Wave of Prayer
12.11.20

The Kumi Now Initiative focuses this week on the Palestinian grassroots organization ‘Stop the Wall’, which is calling for the dismantling of the Israeli separation wall. The separation wall has been constructed deep into the West Bank. More than 150 Palestinian communities own land located behind the wall which they find difficult to access.

• Lord, we thank you for those who work to dismantle structures used to exclude and oppress others. We continue to pray for the restoration of peace and justice in Israel/Palestine and for an end to the segregation of the people living in the land. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

The UN reported that all the property belonging to the Bedouin community of Khirbet Humsa in the Jordan Valley was razed to the ground by Israeli bulldozers on Wednesday, the 4th of November. The demolition left 73 people, including 41 children, as well as their livestock, homeless and exposed to the autumnal rainfall. This incident constitutes the largest forcible displacement in Israel for four years and has been condemned by a number of countries.

• Dear Lord, we pray for the Bedouin community as they face persecution in Israel. We pray for an end to the cruel plunder of the homes of the poorest in the land by the Israeli authorities. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

On Monday, the 2nd of November, the Israeli authorities detained eight Palestinians from different parts of the West Bank. Among those detained was Khitam Saafin, who presides over the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees. She was previously arrested in 2017 and held on a three-month administrative detention order.

• Lord, we pray for the Palestinians who have recently been arrested, that they may not be detained in prison without charge or trial by the Israeli authorities. We pray that the Israeli authorities will use their powers to execute justice fairly towards Israelis and Palestinians alike and not to oppress. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Settlers from the illegal Kiryat Arbaa settlement near Hebron attacked Palestinian homes on Friday, the 30th of October. Israeli soldiers escorted the settlers. The soldiers tried to detain a seventeen-year-old Palestinian, Mohammed Aref Jaber. When his mother intervened to stop his arrest, both of them were severely assaulted by the soldiers.

• Oh Lord, you are our hiding place and our shield. Our souls melt for sorrow (Ps 119:28),as we learn of these brutal assaults in the city of Hebron which suffers daily attacks from settlers. We pray for the recovery of Mohammed and his mother. We pray that Palestinians living in Hebron may be left to live in peace. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Farouk Jubran is a 74-year-old Palestinian resident of the Old City in East Jerusalem.

He is suffering from cancer and has been told that his health insurance has been withdrawn as he is thought to be living in the West Bank. The Israeli National Insurance Institute has told him that he is no longer eligible for an old age pension and he has to repay all previous payments.

• Lord, we pray for Farouk as he faces old age, serious illness and lack of resources. We pray that the Israeli authorities will cease their attempts to withdraw Palestinian residency so they can claim sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem, which is a shared city under international law. Lord in your mercy… hear our prayers.
• We join with the World Council of Churches as they pray for the countries of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer
5.11.20

This week’s Kumi Now initiative focuses on the work of the Jahalin Solidarity organization. This group protects the rights of the Bedouin and other Palestinians living under the occupation. It continues to support the Bedouin village of Al Khan al Ahmar where the residents have lived under constant threat of forcible eviction by the Israeli authorities since 2012.

• Dear Lord, we thank you for those who care for the human rights of the poor and the persecuted. We are thankful for those working in the Jahalin organization who listen to the Bedouin and work to support their legal rights. Lord, in your mercy…

Hallel Rabin, a 19-year-old Israeli woman from Kibbutz Harduf in northern Israel, was given a 25 day prison sentence on Wednesday, the 28th of October. She was imprisoned for the third time for refusing to be conscripted in the Israeli military. She stated,  ‘I will not take part in a system which is based on inequality and fear.’

• Thank you, Lord, for the courage and integrity of this young Israeli woman, who is ready to pay the price of imprisonment to follow her conscience. Lord, in your mercy..

Friends of Sabeel North America is inviting church congregations around the world to pray and worship in communion with Palestinians on the first Sunday in Advent, on the 29th of November.

