs always be provided. We pray for the hungry, the homeless, the unemployed, the sick of Palestine.May the last be the first and the first be last. We pray for our leaders who have it in their power to alleviate suffering, that they may be led along the path of justice. Soften their hearts and let them be moved by your grace.’(Churches for Middle East Peace)
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On the 3rd of August, Dar al-Kalima in Bethlehem received full accreditation as a university. It was first established as a Community College in 2006. It now has five colleges and is authorised to grant all academic degrees.

· We thank you, Lord, for the hard work and dedication of the staff at the Dar al-Kalima University. We pray that the teachers will continue to inspire and support their students to help them achieve their full potential, even under the repressive conditions of the Israeli occupation.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Layan Nasir, a young student at Birzeit University, was arrested by the Israeli authorities on the 7th of July. She had taken part in protests over the death in detention of the activist Nizar Banat. She is one of seventy four students from Birzeit who have recently been detained and imprisoned by the Israeli authorities.

· Lord, we pray that Layan and other Palestinian students will be released from prison. We pray that international pressure will be brought to bear on the Israeli government to stop the arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of Palestinian students.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Canadian Friends of Sabeel are raising money with a summertime initiative asking people to walk for Palestine. There are three different routes to choose. ‘Each route is based on a walking route in the Holy Land with extra kilometres to factor in the reality of checkpoints that Palestinians must deal with on their daily commute.’

· Lord, we thank you for this Canadian fundraising initiative and pray that many would be interested in following the walking routes and many others would join in and find out about life for Palestinians under the Israeli occupation.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Israeli Supreme Court has deferred its verdict on the expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem. It refused to rule on the status of the ownership of the land. Instead it put pressure on the Palestinians to accept the status of ‘protected residents’. Under this status they would be allowed to stay in their homes for three generations, if they paid rent to the Israeli settler organisation Nahalat Shimon.

· Lord, we pray that voices around the world will demand that the Israeli government calls a halt to the relentless lawsuits brought by Israeli settler organisations to force Palestinians out of their homes in East Jerusalem.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

An Israeli film, entitled ‘Ahed’s Knee’, won the Jury Prize at this summer’s Cannes Film Festival. The film is based on the experiences of Nadav Lapid making a documentary about Ahed, a young Palestinian woman activist. The Israeli director described his film as, ‘full of pain and sadness about a country that should have been different, that could have been different.’

· Thank you, Lord, that creative artists in Israel/Palestine are prepared to speak the truth about the apartheid conditions in their land. We pray for protection for them as they often face deceitful scheming and intimidation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

In June, nearly 85,000 young Palestinian students in all the governates across the Occupied Territories sat the Tawjihi High School examinations. On Tuesday, the 3rd of August, 71% of the students celebrated their successful results.

· Lord, we thank you for the commitment of so many young Palestinians to their studies, despite the disruptions of the pandemic and the economic and social instability in the West Bank and Gaza. We pray for resilience and a steadfast spirit to help these young people as they seek work or further education.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

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

The Kumi Now online gathering on Tuesday, the 3rd of August, considered how Israeli forces are breaking the Fourth Geneva Convention by using collective punishment against the Palestinian population.
The theme of Kumi Now the following week will be the celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People on the 9th of August. The experiences of the Palestinian people after the Nakba with their forced exile, the denial of their history and attempts to erase their culture connects them to the experiences of many other indigenous groups across the world.

• Thank you, Lord, for the rich diversity of races and cultures around the world. Help us to respect one another and to live in a spirit of peace and co-operation. Stren
gthen us with power through your Holy Spirit to support those indigenous groups who are suffering oppression. Lord, in your mercy.. hear our prayers.

The Sabeel Online Service takes place each week on Thursdays at 6pm, Jerusalem Time.
Rev Naim Ateek leads us in prayer and reflections on Bible readings and people from different countries respond with contributions on how to help support Palestinians living under the Israeli occupation.

• Lord Jesus, let the light of your love shine in our hearts. We pray that you will ‘bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday’,(Ps37:6) in the Holy Land.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Last week Muslim families gathered across Palestine to celebrate Eid al-Adha by sharing meals and exchanging gifts. Some families celebrated at the beach and, sadly, five Palestinians were drowned while swimming.

