Sabeel Wave of Prayer 25.6.20

This week’s Kumi Now Online talk was given by Sabeel and focused on the ways the occupation affects the city of Jerusalem. The Israeli government has separated East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. It has gradually tightened its control over the area by refusing residency rights and building permits to Palestinians, carrying out extensive home demolitions and cutting back on the services and maintenance of the infrastructure.

• Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you for the Christian witness of Sabeel in East Jerusalem. As we think about the deep divisions in the city of Jerusalem today, we remember your tears and lament as you rode into the city on Palm Sunday, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’ We continue to pray for peace, justice, and reconciliation in the city of Jerusalem. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Palestinian Health Minister warned of a sudden spike in the numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections in the occupied Palestinian Territories on Thursday, the 18th of June. Medical officials have recorded 45 new cases, bringing the total number to 745. Since the 5th of March, 570 patients have recovered, 5 people have died and 170 are still receiving treatment. The six hospitals in East Jerusalem have just received essential medical supplies and personal protective equipment from the European Union and the World Health Organization for frontline staff.

• Dear Lord, we are thankful for the timely donation of medical supplies to help health workers in East Jerusalem hospitals to support those suffering from coronavirus. We pray for their protection as they carry out the treatments. We also pray for all those who have lost loved ones to the virus. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Israeli settlers bulldozed several acres of Palestinian land in Qusra town, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank to start building a road on Wednesday, the 17th of June. They are planning to build a 7 km road to connect an outpost to Migdalim settlement and to link settlements in the north of the West Bank with others in the Jordan Valley. There was also an area of fruit trees and Olives bulldozed in the al-Makhrour area of Bethlehem to make way for the extension of the Israeli route 60 road. Settler activity throughout the West Bank has recently escalated in preparation for the proposed annexation.

• Dear Lord, we pray for an end to the illegal settler activity in the occupied Palestinian Territories. We pray that the Israeli government will be held to account for the ways in which they have established an apartheid state through the occupation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Tuesday, the 16th of June, Joseph Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy spoke about a video conference held with Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, on the previous day. Borrell argued that the US peace plan, as it stands, does not ‘respect internationally agreed parameters. He commended instead the multilateral format for discussions which had been proposed by the German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas.

• Lord, we pray that the Israeli government’s plan to annex areas of the Palestinian West Bank will be opposed by lawmakers and governments around the world. We pray that world leaders will look instead for peaceful and just solutions to the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict so that all people can live there in peace and security. Lord, in your mercy...hear our prayer.

On Thursday, the 11th of June, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, (PCHR) in Gaza finished hosting a four-day training course on ‘Protection and Intervention Mechanisms to Eliminate Violence Against Women’. There were 25 male and female participants from four youth groups in Gaza. The course aimed at preparing participants to become more aware of the issues underlying gender-based violence and informing them of ways in which they could help their peers seek intervention and legal protection.

• Lord, we thank you for the recent training courses hosted by the PCHR in Gaza. We pray that the young people who took part in the training will become advocates to help their peers to seek protection from violence. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

There has been an increase in violence throughout the Palestinian Arab communities, both in East Jerusalem and throughout Israel. This increase in violence has led to a number of injuries and deaths. Increased pressure caused by unemployment due to the Covid19 pandemic and the ongoing occupation has increased tensions.

• Lord, we hear of the tragic increase in violence between families and others in the Palestinian Arab communities. We pray that the violence will cease, families can find ways to live in peace, and that the causes of this increase will end. Lord, in your mercy…hear our 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.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer 18.6.20

Kumi Now Online asked Jeff Halper, an Israeli anthropologist and head of the Israel Committee Against Home Demolitions, (ICAHD) to speak about how to help put a stop to the use of home demolitions as a collective punishment. Jeff is author of ‘War Against the People: Israel, the Palestinians and Global Pacification’. His talk took place on Tuesday, the 16th of June at 6pm, Jerusalem time. The Kumi Now Online sessions take place on a weekly basis and more information can be found at: www.kuminow.com/online.  The next talk on the 23rd of June is entitled ‘Jerusalem Under Occupation’, led by Sabeel.