• Help us Lord Jesus,  to keep awake and aware of the injustice and oppression suffered by our brothers and sisters in Palestine who live under occupation. Lord, in your mercy..

A new documentary film, entitled ‘Cycling Under Siege in Gaza’ by Flavia Cappellini focuses on the life of the Palestinian athlete, Alaa al-Dali. He is 23-years-old and was one of the fastest cyclists in Palestine. In 2018 he went to watch the Great March of Return, east of Rafah and was shot in the right leg by an Israeli sniper. His leg had to be amputated. Despite this trauma he has fought back to become a paracyclist.

• Lord, we are inspired by the fortitude of the human spirit as shown by Alaa in his struggle back to the sport he loves. We pray for an end to the oppressive Israeli blockade of Gaza and for hope for the young Palestinians who live there. Lord, in your mercy..

Amer Abdul-Rahim Snobar is an 18-year-old  from the village of Yatma near Nablus. He was driving south near Turmas-Ayya on Sunday, the 25th of October when he was chased by the Israeli military. A group of soldiers caught him and assaulted him so severely that he died of his injuries.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Amer as they grieve over his death. We pray that this violent assault will be thoroughly investigated by the Israeli authorities and that those who have  committed crimes will be prosecuted. Lord, in your mercy…

The United Nation’s Office in the occupied Palestinian Territories reported that the Palestinian olive harvest has been badly affected by settler attacks. During the period between the 6th and the 19th of October, nineteen serious incidents have been reported.

Large amounts of the olive crop have been stolen, twenty three Palestinian farmers were attacked and injured and more than a thousand olive trees were burnt or damaged.

• Lord, we cry out to you, trusting in your steadfast love, your grace and your mercy. We pray for an end to the ever increasing levels of settler violence, targeting Palestinian farmers. Lord, in your mercy….

There have been a series of violent attacks and shootings in the Arab Israeli community during the last week of October. On Wednesday alone there were four deaths, including a woman and a teenager in the northern town of Baqa al-Gharbiya. Many in the Arab community are speaking out about the escalation in gun violence and organized crime. They are asking the Israeli authorities to investigate these incidents more thoroughly.

• Lord, we pray for all the relatives of those who have died in the recent attacks in the Arab- Israeli community .Such violence only leads to more devastation and destruction. We pray for peace and justice to be re-established where it is under threat. Lord, in your mercy…
• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Fiji, Melanesia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Polynesia and the Solomon Islands. Lord, in your mercy…

Sabeel Wave of Prayer
29.10.20

Seven nurses demonstrated in a public square in Gaza on Wednesday, the 21st of October to protest the withdrawal of their travel permits by the Israeli authorities and the decision by Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem to lay them off. Each one of the male nurses is highly experienced, having worked in the hospital for more than twenty years. It is unlikely that they will be able to find paid employment in Gaza where over half the population are unemployed.

• Dear Lord, we bring the situation in Gaza before you again. The people there are hemmed in by the Israeli blockade and are deprived of food, work, medical provisions and most importantly of any hope for the future. We pray for an end to this pitiless blockade. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Iyad al-Hallaq was a 32-year-old Palestinian man with autism. He was shot and

killed by an Israeli border policeman on the 30th of May, when he was on his daily journey to the special needs school where he was employed in occupied East Jerusalem. On Wednesday, the 21st of October the Israeli Justice Ministry stated that the policeman who shot him could stand trial for reckless homicide.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Iyad as they mourn the tragic death of their son. We pray that the Israeli courts will not ‘turn aside the needy from justice’ (Is 10:2) but would carry out a fair and just investigation into Iyad’s shooting. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

‘Peace Now’, the Israeli settlement watchdog, reports that the number of approvals for settlement expansion in 2020 far outstrips those agreed in previous years. This year more than 12,000 housing units for settlers will be built in the occupied Palestinian Territories, in contravention of international law.