• Lord, we pray for those Muslim families whose celebrations turned to mourning, and who now grieve for their drowned relatives.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Mohammed al-Alami, a twelve-year-old Palestinian boy, was shot in the chest by Israeli soldiers while he was travelling in a car with his father and sisters. It has been announced that he has since died of his injuries in Beit Omar. Israeli occupation forces have launched an investigation into the shooting, however, it is unlikely that any soldiers will face repercussions.

• Lord, we pray for the traumatised al-Alami family grieving for their son, Mohammed, who has died so young. We pray that this incident will be properly investigated and that those responsible will be prosecuted.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The headquarters of Defence for Children International-Palestine (DCIP), in Ramallah was broken into by the Israeli border police at around 5am on Thursday, the 29th of July. The police took computer equipment from the office as well as files on the child detainees being defended by the charity in the Israeli military court system.

• Lord, we give thanks for the work of those who defend the human rights of Palestinian children caught up in the terrifying Israeli military court system.
We pray there will be an international outcry over the attack on the work of Palestinian human rights activists. We pray that the Israeli government will be held to account for the way they break international law by the violation of the rights of Palestinian children.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Saturday, the 24th of July, the Palestinian Human Rights organisation, Al-Haq, submitted an urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Procedures over the arbitrary detention of Shana Odeh Abu Fannouneh. Odeh was detained by the Israeli army on Wednesday, the 7th of July. Al-Haq has drawn attention to the Israeli policy of trying to silence Palestinians who have been working in the health services. Odeh has been particularly involved with providing health services to all Palestinian communities across the West Bank during the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the intimidation and arbitrary arrests of Palestinian health service workers. We pray especially for the early release of Odeh from detention and that she can resume her work to support Palestinian communities.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Israeli soldiers seized equipment and cables from technicians working in the Simya area, south of Hebron on Sunday, the 25th of July. The equipment had been funded by the Danish government through the European Union to help restore electricity to 2,500 residents in the area. These residents live in Area C of the occupied West Bank, which is under full Israeli military control.

• Lord, we pray that the EU and other international organisations will put pressure on the Israeli government to return the stolen equipment and allow the restoration of electrical services to residents in the Simya area.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Thursday, the 29th of July, the Israeli settlement watch organisation, Peace Now, stated that the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture has given millions of shekels to settler associations to fund volunteers to do farm work at illegal outposts in the West Bank. It has also agreed to allocate large swathes of land for illegal settlers to use as grazing, even though the settlers have not received permits to build outposts.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the illegal annexation of Palestinian land and a halt to the way public funds are being used to support illegal Israeli settler association activities in the occupied West Bank.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of the Republic of Congo, Gabon, São Tomé and Príncipe.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer
29.7.21

This week’s Kumi Now online gathering considered the Israeli policy of obstructing Palestinian family unification.

Next week’s Kumi Now reflects on the Israeli policy of collective punishment meted out to Palestinian communities and defended on security grounds. Punitive home demolitions, forcible transfers, night raids and the blockade of Gaza are just some of the tactics employed by the Israeli authorities. Studies have shown repeatedly that those who suffer the most under these punitive measures are Palestinian women and their children.

• Lord, we pray that Israel would start to honor its international legal obligations and abandon collective punishment as a way to pressurize and oppress Palestinians. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Monday, the 19th of July, the United Church of Christ adopted the ‘Declaration on the Requirements for a Just Peace between Palestine and Israel’ by an overwhelming majority. The declaration comes in response to Kairos Palestine’s ‘Cry for Hope’ call to churches around the world. It critiques Israeli apartheid laws which discriminate against Palestinians, while clearly differentiating between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.

• Lord Jesus, our good shepherd, guide your church along a path of righteousness for your name’s sake. Help us to continue to pray and work for justice and peace for all those experiencing racism and oppression in Palestine/Israel. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Friends of Sabeel North America,(FOSNA) announced on Thursday, the 22nd of July that they have appointed Jonathan Kuttab as their new Executive Director. Jonathan is an eminent Palestinian human rights lawyer. He lives in Pennsylvania, but is also a resident of East Jerusalem where he maintains a law practice. He founded a number of human rights organizations, including Al Haq and Non-violence International. He has served on the board of Sabeel for many years. He is looking forward to working closely with Sabeel Jerusalem/Nazareth, as well as among Palestinian solidarity groups and churches in the US.