• Dear Lord, we thank you for the work of ICAHD as it seeks to help Palestinians whose homes have been demolished by the Israeli authorities. We pray for an end to this merciless practice and for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

According to a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, dated the 2nd of June, there have been 630 Palestinians who have contracted COVID 19 in the occupied Palestinian Territories. The Palestinian Authority acted swiftly to curb the pandemic with curfews, travel bans, and school closures. These actions kept COVID 19 cases at a low level, with five deaths reported and only one of them occurring in Gaza. The state of emergency announced on the 5th of March was ended on the 25th of May and the lockdown was eased, though physical distancing and health protection measures are still advised.

• Lord, we are thankful for the prompt action of the Palestinian Authority to protect those living in Palestine and Gaza. We pray for the many families across the world who have lost loved ones and we pray that, before long, the pandemic will cease to cause such devastation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

At the end of May more than 78,000 Palestinian 12th grade students commenced their Tawjihi, or General Secondary Education Certificate Examination. The Ministry of Education created an online platform of Tawjihi resources to enable students to prepare for their examinations during lockdown.

• Thank you, Lord, that Palestinian students can complete their secondary education by taking their standardised exams. We pray that they may be able to focus on their studies and to fulfil their potential, despite concerns caused by the pandemic, occupation, and political uncertainties in their land. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Yazan Alami, a 9^th grade pupil at St George’s Anglican School in Jerusalem passed away on Thursday 11^th June due to a long-term illness.

• Lord, we pray for the family and friends of Yazan as they mourn their loss. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Wednesday, the 3rd of June, the Palestinian Authority announced that it would reject the monthly taxes collected on their behalf by Israel. This amounts to almost half their income. The rejection is a protest against Israel’s plan to annex large swathes of the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The livelihoods of many Palestinians will be threatened at this time. The coronavirus has led to a sharp downturn in the economy and many living in the West Bank will have lost jobs in Israel. These factors, compounded by the lack of funds from the Palestinian Authority, will certainly lead to greater hardship and need in the wider Palestinian community.

• Lord, you are our rock of refuge. We pray for those Palestinian families who face unemployment and hardship. We pray for resilience and determination in their communities to support one another through these difficult times. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Palestinian watermelon farmers in the northern Jordan Valley are struggling to make a living. Just when they harvest their crop in May, they find their markets flooded with cheap Israeli melons. They already struggle with access to water and, for decades, their land has been confiscated and given to settlers or had their land declared a ‘closed military zone’. Now they find it is uneconomic to harvest their crop when settlers, with access to free land and water, undercut their prices.

• Lord of justice and righteousness, we pray for the plight of the Palestinian farmers. Lord, so many endure violence and unfair practices and now face the prospect of the illegal annexation of their land. We pray that, even at this late stage, international lawmakers and governments around the world would speak out and stay the hand of the Israeli government from implementing ‘the power of their hand’ (Micah 2:1). Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

Sabeel Wave of Prayer 11.6.20

The Kumi Now Initiative invited the Rev.Dr.Stephen Sizer, founder of the Peacemaker Trust to lead an online talk entitled ‘What is Christian Zionism?’, on Tuesday, the 9th of June. The author of ‘Zion’s Christian Soldiers?’ helped us to understand the challenge posed by Christian Zionists and what can be done to counter their influence. (The Kumi Now Online sessions take place on a weekly basis at 6pm (Jerusalem time), more information can be found at www.kuminow.com/online)

• Thank you, Lord, for the work of the Peacemaker Trust. Lord you have raised up your children from all the families of the earth, help us to show love for one another and to work together for peace and justice. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

As numbers of confirmed Covid19 cases increase in Israel (mainly from infections in schools), four new cases were registered by the Ministry of Health on Thursday, the 4th of June, raising the total number of cases in Palestine to 640. Three of the cases were recorded near Jenin, while the fourth was in Gaza. The coronavirus has led to an abrupt decline in economic activity and many Palestinians have lost their livelihoods.

• Dear Lord, we pray for all those who have been affected by the pandemic in Palestine/Israel and around the world. We pray especially for those who have lost loved ones, those who are struggling to recover and those who have lost their income as a result of the economic downturn. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in cities across Palestine/Israel on Tuesday, the 2nd of June, to remember recent victims of police brutality in the US and Israel. On the 25th of May, George Floyd, an African American, was arrested, handcuffed and suffocated by a US policeman in Minneapolis. On the 30th of May, Iyad Hallaq, a Palestinian man with autism, was shot dead by an Israeli policeman. Outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, protestors lit candles in front of a photo of Floyd and Hallaq and chanted, ‘Black lives matter, Palestinian lives matter’.