• Dear Lord Jesus, we long for peace in Israel/ Palestine and yet the prospect of peace seems more and more remote as we see the settlements mushroom across Palestinian land. We pray that Israel will truly freeze all further annexation of the Occupied Territories and not just make empty claims while continuing expansion through settlement activity. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

The Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs has spoken out about the ‘heinous’ murder of a young Palestinian mother of two children, from Nabi Elias in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, the 21st of October. The police have detained her husband.

• Lord, we pray for the family of this young Palestinian mother as they grieve for her. We pray too for the many women who suffer violence, particularly at this time of pandemic. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Maher al-Akhras has now been on hunger strike for over ninety days and is at the point of death. His strike is in protest over Israel’s extensive use of administrative detention which allows authorities to hold prisoners indefinitely without trial, sometimes for years. As of August, this year there are more than 350 Palestinians being held under administrative detention, according to the Israeli Human Rights organization, B’Tselem.

Lord, we pray for Maher and his principled struggle to protest against administrative detention. We pray that, even now as his strength is failing, the Israeli High Court would show compassion and release him to recover his freedom and his health. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

On Monday, the 19th of October, Israeli settlers from Elon Moreh used sewage and waste water to flood the olive groves of Palestinian owned land in the village of Deir al-Hatab, east of Nablus. This attack comes at a critical time when the farmers are preparing to harvest the olives.

• Dear Lord, we trust in your steadfast love and how season after season you provide the harvest. We pray that Israel will put an end to settler attacks that destroy the olive harvest and rob the Palestinian farmers of their livelihoods. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

• 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… hear our prayers.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer
22.10.20

The Kumi Now Online gatherings have finished for the time being. The Kumi team is now working on a revision and updating of the Kumi booklet. All the online sessions can still be accessed at : https://www.youtube.com/kuminow

•    Lord, we are thankful for all the talks hosted by the Kumi team and pray they may have inspired many to continue working for peace and justice in Israel/Palestine. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Israeli government gave its approval to the building of 2166 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the 14th of October. This move comes less than a month after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed normalization agreements with Israel. In return, Israel had pledged to hold back on its plans to annex large areas of the West Bank.

•    Oh Lord, our hearts break as we hear that the Israeli government is annexing more land in the occupied West Bank for settler homes. We pray that governments and lawmakers around the world will speak out against this illegal annexation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Monday, the 12th of October, the Israeli High Court rejected a petition to ban arms sales to Azerbaijan. The background to the Israeli arms sales relates to complex geopolitics involving Iran, which borders Azerbaijan.

•    Lord, we pray for an end to the hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia. We pray too for the curtailment of arms sales by the Israeli government. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Norwegian Refugee Council is deeply concerned by the Israeli military’s planned demolition of a European funded Palestinian primary school in Ras At-Tin, a herding community in the central area of the West Bank. If the school is destroyed fifty young pupils will have to walk five kilometres to reach another school in the next village of Al- Mughayyer.

•    Lord, we pray that the demolition order on the school at Ras At-Tin will not be enforced by the Israeli authorities. We pray that they will fulfill their duty to ensure the children in this occupied area have access to education and other basic services. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Maher al-Akhras has now been on hunger strike over his administrative detention for over eighty days. On Wednesday, the 14th of October dozens of Palestinians demonstrated outside Kaplan hospital where he is being treated, demanding his release.  

•    Lord, we pray for the life of Maher and for the hundreds of other Palestinians held indefinitely in administrative detention by the Israeli authorities. We pray that the Israeli government will ‘keep justice and do righteousness’ (Is.56:1) by granting all those living in Israel/ Palestine a fair trial. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

On Monday, the12th of October, the newly appointed Commissioner General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini spoke out about the despair experienced by Palestinian refugees across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Gaza. He spoke of  how some people living in Gaza are now reduced to sifting  through garbage to find food scraps for their families at this time of pandemic.

•    Lord, we pray that countries across the world will remember the needs of refugees and continue to support the work of UNRWA and other organizations working to alleviate hunger and hopelessness. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

•    We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the Caribbean, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Curaçao, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico,

Saint Maarten, St Kitts-Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer 15.10.20

On Tuesday the 13^th of October the Kumi Now Initiative hosted speakers from the Joint Action Initiative (JAI) to talk about the importance of the olive harvest to Palestinian society.