• Lord, we give thanks for Jonathan Kuttab and his new role at FOSNA. We pray that you would give him your wisdom and understanding as he steps into his position and continues to follow his commitment to help establish a just peace in the Holy Land. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Noura Erakat, an American human rights lawyer and academic and Samora Pinderhughes, a composer, have co-founded a campaign under the title of Liberation Studio. They are encouraging visual artists and musicians to raise funds for American Near East Refugee Aid, (Anera). They hope to raise funds for those Palestinian refugees recently affected by the conflict.

• Lord, we give thanks for the way artists around the world are using their creative gifts to help vulnerable refugee communities in the occupied Palestinian Territories and Gaza. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, raised an objection to a friendly match being held in occupied East Jerusalem between FC Barcelona and the Israeli Bitar Jerusalem FC. He told FIFA that the match would be played in the Malha district of the Old City, which was the site of a pre-1948 Palestinian village. The Israeli owner of Bitar, Moshe Hogeg was not prepared to hold the match at any other venue and so the match has been cancelled.

• Lord, we give thanks that there is a growing awareness among some international sports teams of how the Palestinians are struggling to survive living under the Israeli occupation. Lord, in your mercy …hear our prayer.

Ben and Jerry’s Ice-cream announced on Monday, the 19th of July, that it will no longer sell ice-cream in the occupied Palestinian Territories, claiming the sales there as ‘inconsistent with our values’. The rebuke from an internationally recognized brand will bring into focus the illegality of Israel’s rapidly expanding settlements across the West Bank.

• Lord, we pray that the announcement will encourage other companies to review whether their business sales in the occupied Palestinian Territories are making them complicit with the Israeli occupation and further violating the human rights of the Palestinians. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Sunday, the 18th of July, Abdo, a forty-three-year old Palestinian from Shufa’at refugee camp in East Jerusalem was detained by the Israeli authorities for a traffic violation. On the evening of Wednesday, the 21st of July, his family were informed that he had died of a heart attack in his cell in the Al-Maskobiya detention centre. There have been many reports of torture and physical abuse suffered by Palestinian detainees under interrogation at this centre.

• Lord, we join with Abdo’s family as they grieve his loss, praying especially for his pregnant wife and their four children. We pray that any abuse or brutality perpetrated on Abdo by the authorities will be thoroughly investigated and that any offender will be prosecuted. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Israeli authorities are refusing to grant the Palestinian water authorities the licenses they need to improve access to water for those living in Area C, which is subject to Israeli security control. There are severe water shortages for Palestinians living in this area, although illegal Israeli settlers living here experience no lack.

• Lord, we pray for the Palestinian people who are experiencing water shortages in the high summer temperatures. How hard must it be for some Palestinian villagers to wait for weeks for a water tanker to deliver water, when they see Israeli settlers nearby filling up their swimming pools and watering their gardens?  Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of Palestinians who have been displaced from their homes in the West Bank. The number is up by 70% in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs. On Wednesday, the 14th of July, thirteen Bedouin families from Ras al Tin lost their homes and animal shelters when they were confiscated by the Israeli authorities. On the following day in Humsa Al Bqai’a in the northern Jordan Valley a family of eight were forced to leave their temporary shelter. They had been dispossessed of their home the previous week during a mass demolition carried out by the Israeli authorities after they declared the area a new military firing zone.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the home demolition policy of the Israeli government. We pray that international lawmakers will put pressure on Israel to recognize the inhumanity and illegality of this policy. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

• 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…hear our prayer.

This week’s Kumi Now online gathering focused on the Israeli apartheid wall. On the 20th of July, 2004, the UN passed a resolution declaring the illegality of Israel’s separation wall under international law. Israel has used the wall, settlements and military zones to prohibit Palestinians access to 60% of land in the West Bank.
Next week’s Kumi Now will explore the issue of family unification, a right denied to many Palestinians and causing great heartache and suffering.