• Lord of heaven and earth you give to all mankind life and breath and everything (Acts17:25). We pray, in your strength, to care for victims of brutality and to value every life as precious in your sight. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Some Palestinian communities are facing a wave of violent gun crime. Israeli police neglect and decades of political indifference has allowed this cycle of violence to escalate.

On Monday, the 1st of June, a four-year-old Palestinian girl, Rafif Qara’een died in hospital after she had been shot in the head at her home in the East Jerusalem district of Isawiyah.

Although the family dispute this, Israeli police claim that she was shot from a gun fired from Anata, a Palestinian town beyond the separation wall in the West Bank and some considerable distance from the little girl’s home.

• We pray for the family of Rafif as they mourn the loss of their young daughter. We pray that the Israeli police would pursue the perpetrators of such violent crimes within the Palestinian community and restore peace and stability. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society based in Ramallah reported on Wednesday, the 3rd of June, that dozens of Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli Hadareem prison are about to start a collective hunger strike. The strike is their response to poor medical attention during the pandemic. The prisoners have also been denied the right to phone family members, which has increased their sense of isolation as all prison visits were cancelled due to the virus.

• Dear Lord,  there are more than four thousand Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons, some of them without charges or release dates. We pray especially for those who are desperate to draw attention to their maltreatment. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Israeli military training took place in the Jordan Valley on Tuesday, the 2nd of June. They used live ammunition which set fire to two thousand acres of Palestinian agricultural and pastoral land. Palestinian farmers lost wheat and barley crops and grazing for their livestock, endangering their livelihood. Israel has already allocated 86% of the land in the West Bank portion of the Jordan Valley to Israeli settlements and proposes to annex the rest on the 1st of July.

• Lord, we cry out to you as we see the land of Palestinian farmers destroyed and stolen in front of their eyes. We pray that international lawmakers and governments will speak out against the illegal Israeli annexation, before it is too late. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

Lectionary Prayer

Proper 6 – Sunday 14^th June

O God the Father, origin of divinity,

good beyond all that is good,

fair beyond all that is fair,

in whom is calmness,

peace and concord;

make up the dissensions which divide us from each other and bring us back into a unity of love, which may bear some likeness to your sublime nature. And as you are above all things, make us one by the unanimity of a good mind, that through the embrace of charity and the bonds of affection we may be spiritually one, as well in ourselves as in each other, through that peace of yours which makes all things peaceful,

through the grace,

mercy and tenderness of your only-begotten Son.

Amen

The Jacobite Liturgy of Dionysius, in Oden, Ancient Christian Devotional

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

June 4^th, 2020

This week’s Kumi Now initiative looks at the work of the Palestine Museum of Natural History, (PMNH) and the Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS). The mission of both these institutes, (see www.palestinenature.org) is to research, conserve and disseminate knowledge about the cultural heritage and the natural environment of Palestine. Their joint aim is to use their knowledge to interact responsibly with their environment.

• Dear Lord, everything you created is good (1Tim 4:4). We are so thankful for those who work for the PMNH and PIBS as they look carefully at the natural environment around them and care for it in a respectful way. We pray that their hearts will be filled with awe at the wonders they discover. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Israeli police have shot and killed an unarmed Palestinian near the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem. The slain man, 32-year-old Iyad el-Hallak, attended and worked at a school for people with special needs in the Old City, close to the spot where he was shot on Saturday morning. el-Hallak who is a person of disability was heading to the school when he was shot by several bullets and he was left on the ground bleeding for a while until he died. The shooting came a day after Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah who the Israeli occupation forces alleged had tried to ram them with his vehicle.