• Lord ,we are thankful for the olive harvest and we pray that Palestinian farmers may safely gather their harvest, without attack or hindrance from the Israeli army or settlers. We thank you for the work of JAI and the way they try to support the livelihoods of the Palestinian farmers. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Coronavirus testing data from Israel suggests there has been a slowdown in the country’s outbreak, three weeks after  a second nationwide lockdown was imposed. In recent weeks the country has experienced infection and mortality rates that have been among the highest in the world, relative to population size.

• Lord, we pray that the lockdown in Israel will help to diminish the sudden peak in the numbers of people infected with COVID-19 in Israel. We also pray for those who continue to be affected by the rise in cases in the West Bank and Gaza. We pray for wisdom for all those in authority around the world  to know how best to limit the numbers of those being infected and suffering with coronavirus. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers

On Thursday, the 8th of October, an Israeli court ordered the demolition of a new Palestinian school in the occupied West Bank. The court ruled that the Ras al-Tenneen School in eastern Ramallah was built without a permit. Construction permits are rarely granted by the Israeli authorities to Palestinians in the occupied Territories. The Palestinian Education Ministry built the school and fifty children were already enrolled there.

• Lord of all mercy and grace, you abound in steadfast love and are a fortress and refuge to those in distress, (from Psalm 59:16). We pray that you would show compassion to the children deprived of schools and homes in Palestine. We pray for an end to this vicious cycle of denial of permits and demolitions authorised by the Israeli authorities. Lord in your mercy… hear our prayers.

In response to the legal action taken by Adalah, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, the Israeli authorities have confirmed that, due to the pandemic, there will be a  temporary freeze on the demolition of Palestinian homes across the country from the 1st of October. Israel has demolished 112 Palestinian buildings since the beginning of 2020, which has left 261 Palestinians homeless.

• Lord, we pray that the demolition of the homes of Palestinians by the Israeli authorities will never resume. We pray that Palestinians living in the occupied Territories will be allowed to build and extend their homes without fear of criminalisation or demolition. Lord, in your mercy.. hear our prayers

On Wednesday, the 7th of October, the wife of Maher al-Akhras started a hunger strike in solidarity with her husband. Maher has been on hunger strike for seventy days and when his health deteriorated he was transferred to the Kaplan Medical Centre. He was arrested on the 27th of July and was sentenced to administrative detention without charge or trial. Israeli courts can renew charges of administrative detention at intervals ranging between three and six months based on a claim of undisclosed evidence. This policy violates international law and forces Palestinian detainees to resort to extreme measures, like hunger strikes, to protest.

• Lord, we pray for Maher and his wife and their family of six children. We pray that the administrative detention order against Maher will be cancelled. We pray that the Israeli courts will abandon the policy of imposing administrative detention orders on Palestinians and depriving them of a fair trial. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

An all-day U.K. conference, hosted by the Balfour Project, will be held online on the 27th of October. The conference is entitled, ‘Jerusalem: From Past Divisions to a Shared Future’.

A number of eminent historians, politicians and faith leaders will be speaking.

• Lord, we pray for those involved with the Balfour Project conference as they prepare to speak about the future of the holy city of Jerusalem. We pray that they may weigh their words carefully, with a view to helping to build a righteous and peaceable future for this city. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

Thursday, 8^th October 2020

On Tuesday, the 6th of October, the Kumi Now Online Initiative hosted a talk by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, (PCHR). This human rights group was first set up in Gaza in 1995 by Palestinian lawyers and activists, in response to the abuses suffered by Palestinians under Israeli military occupation.

•     Lord, we thank you for the work to protect human rights carried out by the PCHR. We continue to pray for an end to the siege and blockade of Gaza and an end to the Israeli military occupation which stifles life in the occupied Palestinian Territories. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Israel has extended its nationwide lockdown after more than 9,000 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on one day at the end of September. In Palestine there have been 426 new cases confirmed recently.

