12.1.23

Next Tuesday Kumi Now will consider Israel’s policy of denying building permits to Palestinians living in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. As a result Palestinians have to build homes and businesses that are under constant threat of demolition or confiscation.

• Lord, we pray that international organisations and governments will challenge Israel over its policy of denying building permits to Palestinians, dispossessing them and encouraging illegal Israeli settlers to take their land and resources.
  Lord in your mercy…

Pope Francis paid tribute to his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday, the 5th of January, in a funeral attended by about fifty thousand mourners in St Peter’s Square. 

Pope Emeritus Benedict had resigned from the papacy due to ill health in 2013. After the funeral he was buried in the crypt under St Peter’s Basilica.

• Lord, we give thanks for the life and devoted service of Pope Benedict XVI. We join with those who mourn his passing and say together, ‘Father, into your hands we commend his spirit.’
  Lord, in your mercy…

The United Nations’ Security Council held an emergency meeting on Thursday, the 5th of January, to discuss Ben-Gvir’s recent provocative walk around the Al Aqsa Compound, flanked by Israeli security guards. The UN stated that his first public act since taking office, ‘reflected a lack of commitment to existing historical and legal status of the holy sites in Jerusalem and could further destabilise the fragile situation in the occupied Palestinian Territories.’

Lord, we pray that the new Israeli government will take heed of the international condemnation of its first days in office. We pray that the government will not deliberately heighten tensions and spark violence through further provocative actions.
Lord, in your mercy…

B’Tselem reported that the Israeli authorities have just given notice that a thousand residents of Masafer Yatta in the South Hebron Hills will soon receive orders of forcible eviction from their homes. Their land has been designated as ‘Firing Zone 918’ and is a closed military zone. B’Tselem has written to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague to protest that this forcible transfer of protected persons in occupied territory constitutes a war crime.

• Lord, we cry out to you for the residents of Masafer Yatta who face constant threats and ongoing violence from  the Israeli authorities. We pray for urgent intervention from international organisations to allow them to remain living peaceably on their land.
  Lord, in your mercy…

The Israeli army shot Adam Ayyad, a 15-year old Palestinian teenager in the chest and killed him on Tuesday, the 3rd of January. The pre-dawn raid, involving dozens of armoured vehicles and many fully-armed Israeli soldiers led to confrontations with young Palestinians at Dheisheh refugee camp in Bethlehem. Since the start of the year three Palestinians have already been killed as a result of the continuing campaign of intensified Israeli raids that have lasted almost a year.

• Lord, we pray for Adam’s family and friends as they now grieve over the loss of his young life. We pray for an end to the extrajudicial killings and the targeting of Palestinian children by Israeli forces.
  Lord in your mercy..

The vicar for migrants and asylum seekers in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Fr Nikodemus Schnakel, held a special early morning Christmas service for the Indian community in St Catherine’s Chapel at the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Although the community had to gather at 4:30am and worshipped in the dark, due to a power cut, there were no complaints as they were so happy to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem.

• Lord Jesus, our good shepherd, lead us and guide us to welcome all who leave their homeland whether on pilgrimage or fleeing from persecution or poverty. We pray especially for the many migrants and asylum seekers who face so much fear and uncertainty in their lives.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Security camera footage caught two young men wearing religious Jewish clothing desecrating more than thirty graves at the Protestant Cemetery on Mount Zion during the afternoon of Sunday, the 1st of January. This act of vandalism has shocked church leaders around the world and they have called on Israel to crack down on extemist Israeli groups.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the frequent attacks against the Arab Christian community and their property by extremist groups. We pray that the Israeli police will thoroughly investigate the vandalism at the Protestant Cemetery and hold to account those responsible for the criminal acts. Lord, in your mercy..

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Iran, Iraq and Syria.
  Lord, in your mercy…

 5^th of January 2023

Next week’s Kumi Now will consider the difficulties Palestinians experience trying to run businesses or find jobs living under the Israeli occupation. So many restrictions and barriers prevent Palestinian businessmen, entrepreneurs and farmers from gaining access to the global marketplace.