• Dear Lord, we remember the family of Iyad as they grieve for the loss of their son. We pray that the Israeli soldiers and their commanders are held accountable for their crimes. Bless us God with courage and determination to continue to speak truth to power and our words never abandon the marginalized. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Even at the young age of twenty-nine years, Ayman Safiah was considered one of the most talented Arab Israeli dancers. Sadly, on Sunday, the 17th of May, he was swept away by strong currents when he was swimming off the coast off Neve Yam in northern part of the country. He managed to push his female companion back towards the shore, but he was unable to save himself. His body was found by Israeli police on Wednesday.

• Dear Lord, we pray for the family of Ayman as they grieve their loss. Thank you that so many young people came forward to take part in the rescue search. We are saddened to know that a dancer of international renown has drowned at such a young age. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

During the Sabeel general assembly meeting at the end of May, the newly elected Sabeel board was approved.

• Dear lord, we pray for the Sabeel center new leadership as they take over their new responsibilities. We give thanks for the time and energy of all our past board members. May the ministry of Sabeel continue to serve all people, speak prophetically to the powerful and help the oppressed to demand their rights. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Médecins Sans Frontières, (MSF), reports that the combination of Covid19, the lockdown and its financial impact has seriously affected many Palestinian families living in the occupied territories. Those Palestinians living in the vicinity of Israeli settlements often experience high levels of violence. When you add to this further anxiety over the pandemic, it can lead to outbursts of anger and abuse within families.

• Dear Lord, ‘You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble’; (Psalm 46:1). We pray for an end to the vicious cycle of violence experienced by Palestinians and an end to the brutal Israeli occupation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The lockdown was set to remain in place in the West Bank until the 5th of June, but with fewer cases recorded in recent weeks restrictions were eased as of Tuesday, the 2nd of June. Places of worship, shops and factories have been allowed to open, but the authorities are asking people to exercise caution. As of the 22nd of May, four deaths from the pandemic have been reported in the West Bank, with 547 confirmed cases, including 139 in East Jerusalem. This week the Sabeel Offices are reopening.

• Lord, we are thankful that the rate of infection in Palestine and Israel appears to be falling. We pray that the pandemic will soon die away in this country and in countries around the world. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Israeli forces arrested Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, president of the Supreme Islamic Council and cleric of Al-Aqsa Mosque, after storming his house in occupied Jerusalem. Sheikh Sabri is 79 years old and was born in Qalqilya. He is the cleric of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the former grand mufti of Jerusalem and co-founder and president of the Supreme Islamic Council. Al-Aqsa Mosque is facing Judaization plans, as the temple organizations called to storm and occupy the holy site and divide prayer time and space between Muslims and Jews.

• Dear God, we pray for the speedy release of Sheikh Ekirma Sabri from Israeli custody. We give thanks to all people of conscience who take the risk to speak truth to power and are willing to pay the costly price for their positions on justice. We pray for the safety of Jerusalem and all its children who continue to feel the brunt of unjust policies of the occupation. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.  

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday

Lectionary Prayer

Matthew 28:16-20

Loving liberator of all peoples,

breathe your Holy Spirit on us

that we may become instruments for justice, peace and healing

in all places where oppression and fear reign

Teach us how to remain faithful to your words and teachings

so that we see your kingdom come

in our broken and troubled world where the powerful prioritize their greed and ambitions over the wellbeing of the people.

Amen.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer 28.5.20

Here is a reminder that the Kumi Now initiative will be holding weekly video conferences with different organisations working for Palestine. The conferences will start on Tuesday, the 2nd of June at 6pm Palestinian time, with Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh who will speak from the Palestinian Museum of Natural History about the environmental impact of the Israeli occupation. (www.kuminow.com/online)

• Lord, we pray that many people around the world will watch the Kumi Now video conferences to find out how the Palestinian people survive under occupation in their own land. We thank you for their resilience and their resourcefulness. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The spread of the Covid-19 virus across the world is being monitored on a world map and dashboard run by the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE). Initially the website listed the number of Covid-19 cases recorded by the Palestinian Ministry of Health under the entry for Palestine, separate from Israel’s data.

At the end of March Birzeit University challenged the CSSE to explain why the Palestine entry was first changed to ‘occupied Palestinian territories’ and then, on the following day, it’s figures were merged into the entry for Israel.