• Lord of compassion and mercy, we pray for those Palestinians who are cut off from their land by the wall and those cut off from their families by racist laws. We pray for a spirit of hope to fill the hearts of all those suffering under the Israeli occupation.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Thursday, the 8th of July, the Israeli Civil Administration handed out a demolition order against the cemetery in the village of al-Deirat, east of Yatta in south Hebron. The villagers are mainly dependent on agriculture and livestock rearing and have been subjected to land theft from two nearby Israeli settlements, as well as the construction of a by-pass road and military installations.

• Lord, we pray for the villagers in al-Deirat as they see the land of their village cemetery annexed by the Israeli authorities. We pray that international lawmakers will openly challenge the Israeli government’s theft of occupied land.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

600 academics and artists from more than 45 countries recently signed a petition calling for the immediate end to the Israeli apartheid regime and to the occupation of Palestine. The petition calls for a democratic constitution that ensures equal rights and an end to discrimination based on race, ethnic origin or religion.

• Lord, we thank you that voices around the world are crying out for change in Israel. We long to see the human rights of all those living in Palestine/ Israel fully respected.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Sunday, the 11th of July, the Israeli Cabinet approved the deduction of 597 million shekels from the tax revenue it collects for the Palestinian Authority,(PA). This sum is equivalent to the sum paid to families of Palestinian prisoners and families of those killed by Israeli forces. The deduction will increase the burden on the PA to cover public sector wages.

• Lord, the Israeli occupation comes at such a high cost to the Palestinian economy. We remember the families who are struggling with poverty, unemployment and sickness.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Sunday, 18th July, a number of Muslim worshippers were injured by Israeli occupation forces as they prayed at the Al Aqsa Mosque to celebrate Eid al-Adha. Israeli authorities had allowed a big number of Jews to enter the compound to pray as they commemorated Tisha B’av, with armed guards, something which is normally forbidden during the Eid celebrations.

· Lord, we pray for peace and order in the city of Jerusalem. We pray that the occupying Israeli authorities would respect the agreed upon rules for visiting Al Aqsa Mosque.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, (PCBS), reported on Tuesday, the 13th of July, that the unemployment rate among Palestinian university graduates reached 54%in 2020,(35% in the West Bank;78% in Gaza). Most graduates between the ages of 20-29years have to search for their first job for a period of 10 months to two years.

· Lord, we thank you for the determination of many young Palestinians to pursue higher education and employment despite the difficulties they face. We pray for them that they may be resourceful and steadfast even as the pandemic has reduced the availability of work.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Dr Cornel West, a prominent American philosopher and activist, resigned as a professor at Harvard Divinity School after four years of teaching there. On Monday, the 12th of July, he published his resignation letter on social media. It cited his support of Palestine as one of the reasons the university denied him tenure. He will be rejoining the faculty of the Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where he first taught 44 years ago.

• Lord Jesus you told us that ‘whatever is said in the dark shall be heard in the light’ (Luke12:3). We thank you for prophetic voices ready to speak out clearly about injustice, even at personal cost. We pray for academics like Dr West who pay a heavy price for holding the powerful to account.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The United Reform Church, (URC) passed significant resolutions about the situation in Israel/ Palestine at their General Assembly, (9th-12th July). They voiced their concern over the ‘de facto’ annexation of the occupied Palestinian Territories, the expansion of the settlements and home demolitions. They have asked local churches to refrain from purchasing products made in Israeli settlements and are reviewing their investments in companies profiting from them.

• Lord, we see these URC resolutions as an encouragement and take them as a reminder that ‘the Palestinians are not forgotten’, as Rev Dr Munther Isaac commented.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Esther Bejarano died on Saturday, the 10th of July, at the age of 96 years. She was one of the last survivors of the Auschwitz women’s orchestra. After 1945 she went to live in Israel for over a decade, before returning to live in her native Germany. Both she and her husband actively supported the BDS movement. She stated that they found life in Israel had been difficult ‘because we did not agree with the terrible things that were done to the Palestinians’.