• Lord, we pray for courage for Palestinians to continue to seek markets for their products despite the discrimination they face living under the Israeli occupation. We pray that other countries around the world will support them in their efforts to continue their trade.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Sabeel Jerusalem extends its warmest good wishes for the New Year to all its friends around the world. We echo the words of a prayer written by Palestinian theologians for a liturgy given for ‘Jerusalem: the City of Justice and Peace, 2013’.

‘Teach us to walk the way that leads to life,

Transform our grief into determination,

Our tears into action and our acts into a just peace.’

Friends of Sabeel, Germany issued an Advent Call through their churches and the media. The call raises the question of how Palestinians can respond to the ultra-right wing government now elected in Israel with plans to annex the West Bank. It argues that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions policy should not be dismissed out of hand as ‘anti-semitic’,but may now be one way to bring pressure to bear on Israel to stop oppressing the Palestinian people.

• Lord, we pray that many Germans will listen to the Advent Call and consider giving their support to Palestinians living under the harsh conditions of the Israeli occupation. We pray that people in Israel and Palestine will start to  learn to live together in peace, security and respect for one another.
  Lord in your mercy..

Nora Abu Nab, a member of the Palestinian national kickboxing team, won the gold medal in her class at the Asian Kickboxing Championship held in Bangkok on Monday, the 19th of December. She will be the first Palestinian athlete to qualify for the World Martial Arts Games to be held in Riyadh in 2023.

• Lord, we give thanks for Nora’s athletic skills and dedication to her chosen sport. We are encouraged by seeing Palestinians competing at world class levels, despite the restrictions imposed on them by the Israeli occupation.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Canadian Friends of Sabeel welcomed their new Executive Director, Rana Atie on Thursday, the 1st of December. Rana has twenty years of experience in Applied Communications, Public Relations and Project Management. At the tender age of fourteen Rana discovered that her grandparents were forced to flee from Haifa during the Nakba. Since that time her love for her family and her desire for social justice have formed her into a passionate activist working in solidarity with Palestinians.

• Lord, we give thanks for Rana Atie and pray for your guidance and wisdom for her as she takes on this new responsibility at Canadian Friends of Sabeel.
  Lord, in your mercy..

In the early hours of Tuesday, the 24th of December, Israeli settlers seized a plot of land which belongs to the Greek Orthodox Monastery in Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem. They fenced off the land and installed surveillance cameras under Israeli police protection. When Silwan residents rushed to try and stop the land confiscation, they were assaulted by the police.

• Lord, we pray that international governments and organisations will challenge Israel for violating international law by allowing settlers to seize more and more Palestinian land. We continue to pray for the Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem living under constant threat of expulsion from their homes.
  Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine.
  Lord, in your mercy…

29^th of December 2022

This week’s Kumi Now focused on the launch of Xavier Abu Eid’s book entitled, ‘Rooted in Palestine: Palestinian Christians and the Struggle for National Liberation 1917-2004’. The book charts the crucial role Palestinian Christians have played through the years of the British Mandate, the Nakba and the Israeli occupation and marks the dwindling numbers of Christians now living in Palestine.

• Merciful Lord, we pray for our brothers and sisters and their important witness in Palestine. We pray that you will continue to reveal the light of your presence to Christians and guide their feet into the way of peace in the Holy Land.
  Lord, in your mercy..

• Gracious Lord, we give you glory as Christians in Palestine, the Middle East and around the world celebrate the coming of your son, born in Bethlehem, a baby lying in a manger, Christ our Saviour.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Two-year-old Faris Banura and his sister Maya from the village of Beit Sahour, traditional place of the shepherds field, near Bethlehem – died on Wednesday the 21^st of December. The death was as a result of inhaling a dangerous pesticide that was spread in a different apartment in their residential building.

• Lord, our faith is weak, help us understand this tragedy. We pray for your spirit to comfort the parents and friends of the children as they grief for Maya and Faris.
  Lord, in your mercy.. 

Ahmed Daraghmeh a 23-year-old footballer in the West Bank Premier League Club of Thaqufi Tulkarem was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers on Thursday, the 22nd of December in Nablus. It is not yet clear whether he was involved in clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers who were escorting a group of settlers visiting Joseph’s Tomb.