• Dear Lord, we pray that vital information about the spread of the coronavirus in Palestine would be restored on the CSSE. We pray that scientists will not be drawn into political actions attempting to erase Palestine from the map of the world. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The European Union and the governments of Italy and Finland are making a contribution of €17 million to the Palestinian Authority to support East Jerusalem hospitals. This support will enable the six hospitals to maintain vital medical services to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, while also being able to respond to the pandemic.

• Thank you, Lord for the ongoing assistance of European countries to the maintenance of the Palestinian health care system. It is encouraging to hear of nations reaching out to other nations to provide help in times of crisis. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Fishermen in Gaza have been violently attacked, as they fished within the allowed limits, by the Israeli navy far more frequently in the month of April than in the previous three months, according to the human rights’ organisations Gisha, Adalah, and Al Mezan. Israeli occupation forces have been firing live ammunition and powerful water cannons towards the fishermen, causing injury to the fisherman and damage to their boats. The organisations have written to the Israeli authorities to request an end to these unwarranted attacks.

• Lord, we pray at this time of acute need, particularly in impoverished areas like Gaza, that fishermen would be allowed to follow their trade and provide for their families. We pray that the rights of all people in Gaza are respected and that the Israeli administration and occupation forces cease their violent blockade of the area. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

This year the day of Pentecost falls on Sunday, the 31st of May. On this holy day Christians in the Holy Land and around the world celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire, transforming the disciples into apostles.

• Lord, we remember this holy day when visitors from different nations came to Jerusalem and heard ‘the mighty works of God’ spoken about in their own language, (Acts 2:11). We pray that we may be filled with your spirit and give clear witness to your faithfulness and power. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Wednesday, the 20th of May, Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process spoke at a UN Security Council video conference. He stated that the Palestinian withdrawal from its agreements with Israel was a cry for help to the international community as it faces Israel’s imminent annexation of over 30% of the West Bank. Mladenov appealed to the Quartet, (the EU, the UN, Russia and the US), to convene as soon as possible to work ‘jointly with countries in the region to advance the prospect of peace’.

• Lord, we cry out to you as hundreds of Palestinian communities now face the illegal confiscation of their homes and land. We pray that international lawmakers and governments would step in to stay the hand of the Israeli government before it launches its annexation plan in contravention of international law. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

More than fifty Palestinian journalists had their profile pages deleted by Facebook on the 4th of May. No reasons were given, and the journalists were told the decision was irreversible. Middle East Eye reported that “for years, Facebook has been deactivating the accounts of Palestinians in coordination with the Israeli government and security agencies, on the pretext of preventing Palestinian “incitement” on its platform.”

• Lord, we pray that the censorship of Palestinian journalists will cease. We pray that the Israeli government would respect the rights of all those living in the Holy Land, including their right to freedom of speech. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

Lectionary Prayer

Pentecost Sunday (Year A)

John 20: 19-23

O Parent of all peoples,

breathe your Holy Spirit on us

that we may see the peace

in the places with oppression and fear reign

and be filled with the joy of the risen Christ.

Teach us how to speak his words of justice

so that we can be your agents of a just peace

in our broken and troubled world.

Amen.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

21^st May 2020

Kumi Now announces new weekly video conferences with organisations working for Palestine. All the information you need to participate in these conferences is available at Kumi Now Online (www.kuminow.com/online). The first video will focus on the work of Dr Mazin Qumsiyeh and the Palestine Museum of Natural History on Tuesday, the 2nd of June at 6:00pm Palestinian time.

• Lord, we thank you for the possibility of using technology to reach out across the world to link with other people and to discover their hopes and dreams. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Tuesday, the 12th of May, the Palestinian Health Minister, Dr Al Kaila stated that Palestine had not recorded any new case of COVID-19 for the fifth consecutive day running. The first cases of the virus showed up in Bethlehem. The town has now been declared virus-free, but it has been hit by a very serious economic downturn caused mainly by the cessation of tourism.

• Dear Lord, we pray for all those in Palestine/Israel and around the world who have lost loved ones in the COVID-19 pandemic. We pray too for those who have lost their livelihoods and are now destitute, that support may be offered to those in need. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Israeli occupation soldiers shot and killed Zeid Qeisieh, a fifteen-year-old Palestinian boy in Fawwar Refugee Camp, south of Hebron on Wednesday,13th May. Zeid was shot in the head while four other boys were also shot and injured. Local reports state that the youths clashed with soldiers when they broke into the camp.