• Dear Lord, we pray for the grave situation in Israel/Palestine with the high rise in the numbers of coronavirus cases and the pressure this will put on the health facilities. We pray for wisdom for those in authority in the decisions they make to try and curb this sudden rise in infections. We pray they will help to protect the population from even higher infection levels. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Following peace talks in Turkey last week, opposing factions in Palestine have agreed to hold elections within the next six months. This is an attempt to end more than a decade of strife between Fatah, which governs the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas, the ruling party in Gaza. The decision comes shortly after the Israeli normalisation deals with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

•     Lord, we pray for the Palestinians that they may come together in a unified stance to enable their people to hold elections and come to consensus decisions. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

In an open letter more than a thousand academics and lawyers have called on government and academic institutions around the world to stop subjecting those who call for justice for Palestine to censorship and reprisals. An offer of employment from the University of Toronto to the international lawyer, Dr Valentina Azarova, was withdrawn when a judge objected to her research into Israeli occupation policies. The University of Toronto denies any official offer of employment was ever made. The letter cites this as just one example of how any criticism of the Israeli government is now being suppressed, at a time when their oppression of Palestinians is being intensified.

•     Lord Jesus, you ask us to put away falsehood and ask us to ‘speak the truth with our neighbour for we are members of one another’ (Eph. 4:25). We pray that academics and lawmakers around the world will have the courage to continue speaking truth to the powerful and will not be silenced. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Friday, the 25th of September, Egyptian naval forces shot and killed two Palestinian fishermen and wounded and arrested a third man. The fishermen were all brothers from Deir Al-Balah, a city in central Gaza.

•     Lord, we pray for the families of the fishermen as they grieve their loss and pray for the third brother in custody in Egypt. So many fishermen from Gaza struggle to provide for their families in a zone imposed by Israel of just a few nautical miles, where the fish stocks are depleted. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

•     We pray for the family of Dana Hasan, a healthy twenty-six-year-old woman who suffered a heart attack and died. We remember too her friends in the Ramallah Christian Catholic Youth Group who have lost two members so suddenly in the month of September. Lord, you are our rock of refuge, please hold Dana’s family and her young friends fast with your steadfast love. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

1^st October 2020

The Kumi Now Initiative hosted a speaker for the Tent of Nations project on the 29th of September to discuss the discrimination suffered by Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank over the lack of building permits issued by the Israeli authorities. The Tent of Nations is an educational and environmentally friendly farm which stretches over a hundred acres south west of Bethlehem. It is run by Daoud Nassar and his family. He is a Palestinian Christian and is committed to creative and non-violent resistance to all attempts from the Israeli authorities and illegal settlers to strip him of his land and resources.

•    Dear Lord, we pray for Daoud Nassar and his family particularly at this time when he has come under violent attacks from nearby communities who have damaged his crops and his property. We pray that Daoud will be able recover from these serious attacks and will continue to resist attempts to confiscate his land. We pray he will receive support and encouragement from his many friends in Israel/Palestine and abroad, even when they are unable to visit in person due to the pandemic. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

A BBC enquiry has discovered that, Roman Abramovich, the Russian owner of Chelsea Football Club, controls companies which have donated $100 million to Elad, an Israeli settler organisation. Elad has been confiscating Palestinian property and buying up homes in East Jerusalem to re-house 450 Jewish settlers in a predominately Palestinian neighbourhood. Any settler group activity in occupied East Jerusalem is a breach of international law. While in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli authorities are planning to confiscate 3,800 dunams,(almost 1000 acres), of Palestinian land in seventeen different locations around the city.

•    Omniscient God, you see everything that happens on the earth and you listen out for the cries of the poor and the oppressed. You see when the rich and powerful oppress the poor, as your prophet Micah said: ‘ They covet fields and seize them and houses and take them away, they oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance’ ( Micah 2:2). We pray for an end to the seizure of Palestinian homes and land by the Israeli authorities and settlers. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Sunday, the 20th of September, the Honduran President, Juan Orlando Hernandez announced his intention to move his embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Currently Israel does not have an embassy in Honduras, but opened up a diplomatic mission there last month.