• Lord, we give thanks for the long life and witness of Esther Bejarano. We thank you that she was prepared to speak out about injustice and inhumanity wherever she encountered it.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Djibouti and Somalia.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

This week’s Kumi Now online gathering looked at morally responsible investment. Charlotte Marshall of Sabeel-Kairos U.K. spoke about the organization’s campaign called ‘Investing in Peace’ in U.K. churches, as well as the wider BDS movement which started on the 9th of July, 2005.
Next week’s Kumi Now session will consider the Israeli Apartheid Wall.

• Lord, ‘you are a refuge for the oppressed and a stronghold in times of trouble’,(Psalm 9:9). We pray for an end to the occupation and for increasing levels of international pressure to be brought to bear on the discriminatory policies of the Israeli government.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Thursday, the 1st of July, Governor Whitmer announced the appointment of Yvonna Abraham to the Wayne County Third Circuit Court. Yvonna Abraham is the first Palestinian American judge to be appointed in the State of Michigan.

• Lord, we give thanks for the appointment of this young Palestinian American woman to this prestigious post. We pray that she will serve her community with integrity and wisdom.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The latest report from Euro-Med Monitor on Gaza, entitled ‘One War Older’, was released on Friday, the 2nd of July. The report documents the sufferings of women and children caused by the Israeli bombings. Israeli attacks were targeted in residential neighborhoods and there were 254 deaths, including 66 children and 39 women. 241 children lost one, or both parents and 5,400 children lost their homes. Nine out of ten children in Gaza continue to feel traumatized a month after the bombing ceased.

• Lord, the sufferings of the people living in the besieged enclave of Gaza are harrowing. We continue to pray for an end to the blockade and a release from the grinding poverty and distress experienced by all those living there and especially by the vulnerable children.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Institute for Palestinian Studies launched a new online database on Tuesday, the 29th of June. It documents political events which have marked the occupation of Palestine since the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982. The ‘Palestine Chronology’ will give future researchers access to historical material using Palestinian, Arab, Israeli and international sources.( https://chronology.palestine-studies.org/ )

• Lord, we give thanks for the launch of this new database which will be an invaluable tool for those seeking to establish the truth about the Israeli occupation of Palestine over the past forty years.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Norway’s largest pension fund, the KLP company, announced on Monday, the 5th of July, that it was divesting from 16 companies. They explained their decision was influenced by the risk that they were contributing to ‘the abuse of human rights in situations of war and conflict through their links with the Israeli settlements’. The company stated, ‘ Motorola and other companies risk complicity in international law violations in occupied Palestine as the company provides software used in border-surveillance.’

• Lord, we pray that many corporations around the world will look carefully at the probity of their investments and consider whether they have been contributing financially to human rights abuses in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

514 American journalists published an open letter on Tuesday, the 13th of July, challenging the American media coverage of Palestine. They stated that the US media narrative ‘obscures the most fundamental aspects of the story: Israel’s military occupation and its system of apartheid’.

• Lord, we give thanks for the courage of these American journalists and for their commitment to seek out the truth and to hold those in power to account.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Monday, the 5th of July, the Knesset fortunately failed to extend the Family Reunification measure of the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law. This law was first enacted in 2003 and has been renewed each year since then. It prevents Palestinian citizens of Israel from extending their citizenship and residency rights to their spouses from the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem or Gaza. This law was cited by the recent Human Rights Watch report as an example of the discriminatory laws faced by Palestinians living under occupation.

· Lord, we pray for a repeal of all discriminatory Israeli laws used to undermine the human rights of Palestinians. We pray that the Israeli lawmakers would extend grace to all their citizens without prejudice or racist intent.
Lord, in your mercy …hear our prayers.

The World Council of Churches has recently launched the East Jerusalem Initiative. WCC-EAPPI has been accompanying communities in East Jerusalem for over a decade. They are unable to be physically present with communities threatened with forced evictions at the moment, but they aim to continue supporting them through advocacy. They are using this initiative to raise awareness about the discriminatory laws faced by families in Sheikh Jarrah and other similarly affected neighborhoods in East Jerusalem.