• Lord, we pray for the family of Zeid as they grieve the loss of their young son. We pray that this young generation of Palestinians will not be condemned to spend their whole lives in refugee camps facing daily violence from occupation forces and that a just solution to the ongoing occupation of Palestine will give them hope. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Three senior United Nations’ officials have called for the release of Palestinian children from Israeli prisons and detention centres. As of the end of March 2020, there are 194 Palestinian children being held on pre-trial detention. During a pandemic, children who have been detained should, by right, be released and detentions prohibited to avoid further contamination.

• Oh Lord, we cry to you for the Palestinian children held without charge for an unspecified length of time in Israeli prisons. We are to ‘remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them’ (Heb13:3). Lord, many of these children will be scared and missing their families, we pray for their release. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Eleven Palestinian women gave been killed as a result of domestic violence so far this year, with five of these victims having died since the lockdown which began in early March. A surge in cases of domestic abuse of children and sexual violence has also been reported.

• Lord, we pray that the pressures on people across the world since the start of COVID-19 will start to ease as families adjust to a new normal way of life with fewer restrictions. We pray particularly that this rise in domestic violence in Palestine will end and that the strong Palestinian women can live without threat of violence within their own families. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Every year, on the 21st of May, UNESCO celebrates the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. It is a day on which different cultures from all over the world are promoted, alongside ways in which these communities might benefit from sustainable development. At this time, we think of all those Palestinian craftspeople who strive to keep the culture of Palestine alive in Olive wood, mother of pearl, fabric, and many other materials.

• Lord, we pray that we might all learn from the way our communities have had to slow down as a result of the pandemic. Help us to consider how we live in our local community and how we respect the environment around us. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the Indian Ocean Islands, Comoros, Madagascar, the Maldives, Mauritius, and the Seychelles. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer

14.5.20

This week’s Kumi Now initiative focuses on the work of BADIL, the Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights. This human rights’ organisation works to protect and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons.

Many Palestinians were forcibly displaced by the Nakba in 1947-9 and the Six Day War in 1967. Their communities continue to suffer forcible displacement due to the discriminatory policies enforced by the Israeli government including denial of residency, denial of permits and land confiscation.

• Lord, we thank you for organisations like BADIL who stand with Palestinian refugees and the dispossessed. Millions of refugees in the West Bank, Gaza and in neighbouring Middle East countries struggle to survive in the overcrowded refugee camps. They long to return to their homeland but their rights and their hopes are continually denied. We pray for a fair and just negotiated settlement to the Palestine/ Israel conflict. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA), has launched a new emergency appeal to raise $93.4 million. The UNWRA appeal is set to prevent a disastrous situation that could leave thousands of lives at risk, by providing basic needs such as food, water and health care to an impoverished population.

• Lord, we pray that the international community would rally to fund the UNWRA appeal as they seek to support vulnerable refugee communities in the Middle East as they grapple with the pandemic. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The Patriarchs and Heads of the Holy Land Churches issued a statement on the 7th of May concerning Israel’s plan to annex land in the occupied West Bank. They stated that such an annexation would jeopardise any attempt to reach a future peaceful agreement.

They expressed their ‘utmost concern’ over Israel’s unilateral moves and called on the international community, as well as the Palestine Liberation Organisation, to respond with a peace initiative which is in line with international law.

• Lord, you are our stronghold and our rock of refuge. We pray to you as we witness ongoing actions to annex land belonging to Palestinians. We pray that, even now, those who would ‘frame injustice by statute’ (Psalm 94:20) would turn around and seek peace and abide by international law. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Nakba Day is commemorated by Palestinians each year on the 15^th of May. It recalls the forceable expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians by Jewish militants as they set out to establish the state of Israel in 1948. More than 500 Palestinian villages were depopulated during that time and many were completely destroyed.

• Lord, we pray for the many Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, in the West Bank and Gaza and in the diaspora as they remember their homeland on Nakba Day. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Wednesday, the 6th of May the Palestinian Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ministry condemned the approval of the construction of 7,000 new illegal Israeli settler units in Efrat, south of Jerusalem. The Israeli Defence Minister, Naftali Bennett agreed to the massive settlement expansion close to Bethlehem in flagrant disregard of international law.