•    Lord, we pray for the city of Jerusalem. We pray that countries across the world will continue to abide by international law and not bow to political expediency. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The olive harvest is fast approaching in Palestine. This time was once a joyous celebration of the fruit of the land. For many Palestinian farmers living under occupation it is now a time of stress as they face increasing violence from illegal settlers.This year the Israeli army have imposed further restrictions by granting the farmers access to their land to harvest the olives only on particular dates. No consideration has been given to whether the crop is ripe for picking on that date or how long the farmers might need to harvest their crop.

•    Lord, we thank you for the provision of the olive harvest each year which is so important for the livelihoods of many Palestinian farmers. We pray that the farmers may safely harvest their crops this year. We pray too that the unreasonable military orders will be rescinded. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The city of Bethlehem is about to become the most recent member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. This network of cities around the world have all demonstrated a  commitment to provide inclusive and equitable opportunities for their citizens to continue their education throughout their lives. Every two years the cities come together to share ideas and best practice to support and inspire each other.

•    We thank you, Lord Jesus, that the little town where you were born two thousand years ago has grown into a city which is working to give its community new and sustainable opportunities throughout their lives. We pray that Bethlehem will bless this global network with its membership. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

•    We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

24^th September 2020

Israel has imposed a second national lockdown to last three weeks after a recent surge of over 4000 confirmed COVID-19 cases every day. The lockdown will close all schools and only supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open.  Schools have only just reopened for the start of the new academic year and this lockdown will bring major disruption.

• Lord, we pray for all those in positions of authority in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory as they take decisions on how to manage the resurgence of the coronavirus throughout the land. We pray for the families trying to manage their work and their children’s education from home. We pray too for the protection of the care workers looking after those who are seriously affected by the virus. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

An Israeli court has issued a demolition order notice on Qaqaa Bin Amr Mosque in Silwan, East Jerusalem. The authorities claim that the mosque, which was built in 2012, does not have a building permit. Such permits are rarely issued to Palestinians by the Israeli authorities. Silwan has been particularly targeted for the demolition of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities over the past six months, even during lockdown due to the pandemic. On average 65 Palestinian properties across the occupied Palestinian territory have been demolished each month, leaving many families homeless.

• Oh Lord, it is hard for us to imagine how it would feel, particularly at this time of the worldwide pandemic, to watch our home bulldozed before our eyes. Lord we pray that this cruel practice of home demolitions by the Israeli authorities will cease. We continue to pray for a change of heart in the government of Israel to stop forcing Palestinians out of their homes, their businesses and their places of worship. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Thursday, the 17th of September, the Israeli authorities demolished the shelters of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Al Araqeeb in the Naqab desert near Beersheba. This is the 178th time the authorities have levelled the village, the last time being on the 27th of August. Each time this happens the twenty families living in the village rebuild their tents. They have deeds to this land and do not want to be relocated to government zoned townships. The 51 Palestinian Bedouin villages in the Naqab are not recognised by the Israeli authorities. The villagers hold Israeli nationality and pay taxes, just like other Israelis, but they are not accorded the same rights and have no power or water connections.

• ‘Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of the destitute, Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.’ (Prov.31:8-9) Lord, we pray for the Palestinian Bedouin villagers who see their homes bulldozed by the Israeli authorities, time after time. We pray that many people in Palestine, Israel and around the world will speak out for the rights of these destitute people to live undisturbed on their land, free from such relentless harassment. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

In 1982 on the 16th to the 18th of September a brutal massacre took place in the Sabra neighborhood, adjacent to the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut. For days the Israeli army had bombed the area and then looked on while the Lebanese Phalange militia carried out brutal killings. A UN commission carried out the following year concluded that Israel, as the occupying power, bore responsibility for the violence. However, the US and the international community granted impunity to Israel over the crime.