• Lord Jesus, we draw near in faith to you. We bring the WCC initiative to you as they advocate for Palestinian families facing evictions from their homes in East Jerusalem. We pray that the prayers and interventions of all people of goodwill around the world will stop the displacement of these communities.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

This week marks the halfway point in the Kumi Now year.Next week the Kumi Now online gathering on Tuesday the 13th of July will look at the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, (BDS). The BDS movement, which was launched on the 9th of July 2005, is now a global movement which seeks to challenge the international corporations which profit from the Israeli oppression of Palestinians.

• Lord, we pray that more churches, academic associations, unions and other groups will reconsider how they are investing in corporations profiting from the Israeli Occupation. We pray that the pressure of divestment may help to bring pressure on the Israeli government to comply with international law.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers

During this week four Palestinian citizens of Israel have died in shootings. Since the beginning of this year forty-six Palestinian citizens have met violent deaths. On Saturday, the 26th of June, three members of one Palestinian family were killed in a shooting outside the village of Eilabun, in the Galilee region. A Palestinian man, his wife and 16-year-old daughter all died, while their 9-year-old daughter suffered moderate injuries. The following day Jamil Zabarqa, a 30-year-old man was shot and killed at a petrol station in Lod, southeast of Tel Aviv.

• Lord, we pray for the recovery of the young girl shot near Galilee. We pray for all those grieving for the loss of the Palestinians killed in such a violent way over the weekend. We pray that the Israeli police will investigate these crimes in a thorough way and expose any evidence of the work of criminal gangs.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers

The deadline set by the Israeli authorities for 13 Palestinian families to demolish their own houses ended on Sunday, the 27th of June. Demolition orders have been issued by the Israeli courts to 86 homes in the Al-Bustan quarter of the Silwan neighbourhood, south of the Old City in Jerusalem. An Israeli settler organisation seeks to turn this land into a national park.

• Lord, we pray for an end to this Israeli policy of home demolitions, targeting Palestinian communities. We pray that international organisations and governments around the world will challenge this Israeli government policy and their violation of international human rights law.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers

On the night of Sunday, the 27th of June, Israelis from the illegal settlement of Ahiya, raided the village of Jalud, south of Nablus. They chopped down olive trees and grape vines, stole a water pump and tore up electrical wiring. This area, near Jalud school, is subject to frequent settler attacks.

• Lord, we cry out to you for the Palestinian farmers trying to protect their livelihoods, only to have their crops and farms damaged again and again. We pray for an end to the vindictive acts of the settlers and that they should be held to account for their criminality.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers

The young adult group of Sabeel Nazareth met up for the first time since the start of the coronavirus to share a lunch together on Saturday, the 26th of June.

• Lord Jesus, you are faithful to your promises. You promise to be with us where a few are gathered in your name. We pray that the gathering of the young adults in Nazareth will have been an encouragement to them and will help them to hold fast to the confession of their hope and faith.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers

Members of the community, clergy and representatives of Christian organisations visited the family of Nizar Banat to pay their respects to his family. They all condemned the circumstances of his brutal arrest and sudden death in custody. They also paid tribute to the way Nizar exercised his right to freedom of expression when he disagreed with local policies.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Nizar Banat as they mourn his loss and we pray that the circumstances of his sudden death will be thoroughly investigated by the Palestinian Authority.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers

•We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers

Sabeel Wave of Prayer
1st of July, 2021

The Kumi Now Online gathering considered Israel as a nuclear power on Tuesday, the 29th of June. On the 1st of July, 1968 the Treaty for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was signed by 190 countries from around the world, but not by Israel. It still refuses to admit to its nuclear capabilities and has never allowed the International Atomic Energy Agency to supervise its production of nuclear material in the Dimona Reactor in the Negev.

Next week will be the relaunch of Kumi Now as we reach the halfway mark in the year.

• Lord, we pray that all countries will acknowledge their responsibility to curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons and submit to the international supervision of how they are handling such dangerous materials. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Wednesday, the 9th of June, Israeli security forces made an early morning raid on the headquarters of the Health Works Committees, (HWC) in Al-Bireh, near Ramallah. The Israeli forces delivered a military order closing the office with immediate effect. The HWC is one of the main healthcare providers reaching the most deprived families in the occupied West Bank.