• Lord, we pray that the Israeli authorities will restore calm to flashpoint areas in Nablus and elsewhere where settler groups, protected by soldiers, are provoking unrest and violence.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Nasser Abu Hmeid, a 50-year-old Palestinian political prisoner died of lung cancer in Israeli custody on Tuesday, the 20th of December. Abu Hmeid was a leader in the Fatah movement and had been imprisoned for his part in armed resistance in the First and Second Intifadas. A Palestinian prisoner rights’ group maintain that his death occurred after months of medical negligence following his diagnosis in August 2021. 

• Lord, we pray for the family of Nasser as they grieve his loss, especially his mother Latefa who was only given permission to visit her son once he has slipped into a coma,  just before he died. We pray that the Israeli Prison Service will release his body for burial and that they will investigate reports of medical negligence in his case.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Palestinian schoolchildren from the village of Tuqu’, southeast of Bethlehem, were prevented from travelling along the main road to their school by Israeli soldiers on Wednesday, the 21st of December. Armed soldiers blocked the road so that the children were forced to take a much longer circuitous route to school.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the harassment of Palestinian school children by Israeli soldiers. We continue to pray for these children growing up under the occupation, who have to cope with obstruction, checkpoints, hostile attacks from settlers, tear gas and sound bombs, as part of their daily routine.
  Lord, in your mercy..

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III spoke out at the Christmas tree lighting at Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate on Saturday, the 17th of December. Addressing a crowd from the balcony of the Imperial Hotel in the Old City, he warned that Christians in the Holy Land have become the target of repeated attacks by radical Israeli groups in a deliberate attempt to expel them.

• Lord, we echo the words of the Patriarch in our prayer: ‘We long for peace and so let us not rend this fabric of our historic common life that has provided room enough down the ages for all who call the Holy Land their home.’
  Lord in your mercy..

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Japan, North Korea and South Korea.
  Lord, in your mercy..

22^nd of December 2022

The focus of this week’s Kumi Now session was the launch of Rev. Naim Ateek’s booklet on Religious Extremism.  The booklet is a helpful and pertinent resource at a time when politicians with extremist religious views are about to take office under the newly formed Israeli government.

• Lord Jesus, Immanuel, when we are fearful of the darkness all around us, help us to turn towards your light. Our Redeemer, we ask for your help in troubled times and trust ourselves to your care.
  Lord, in your mercy..

• Lord, we give thanks for the joyful occasion of the Sabeel Christmas Dinner on Friday, the 16th of December, when Sabeel hosted 180 guests. May this time of celebration encourage and strengthen all those working to restore justice and peace to their land.
  Lord, in your mercy…

On Thursday, the 15th of December, the United Nations passed a resolution in favour of the Palestinian people’s sovereignty over their natural resources. The UN stated,’ the Assembly demanded that Israel, the occupying power, cease the exploitation, damage, cause of loss or depletion and endangerment of the natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Syrian Golan’.

• Lord, we pray that the international community will compel Israel to implement international law and to ensure the freedom of the Palestinian people to benefit from their natural resources.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Israeli settlers attacked a school in Urif, a Palestinian village south of Nablus in the early hours of Thursday morning, the 15th of December. Surveillance cameras showed that about forty settlers stole into the village under cover of darkness and hurled stones at the local secondary boys’ school, smashing the solar panels used to supply the school with electricity.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the wrecking activities of the Israeli settlers. We pray that the Israeli authorities will stop turning a blind eye to the frequent outbreaks of settler violence and vandalism directed against Palestinian communities.
  Lord, in your mercy…

Sama Aweideh received the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Jerusalem on Wednesday, the 14th of December. For decades Sama has campaigned to ensure respect for women’s rights in Palestinian society. She was one of the founders of the Palestinian Federation of Women’s Action Committees in1978. She also set up the Women’s Studies Center in East Jerusalem in 1992.

• Lord, we give thanks for the international recognition of Sama Aweideh’s human right’s work and for her determination to bring in legislation to help protect Palestinian women from gender-based violence.
  Lord, in your mercy..