• Lord, we bring the city of Beirut to you, where so much blood has been shed and so much suffering endured. We bring before you the Lebanese people ,as well as the millions of Palestinian refugees who are beginning to lose hope. Many will have lost family members in the massacre forty years ago. Many will be suffering from the economic meltdown in Lebanon. Some may have been caught up in the recent chemical explosion in the port. Some will be fearing an outbreak of the pandemic and many are facing cuts in the critical aid from donors. Lord, we pray that other nations will continue to provide support for Lebanon, even as they are struggling with the demands of their own people. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

Sabeel Wave of Prayer 17.9.20

On the 9th of September, the Jerusalem District Court ordered the eviction of the Palestinian family of Nasser Rajabi from their residential property of three apartments in the Batan Al-Hawa neighbourhood of Silwan in Occupied East Jerusalem. There are thirty family members living in these apartments who will soon be facing homelessness, along with eighty other residents in the area. In January the Jerusalem Magistrates’ Court ordered the family to leave their property following a lawsuit brought by the Ateret Cohanim Settler Association. The settlers claim the properties belong to the Benvenisti Trust which was set up in the nineteenth century to house Jews fleeing from the Yemen.

• Lord, we pray for the dozens of Palestinian families threatened with eviction in East Jerusalem by Jewish settlers supported by the Israeli legal system. We pray that the legal system will stop sowing seeds of injustice by denying the rights of Palestinians to reclaim their properties, while granting historical claims to Jewish settlers. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The Jewish High Court of Justice is in dispute with the Israeli government over the stay order placed on the demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar, a Bedouin village near Jerusalem in the Occupied West Bank. The government cited the pandemic threat and diplomatic issues to request a six-month postponement. The court has granted a two-month delay to a hearing about the demolition. The Al-Jahhalin Bedouin live in 26 communities in the area. The Khan Al-Ahmar village is blocking the expansion of the nearby illegal Israeli settlement, Ma’ale Adumim ,which is home to more than 37,000 settlers.

• Dear Lord, we pray for the Bedouin communities who are being forced away from their land. We pray that the village of Khan Al-Ahmar will not be demolished by bulldozers. We pray for an end to the destructive actions of the settlers and the Israeli authorities as they grab more and more land from the Palestinian people. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches are calling for a week of prayer for peace in Palestine and Israel during this third week of September. While both Councils recognize the extreme fragility of the situation in the Holy Land, they are asking people to show ‘creative solidarity’ as a sign of hope in the work to restore peace and justice to the land.

• In the words of a prayer quoted from the World Week of Peace in Palestine and Israel: ‘Lord Jesus, open our eyes to see the pain of others who are struggling to survive, use our hands to help rebuild those whose lives have been torn apart because of conflict and war, use our voices to draw attention to acts of injustice inflicted upon the powerless by the powerful. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

Sabeel is holding Bible study meetings on Zoom for their Bible Study facilitators on Wednesdays each week.

• Lord, we are so thankful for the virtual meetings we can hold online during this time of pandemic and particularly for the Zoom Bible Studies led by Sabeel. We pray that sharing the word of life will help the Bible Study facilitators to ‘shine as lights in the world’,(Phil 2:15), even through these dark and difficult times. Lord, in your mercy… hear our prayers.

The Palestinian Prisoner Society reported that two Palestinian prisoners, being held on administrative detention, suffered a marked deterioration in their physical condition on Wednesday, the 9th of September. Both prisoners are on hunger strike in protest at their incarceration. Maher al-Akhras from Jenin was recently transferred to an Israeli hospital after a hunger strike of 45 days. Abdul- Rahman Shuaibat from Bethlehem has deteriorated after being transferred to Eshel prison and is now refusing to take fluids.

• Lord, we pray for the lives of Maher and Abdul–Rahman which now hang in the balance. We pray for their release from detention to enable them to recover their health. We pray that the Israeli authorities will cease to condemn Palestinian prisoners to unlimited imprisonment under administrative detention orders. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

The US, Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain announced a deal to normalize diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Israel. Bahrain will join the UAE on the 15^th of September to sign a peace treaty with Israel at the White House. Unfortunately, the normalization between the two countries disregards the root of the conflict in the Middle East, the suffering of the Palestinian people and their cry for a just peace.