• Lord, we pray for all those who will be seriously affected by the closure of the HWC headquarters, particularly at this time of pandemic when so many are suffering hardship. We pray that the Israeli authorities will stop their attacks on Palestinian civil organizations and start to meet their responsibility as the occupying power to care for the health and well-being of those living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Vermont State Labor Council has recently announced that it is joining the alliance of Labor for Palestine, (LFP). The LFP was first launched in 2004 seeking an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. There are now 15 American Labor bodies supporting the alliance.

• Lord, we pray that more and more small groups will link up to support international organizations working to bring about justice and equality for all who live in Israel/ Palestine. We pray that there will be a groundswell of support to challenge the Israeli occupation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Monday, the 21st of June and Tuesday, the 22nd of June, hundreds of settlers, accompanied by the Israeli security forces, went into the Sheikh Jarrah area of occupied East Jerusalem and started attacking the residents. In one incident a settler attacked four young Palestinian girls, (aged 12-14 years) using pepper spray which caused facial burns.

The girls had been practicing a Dabke dance to perform at a cultural event in their neighbourhood.

• Lord, we see increasing levels of settler violence and vandalism throughout the West Bank. We pray for an end to this racial hatred and an end to the complicity of the Israeli authorities who turn a blind eye to such lawlessness. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Monday, the 21st of June, a Palestinian lawyer, Medhat Thiba, succeeded in obtaining an Israeli court ruling to prevent the demolition of sixteen Palestinian commercial buildings in the town of Hizma, to the northeast of Jerusalem. The Regavim Settlement Association had been filing complaints about these commercial businesses for the past two years, with a view to enforcing their demolition.

• Lord, we pray for an end to use of the Israeli court system by settler associations to undermine Palestinian businesses and communities to try and force them to leave. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Wednesday, Sabeel Nazareth office organized the first in-person meeting for 35 women in Nazareth since the pandemic. The meeting was a time of fellowship and debriefing.

• Lord, we give thanks that the group of women in Nazareth were able to enjoy fellowship at the Sabeel office. We pray that the bonds of friendship and mutual support will have been strengthened after such a challenging time during the pandemic. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

• Lord , we also bring before you the Friends of Sabeel North America, (FOSNA), as they appoint a new Executive Director. We pray that you would raise up a person with the vision, faith and courage to take up this position. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer

A coalition of charities have sent a petition to Letitia James, New York State Attorney General to ask her to investigate the charitable status of the Hebron Fund, a US-based organization. The Hebron Fund is using tax-deductible donations to support military and para-military violence against Palestinians living in Hebron.

• Lord Jesus, help us to walk as children of light. We pray for all those who take responsibility for exposing works of darkness. We pray that any misuse of donations to cause harm to others will be brought to light and proscribed. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Thursday morning, June 24th, Nizar Banat was in bed in his home in Dura in southern Hebron, when two dozen Palestinian Authority officers broke into his home and started beating him, according to his family. He was dragged away screaming and later was announced dead.

After conducting an autopsy, a Palestinian rights group said Banat took blows to the head, adding that wounds indicated “an unnatural death”.

Banat, 43, intended to run in parliamentary elections before they were cancelled earlier this year. He was an out-spoken critic of the Palestinian Authority, and often called on Western nations to cut off aid to the PA because of its growing authoritarianism and human rights violations.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Banat as they mourn the loss of Nizar. We pray for a transparent investigation into the death of Nizar and that justice prevails. Our hearts ache for the human rights violations that our people continue to suffer. Lord in your mercy…hear out prayer.    

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Kenya and Tanzania. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The United Nations commemorated World Refugee Day on Sunday, the 20th of June. The Kumi Now Online gathering focused on the plight of Palestinian refugees forced to leave their homes in 1948 and 1967 and still waiting with their descendants to return home decades later. In 2019 UNRWA reported that 5.4 million Palestinian refugees were registered with its offices in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza.Next week’s Kumi Now will consider Israel as a nuclear power.