The US has called for accountability from Israel after the recent killing of 16-year-old Jana Zakarna during an Israeli military raid in Jenin. An initial probe into the incident has shown that Jana was most likely killed  by an Israeli Border Police sniper as soldiers  were attempting to arrest three Palestinians. Her family stated that Jana had gone up onto the roof to retrieve her cat when the shooting suddenly started. She was shot in the head and chest and died on the rooftop.

• Lord, we pray for Jana’s family as they grieve over the violent end to her young life. We pray that the Israeli military will investigate this incident fully and that all soldiers will be held to account for unauthorized killings. We pray too for an end to the massive Israeli military operation of nightly raids, which has led to the deaths and imprisonment of so many Palestinians in recent months.
  Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
  Lord, in your mercy…

15^th of December 2022

Sabeel will be hosting the launch of Don Wagner’s new book during next week’s Kumi Now session on Tuesday, the 13th of December. His book is entitled, ‘Glory to God in the Lowest. Journey to an Unholy Land’.

• Lord, we give thanks for Don Wagner’s lifelong commitment to non-violent activism working for justice and peace for Palestinians. We pray that his book of memoirs will inspire many others to come and see for themselves how Palestinians are forced to live under Israeli occupation.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Last week Israeli soldiers broke into the Al Lubban Secondary Girls’ School in the early hours of the morning. They tore down the Palestinian flag and replaced it with an Israeli flag. Apparently this was not the first time they had torn down the Palestinian flag, however it was the first time they had hoisted an Israeli flag. 

• Merciful Lord, we cry out to you as we see more frequent acts of harassment and violence inflicted on Palestinian communities by Israeli soldiers and settlers. We pray for an end to the Israeli occupation.
  Lord, in your mercy..

• Lord, we pray for the preparations for the Sabeel Christmas Dinner to be held on Friday, the 16th of December. We pray that old and new friends of Sabeel will be blessed by taking part in this joyous occasion.
  Lord, in your mercy..

The third Annual Conference on Gender Justice took place in Ramallah on Wednesday, the 7th of December. The conference is one of the many events over a period of sixteen days sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.The various events seek to promote gender justice and equality by developing strategies for ways to promote women’s rights. It also aims to encourage women to lead and participate in decision-making processes.

• Lord, we thank you for the conference and the series of events held in Ramallah. We pray that women in Palestine may grow in confidence and dignity as they find their voice and engage more fully with their communities. Lord, in your mercy..

The Israeli authorities have withheld entry visas for United Nations staff. There are twenty international employees in the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs,(OCHA), who monitor Israeli human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. Fifteen staff had to leave in 2020 and since then requests for visas or visa renewals have gone unanswered. A UN spokesman has warned that the blocking of visas is already impacting OCHA’s work in planning the humanitarian response for 2023.

• Lord, we pray that the visa applications for the UN Human Rights’ staff will be granted by the Israeli authorities and that the UN will bring pressure to bear for any further acts of non-compliance by the Israeli authorities.
  Lord, in your mercy..

About two hundred Palestinian Christians living in Gaza have been denied permits to worship at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem this Christmas. There are more than a thousand Christians in Gaza, most of whom are Greek Orthodox and some are Roman Catholic. When Christian families apply for travel permits the Israeli authorities do not always grant them to all family members, so they cannot worship and celebrate together.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza. We long for a time when Palestinians can once again move around their country and worship freely with their family and friends.
  Lord, in your mercy…

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
  Lord, in your mercy..

8^th of December 2022

Next week Kumi Now will consider the right of return for Palestinians.  The UN Resolution 194 was passed on the 11th of December, 1948. It stated, ‘refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date.’ After seventy years Palestinians are still waiting on that earliest practicable date.

• Lord, we pray for an end to the Israeli occupation. We pray for a shared future for the fulfilment of the Palestinian right of return and a just and peaceful co-existence with all the people living in the Holy Land. Lord, in your mercy..

Issa Amro, a human rights’ activist from Hebron, organized a solidarity visit for Israeli activists to come and visit Palestinian families who have suffered attacks from Israeli settlers. During the visit one of the Israeli activists was attacked by an Israeli soldier. Issa was arrested for filming this attack, charged with obstructing the soldiers and sent away from his home in Hebron for a week of house arrest. 