• Oh Lord Most High, we turn to you to find refuge in the face of worldly deception. We continue to live in your shelter and abide in your shadow. We trust in you Lord to be our refuge and fortress in the face of terror, pestilence and destruction. (Taken from Psalm 91:1-7) Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

Sabeel Wave of Prayer 10.9.20

The Kumi Now Online Initiative invited speakers from the Arab Educational Institute, (AEI), to talk about the Israeli separation wall and the annexation of the site of Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem on Tuesday, the 8th of September.

• Dear Lord, we thank you for the work of the AEI and their work to shed light on the injustice of annexing the site of Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem. We pray for the people of Bethlehem confined by the separation wall and hemmed in by the illegal Israeli settlements. We think of them especially at this time of pandemic when so many dependent on tourism, will have lost their jobs. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Three young children were burnt to death in a fire in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza on Tuesday, the 1st of September. The fire is thought to have been caused by candles which were lit in the house during one of the frequent power cuts in the territory.

• Dear Lord, we pray for the horrific deaths by fire of Yousef, Mohammad and Mahmoud Al-Hazeen. We pray for the family as they grieve their loss. We pray for the people of Gaza who have had to subsist on just a few hours of electrical power each day, due to the lack of fuel deliveries to the only power plant there. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Wednesday, the 2nd of September, a young Israeli Arab teacher and a mother of three children from Ramla, Sharifa Abu Muammar, was killed. Sharifa was preparing for the start of the new school year when she was shot and killed by a stray bullet from an illegal weapon. Violent crimes in the Arab community are on the increase, but little is being done by the Israeli police to curb the provision of illegal weapons.

• Dear Lord, we are saddened by the violent death of Sharifa and sympathize with the shock and grief this will have caused her family and friends. We pray for groups who seek to reach Arab community leaders, as well as the Israeli police, to try to build safer and more equal communities. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Jerusalem a is a gospel song with a catchy tune, written by the South African musician Master KG. Fans of the tune in Angola posted a video of their own choreography to the tune and this video went viral under the name of #JerusalemaDanceChallenge. In August the Jerusalem music collective, Jaw, uploaded a Palestinian version of the video, filmed in Bab el Majlis in the Old City, with the participation of Jerusalem’s Afro-Palestinian community. Local dancers created their unique version of the dance adding elements of dabkeh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ1AB5OrCks

• ‘The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.’ (Ps.9:9-10) We thank you, Lord, for the Jerusalem a dance video from the young people in Jerusalem, sent with a loving tribute to the young people in South Africa. We pray that their joyful creation will inspire the hearts of young people facing oppression in Palestine, South Africa and around the world. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

Abu Ahmad works for a low salary as a member of a sanitation service in Ramallah. He also lives with the challenge of his serious hearing impairment. His son is a member of a Palestinian dance group and, as a tribute to his father, the group performed a flash mob dance using sign language. The video of the dance has been widely viewed and appreciated in the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-GRUZl71Ho

• Lord, at this time of pandemic, so many of us have come to notice and be thankful for those carrying out the essential work to sustain healthy communities. We thank you for this heartfelt tribute of a son to his father who has had to face many challenges in his life. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

On Tuesday, the 1st of September, dozens of demonstrators in Shufa village near Tulkarem were protesting Israeli plans to confiscate 800 km2 of Palestinian land to build an industrial park. One elderly protester, 65-year-old Khairi Hannoun was arrested during the protest. He was wrestled to the ground by a soldier, who then proceeded to kneel on his neck and back as he put handcuffs on him. The video of this arrest was soon circulating on social media as it was so reminiscent of the horrific killing of George Floyd while in US police custody.

• Dear Lord, we pray that Israeli soldiers will stop using excessive force to disperse Palestinian protests. We pray too that the illegal confiscation of Palestinian land by the Israeli government will cease. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayers.

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