• Merciful Lord, we cry out to you as the resolution of the right of return for Palestinian refugees appears as distant as ever. The international community has failed us Lord, let your spirit ignite us with confidence that we will return to our homes despite the objection of the powerful.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer

A call entitled ‘Statement of Repentance and Hope’ was sent out on Saturday, the 12th of June, to hundreds of Palestinian Christians by the Christ at the Checkpoint Young Adults Group. The call urges Christians, including clergy and leaders, for a stronger response to the injustices committed against Palestinians over the past two months.

• Lord, we give thanks that Palestinian Christians continue to speak out with one voice to give witness against injustice and to speak truth to power.
Lord, in your mercy.. hear our prayer

After the Jerusalem flag march, a group of young Palestinians went to clean up the Damascus Gate area. The Israeli police attacked the young people, confiscated their cleaning materials and beat up several young participants in the volunteer project.

• Lord, we pray for the young Palestinians to remain determined to use nonviolent forms of resistance, may the violence by Israel, strengthen their determination. We pray for the Israeli authorities that they might see through their prejudices and recognize that their might does not break the will of Palestinians to regain their freedom.
Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer

On Monday, the 7th of June, the second ‘ Apostles of Palestine’ competition took place at the Terra Sancta School in Bethlehem. Nisreen Al-Araj, the Director of the contest, stated that the aim of the initiative was to inspire 13-14 year old pupils from all areas of Palestine to study the Bible and to help them discern their mission as Christians. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem sponsored the contest for over 400 pupils. There were ten contestants in the finals and three prize-winners.

• Lord, we are thankful for the enthusiasm shown by the pupils who took part in this contest. May your word be a lamp to their feet and a light to their path. Our people need to feel your presence, let your word guide our path to you.
Lord, in your mercy.. hear our prayer

The Palestinian residents of the village of Beita, south of Nablus, continue to resist the encroachment of Israeli settlers on their agricultural land on Mount Sabeeh. On Friday, the 11th of June, a Palestinian teenager, Mohammad Hamayel was killed by Israeli forces who fired live ammunition at the protestors. The livelihoods of seventeen Palestinian families depend on the olive harvest from the land they are trying to protect. Four Palestinians have been killed and many others injured since May, as they try to prevent the theft of their land.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Mohammad as they grieve the loss of his young life. We pray too for an end to the devastation visited on so many Palestinian families by the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Territories. Our trees, crops and land are the desires of the greedy Zionist project. Give us strength to continue to defy the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements on our land. Protect our children who refuse to remain neutral as they see the land of their village being stolen.
Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayer

A Palestinian woman, Hala el Shareef was beaten by police, arrested and fined 2000 shekels for waving a Palestinian flag during the Jerusalem flag march at Damascus Gate.

• Lord, the women of Jerusalem continue to defy the armies who occupy Jerusalem and speak truth to power. As the courage of women of the bible is glorified, we pray that the church also applauds the courage of Palestinian women who remain in the streets of Jerusalem despite the powerful who rule it today.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer

Israel’s new government failed on Wednesday, the 16th of June, in its attempt to extend a law denying citizenship to Palestinians from the occupied territories who marry Palestinian citizens of Israel. Idit Silman (from the right-wing Yamina party) was forced to remove the measure from the Knesset Law Committee’s agenda when she realized that she did not have enough votes to pass the bill.

• Lord Jesus, even as you suffered on the cross, you entrusted your grieving mother into your disciple’s care. You knew the importance of family nurture. We pray that these Israeli laws will not be renewed as they would keep many Palestinian couples and families apart and cause untold suffering. May Love that unites people remain unbreakable by Israeli politicians.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer

Many Palestinian citizens of Israel, residents of Nazareth, were arrested on suspicion of rioting, as last month’s assault on Gaza was taking place. A court has ordered several of the cases of mistreatment to be handed over to the police internal investigations unit after being shown images of bruises on the bodies of several of the Palestinians detained at the Nazareth police station.

· Lord, we fervently pray that the continuous Israeli police violence against Palestinian detainees be stopped, and all allegations be thoroughly investigated. May your spirit guide the decision makers to hold all who are guilty accountable for their crimes. We pray for the recovery, physical and psychological, of all detainees. May your justice be transformed from a prayer to action through the people of conscience.
Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer

· Lord, we join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Malawi and Zambia.
Lord, in your mercy …hear our prayer