• Lord, we pray for Issa Amro and his work to support his local community which is under constant harassment and threat from settlers and Israeli soldiers. We pray for the city of Hebron which has been transformed by the  Israeli occupation into a battleground, dominated by a climate of fear and terror. Lord, in your mercy..

Last week the UN General Assembly approved a resolution to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, with a special event to be held on the 15th of May 2023.

The UN Envoy to the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, warned that tensions in both Israel and Palestine were, ‘reaching a boiling point’. This year is set to be the deadliest for Palestine in the West Bank since the UN first started recording deaths 2005.

• Lord, we pray that the UN and other international human rights’ organisations will take urgent action to call a halt to the escalating violence and oppression inflicted on Palestinians by the Israeli occupation. Lord, in your mercy..

As temperatures rise due to climate change Palestinians are experiencing more acute water shortages. The Israeli authorities now control more than 85% of water resources in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians are forced to buy water from Israel at high prices.

According to Amnesty International Palestinians living in the West Bank can only access 73 litres of water daily, which is less than the internationally recommended rate of 100 litres. This compares to 240 litres of water for the average Israeli citizen. While in Gaza residents have to draw from an over-exploited coastal aquifer which is now polluted.

• Lord, we pray that the Israeli authorities will change their policies to steward your precious resource of water in an equitable way to bring life and health to all the residents of Palestine/Israel. Lord, in your mercy..

Friends of Sabeel North America are calling on Christian leaders across the United Staes to commit their congregation to Preach Palestine during Advent.

• Lord, during this Advent season of reflection and repentance help us to pray for Palestinian people living under the Israeli occupation. We pray that they will, ‘experience the joy, justice and peace of Christ’s liberating reign, a very real light in the present darkness’. Lord, in your mercy..

The third Annual Conference on Gender Justice took place in Ramallah on Wednesday, the 7th of December. The conference is one of the many events over a period of sixteen days sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.The various events seek to promote gender equality and to encourage women to lead and participate in decision-making processes.

• Lord, we thank you for the conference and pray that women in Palestine may grow in confidence and dignity as they find their voices and engage more fully with their communities. Lord, in your mercy..

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

1.12.22

Next week Kumi Now will be marking Human Rights Day which is celebrated annually around the world on the 10th of December. On this day in 1948 the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For decades human rights abuses have been documented in Israel/Palestine by the UN, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, but the violations are intensifying.

•    Lord, we pray that the human rights of all will be respected in the Holy Land. We pray for an end to the apartheid regime of separation and discrimination between Israelis and Palestinians.
Lord, in your mercy..

Shadi Khoury attended a court hearing on Wednesday, the 23rd of November. His family were hoping for his release to return home and celebrate his grandmother’s 89th birthday on the following day. Sadly, this was not to be. His grandmother, Samia writes, ‘Despite the judge’s ruling later on in the day to release Shadi and the other children for ‘house arrest’ the Attorney General appealed against the judge’s decision. Shadi’s lawyer succeeded in his appeal against the ruling of the Prosecutor and Shadi is now under house arrest til the end of his trial.

•    Lord, we hold Shadi and all Palestinian children in Israeli military custody before you in our prayers. We pray too for their families, suffering due to their absence from home and concerned for their well-being. Lord, we ask you to comfort and strengthen them so that their light and hope is not quenched.
Lord, in your mercy..

Friends of Sabeel North America is holding a ten day witness visit to Israel in support of the Palestinian civil society organisations which have recently been raided and closed down by the Israeli authorities. The group will remain in the country from the 26th of November until the 6th of December.

•    Lord, we pray that this Fosna visit will be an encouragement to those seeking to support Palestinian communities. We pray that the testimonies heard will then be passed on to  probe the conscience of the wider world.
Lord, in your mercy..

During the Advent season Sabeel UK will be hosting a four-part Bible series on Sunday evenings. The series is entitled ‘Challenging Apartheid’ and well-known speakers have been invited to contribute their thoughts on various aspects of the Israeli regime.

•    Lord, we pray that the study of your word will guide and inspire those who long to shine a light on the oppression suffered by Palestinians.
Lord, in your mercy..

Violent incidents in Israel this week have brought suffering on the same day to the families of two teenagers, one Israeli and the other Palestinian. Aryah Shechopek, a 15-year-old yeshiva student was killed by one of the bomb explosions carried out in Jerusalem early on Wednesday, the 23rd of November. While Ahmed Shehadeh was a sixteen-year-old Palestinian caught up in the clashes at Joseph’s tomb in Nablus. He was one of two Palestinians shot dead by Israeli soldiers while they were protecting a monthly pilgrimage of Orthodox Jewish worshippers to the shrine.

•    Lord, we pray for the families and friends of Aryah and Ahmed as they grieve for the loss of their lives. We pray for an end to the vortex of violence in Israel which is swallowing up so many young lives, both Israeli and Palestinian.
Lord, in your mercy..

Friends of Sabeel Australia hosted Vera Baboun to give a talk on Bethlehem on Saturday, the 19th of November. Vera held office as the first female Mayor of Bethlehem from 2012-17. Friends of Sabeel France will hold a final Zoom event entitled, ‘Jerusalem and Archaeology’  by Father Jean-Jacques on Sunday, the 4th of December.

•    Lord, we give thanks for the work of Sabeel in Jerusalem and among the Friends of Sabeel groups in many parts of the world. We ask for your guidance and support for all those working and praying for an end to the Israeli occupation.
Lord, in your mercy..

On Wednesday, the 23rd of November Israeli forces demolished a recently built Palestinian primary school in the Masafer Yatta region of the South Hebron Hills. Residents in the area continue to face the threat of forced displacement as the Israeli army have designated their land as a military firing zone. Witnesses report that the Israeli army used sound bombs to scare the pupils and staff and to make them leave the building before demolishing it. It had only just been built with the help of European funding to enable twenty two children from four villages to attend without having to walk long distances to reach other schools.

•    Merciful Lord, we cry out to you for the young children in Masafer Yatta who have just witnessed their new school demolished before their eyes. We pray for them now as they walk long distances in an unsafe area to attend school.
Lord, in your mercy..

•    We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore.
Lord, in your mercy…

 17^th of November 2022

Next week’s Kumi Now will consider the topic of gender-based violence. Women in the occupied Palestinian territory face persistent gender-based violence through night raids, settler violence, collective violence towards their families, humiliation and assault from occupation forces, and the restrictions of a patriarchal society. This week, the United Nations observes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on Friday, the 25th of November.

• Lord, we bring before you those Palestinian women who endure abuse and terror. We pray for them that they may continue to find strength to support their families, even as they dread the next night raid and agonise over their imprisoned husbands and children. Lord, in your mercy..

In October the new Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, stated that the Australian Embassy will remain in Tel Aviv and not move to Jerusalem as planned by the former administration. However, she declined to commit to a timetable for recognising Palestinian statehood.

• Lord, we pray that more governments around the world will recognise Palestine as a state, call for Israel’s accountability to international courts and compel Israel to grant Palestinians the basic right of self-determination. Lord, in your mercy..

Violence broke out in the city of Nablus at the site of Joseph’s tomb in the early hours of Wednesday, the 9th of November. Armed Israeli forces entered the Balata neighbourhood, near the refugee camp, to escort a party of visiting right-wing Israeli members of the Knesset. During armed clashes Mahdi Hashash, a fifteen-year-old Palestinian youth was wounded by shrapnel and later died in Nablus hospital. It is not clear if he died from the Israeli gunshot wound or from an explosive devise he was reportedly carrying at the time.

• Lord, we pray for Mahdi’s family as they grieve the loss of his young life. In this year alone, 137 Palestinians have already lost their lives, among them 30 children. During the same period 22 Israelis have lost their lives through Palestinian attacks. We pray for an end to the relentless night raids, arrests and shootings by the Israeli military which enflame the conflict. Lord, in your mercy..

On Thursday, 17th November, Xavier Abu Eid’s new book entitled, ‘Rooted in Palestine’ will be launched in the American Colony Hotel. This book highlights the role of Palestinian Christians. Miguel Moratinos, the former EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process and the Foreign Minister of Spain, says that this book is, ‘a gripping account of the Christian-Palestinian community completed with great documentary rigour, and an excellent historiographical piece on the development of Palestinian history from the Balfour Declaration to the present day.’ Xavier is a Palestinian who grew up in Chile, has pursued his academic career in Europe and now lives in Beit Jala. He serves on the Sabeel General Assembly

Lord, we give thanks for the light Xavier Abu Eid sheds on the faithful service of Palestinian Christians through decades of oppression in his new book. We pray that his encouragement will strengthen the resolve of Palestinians to cling to their hope for justice and peace in their land, while serving those in need with compassion and love. Lord, in your mercy…

This week the ‘Palestine Cinema Days’ film festival opened with the screening of Maha Haj’s acclaimed film, ‘Mediterranean Fever’. This film won a prize for its screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival and will be Palestine’s official Oscar entry in 2023.

• Lord, we give thanks for Maha Haj’s  storytelling skills and the way she uses the medium of film to give voice to the Palestinian narrative both at home and on the international stage. Lord, in your mercy..

There has been an outcry over the Mayor of Hebron’s recent offer of a reward to anyone who is prepared to round up and destroy stray dogs in the city. There have been concerns over dogs attacking children in the area.

• We praise you, Lord, for the earth which is full of your creatures. We delight in these creatures and ask for your guidance in how we best care for them and their environment. Lord in your mercy..

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Lord, in your mercy..

 10^th of November 2022

Next week Kumi Now will mark the Universal Children’s Day on the 20th of November, 

by reminding us that Palestinian children are denied the human rights and the opportunities of children elsewhere in the world. Nearly 200 countries around the world, including Israel, have signed up to the Conventions of the Rights of Children Treaty, which requires governments to act in the best interests of children. The treaty states that all children have rights to safety, health, access to education and opportunity and a stable family life.

• Lord, we pray that international organisations will challenge the Israeli government for the mistreatment of Palestinian children. We pray for an end to the harassment of Palestinian children by the Israeli military during night raids  and arrests. We pray for an end to the home and school demolitions and lack of employment opportunities for young Palestinians. Lord, in your mercy..

Shadi Khoury remains in prison without any charges for a third week. Conditions in Israeli prisons are tough and Shadi was hit by guards for daring to sing in prison. He is due to appear in court on the 14th of November, after his trial was postponed. His classmates at the Quaker School in Ramallah have rallied to his support. They have had T-shirts printed with Shadi’s photo on them and a hashtag in Arabic saying, ‘Shadi is our pride’. They reject any attempt by the Israeli authorities to criminalize him. Since the start of the year, 630 Palestinian children have been arrested by the Israeli authorities, most of them from Jerusalem.

• Lord, we continue to hold Shadi and other Palestinian children in our prayers and pray for their release from prison. We pray for an end to the targeting of Palestinian children by the Israeli authorities for violence, torture and imprisonment in military prisons. Lord, in your mercy..

• Merciful Lord, we thank you for the ecumenical service held by Sabeel in Jerusalem on Friday, the 4th of November, to call for an end to the injustice suffered by Palestinians living under the Israeli occupation. Lord, in your mercy..

Benjamin Netanyahu’s alliance won 64 seats to claim victory in Tuesday’s election in Israel. He will form a right-wing government having allied the Likud party to the Jewish Power Party, led by the extremist religious Zionist leader, Ben Gvir. This election was the fifth election in Israel in less than four years.

• Lord, we bring to you our concerns over the outcome of the latest election in Israel. We pray that the appointment of Israeli ministers with openly stated racist views will not lead to a period of even darker harassment and oppression for the Palestinian people. Lord, in your mercy…

A Palestinian father and his three sons were attacked by Israeli settlers while they were harvesting their olive trees near the village of ash-Shuyukh, northeast of Hebron, on Thursday, the 3rd of November. The settlers beat the  Palestinian farmers with sticks and set dogs on them and the farmers needed hospital treatment for their wounds.

• Lord, we pray for protection for Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest when so many face attacks from Israeli settlers. We thank you that there are some Israeli activists prepared to go and join farmers to provide protection from settler attacks and to document settler abuses. Lord, in your mercy..

An Israeli court has now approved a decision by the Israeli authorities to demolish

Ein Samiya school, near Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank. It was opened last January after receiving funding from the Palestinian Ministry of Education and the European Union. The villagers had protested against the demolition and are now required to pay a fine, as well as having to demolish the school themselves or else pay inflated prices for Israeli bulldozers to do the job.

• Lord, we pray for the villagers of Ein Samiya who will soon lose their village school. We pray that the Israeli authorities will end its policy of demolishing Palestinian schools. Lord, in your mercy..

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Oceania: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (Maohi Nui), Kanaky, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu. Lord, in your mercy…

 3^rd of November 2022

Next week’s Kumi Now will consider the issue of antisemitism, as we mark the International Day against Fascism and Antisemitism across Europe on Wednesday, the 9th of November.

•  Lord, we bring before you all those whose lives are impacted by racism and hatred. Help us to counter antisemitism in all its forms, as we continue to advocate for the liberation of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. 
  Lord, in your mercy..

Last Wednesday a delegation of forty Israeli paratroopers joined soldiers from the Gulf States, the UAE and the US in a parachute drop over Bahrain. This joint exercise was organised to mark two years since the signing of the Abrahamic Accords. Israel will showcase aviation products, including drones and air defence systems at the Bahrain International Airshow.

• Mighty Lord, you lift up the humble and delight in those who put their hope in your love. Give us your peace as we consider the growing militarisation of Middle Eastern countries.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Tareq Al-Araj, a Palestinian from the national youth football team has been sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and accused of being a member of a banned group. He was arrested two years’ ago at a temporary checkpoint in Jenin and has had his trial postponed seventeen times.

• Lord, we pray for Tareq, a promising young sportsman, confined to prison for years. We pray for an end to Israeli authorities’ policy to target and incarcerate young Palestinians .
  Lord, in your mercy..

Twenty two Palestinian children achieved outstanding results, winning six medals at the recent Arab Chess Championship held in Syria. Randa Sedar won a gold medal in her ten-year-old age group matches, as well as the Woman Candidate Master title.

• Lord, we give thanks for the enthusiasm of the young players of the recent chess championship in Syria, which drew Palestinian children from the West Bank, Gaza and the diaspora. We thank you that even through difficult times these children can focus their minds and work to improve their skills so they can participate in international competitions.
  Lord, in your mercy…

The US company called Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has had to conduct a review of its moderation policies for Arabic and Hebrew language content across all three platforms after complaints received over its coverage in Palestine/Israel during May 2021. The human rights due diligence report states that at that time the Arabic content was overly moderated ,while the Hebrew content, even hate speech, was left untouched. 

• Lord, you speak the truth and declare what is right. Can it be right that companies owning our channels of communication practise discrimination in how they censor messages? We pray that their policies will be openly and transparently reviewed.
  Lord, in your mercy..

Israeli forces stormed the village of al-Jawwaya, east of Yatta in the south Hebron hills on Tuesday, the 25th of October. They attacked residents, threw tear gas canisters at them and tore down and seized two family tents. There are 1200 Palestinians living in small communities on their agricultural land in the Masafer Yatta area. They have endured attacks from the Israeli army for over forty years as the army wants to turn the land into a firing zone. Recently these attacks have escalated and the residents suffer repeated harassment, home demolitions and the deprivation of basic resources.

• Lord ,we pray that international organisations and governments will challenge the Israeli government over their attempts to expel the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta.
  Lord, in your mercy..

This week we remember the British Balfour Declaration, issued on the 2nd of November 1917. In the words of the Palestinian academic Edward Said it was ‘made by a European power..about a non-European territory in flat disregard of both the presence and wishes of the native majority residents in that territory.’ The British pledge is viewed as one of the main catalysts of the Nakba, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948 by the state of Israel.

• Lord, we pray that the British government will recognise and make reparation for the harm and suffering it has caused Palestinians through the way it has enacted the Balfour Declaration.
  Lord, in your mercy..

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Canada and the United States of America.
  Lord, in your mercy…