• Lord Jesus we see the hills around your birthplace covered in illegal settler units on every side, while the local Palestinians suffer from overcrowding and are denied the right to build on their own land. We pray that international lawmakers will react with more than words to prevent the Israeli government from further breaching international law with settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Israel’s Parliament (the Knesset), passed legislation on Thursday, the 7th of May, approving a new coalition government for Netanyahu and Gantz to share the premiership and to end the political deadlock. Israeli President, Reuven Rivlin, followed this up by asking Netanyahu to form a government, Netanyahu will be Prime Minister for 2 years out of the new 4-year term under the coalition agreement with Gantz as deputy. Previously the High Court of Justice struck down petitions to bar Netanyahu as a lawmaker with criminal charges from forming a government.

• Lord, we pray for the government of Israel that they would act in the interests of all the people living in Palestine and Israel, particularly at this time of urgent need in the face of the COVID 19 pandemic. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

Lectionary Prayer

Seventh Sunday of Easter – Ascension Sunday (Year A)

Luke 24:44-53

Lord Jesus Christ, in you we see awesome power.

You triumph over death and bring forth new life.

You stand over all earthly powers.

You are the head of the church.

Yet, we often fail to acknowledge this power in our lives.

We see violence in the world.

We see injustice in our communities.

We see hunger and need among our neighbours.

We see longing for something more.

We see failures and faults in our lives.

In all these things, we feel powerless.

Forgive our hesitance to call upon you.

Forgive our propensity to rely upon ourselves.

Forgive our reluctance to acknowledge your power.

Speak your words of power again.

May your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer 7.5.20

This week’s Kumi Now initiative looks at the work of Al-Quds University in Jerusalem as it seeks to educate and develop its students to the highest standards despite ongoing occupation and oppression.

• Lord, we pray for the teachers at Al-Quds University and other educational establishments who seek to build the confidence and self-esteem of students who face prejudice in their own land and abroad. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Religious leaders stood on the terrace of the King David Hotel in West Jerusalem to offer their prayers in Hebrew, Arabic, and English for relief from the Covid-19 virus on Friday, 24th April. More than 200 people have died from the virus in Israel, while so far at least two people have died in the West Bank and Gaza. However, concerns have been raised over the thousands of Palestinian workers who have recently returned home to the West Bank from Israel. At least a third of the confirmed cases of the virus among the Palestinian population have become infected while working in Israel.

• Lord, we bring our prayers to you asking that the authorities in Palestine and Israel may share the will and their resources to limit the spread of this deadly virus. So many Palestinians are already suffering from the loss of employment, a lack of food and medication. We pray that the Israeli government will work with the Palestinian Authority to provide the necessary emergency support. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On the last day of April 2020, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), finally won a landmark victory against the UK government to allow Local Government Pension Schemes to divest from companies seeking to profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The final verdict given by the Supreme Court marks the end of a campaign which has been running since 2017.

• Lord, we give thanks for the long and hard-fought campaign and for the verdict at the Supreme Court.  UK public bodies can now make their own ethical decisions on how to invest their finances without fear of incrimination. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Farah Nabulsi a Palestinian filmmaker living in London recently announced that her film, ‘The Present’ has qualified for the Oscars, after winning the Jury Award for the Best Live Action Short Film at the Cleveland International Film Festival. Her film follows Yusef, a Palestinian living in the West Bank, who sets out with his young daughter to buy a gift for his wife on their anniversary. The search for the present soon turns into an ordeal as they encounter Israeli soldiers, segregated roads and checkpoints.

• We thank you, Lord, for film makers like Farah Nabulsi who use their storytelling gifts to expose the harassment and intimidation experienced by Palestinians every day under the Israeli occupation. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer

Kairos Palestine has drawn attention to the recent actions of the Israeli ‘emergency’ government. Under the cover of a ‘Coronavirus cabinet’ Israel has continued to use its policies of home demolitions, child arrests, and support for settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories despite the crisis. It is also intent on carrying out the annexation of around 30% of the West Bank by the 1st of July so that it can be carried out with the support from the Trump administration before the November US elections.

• Lord, we raise our voices together with the voice of Kairos Palestine. We pray for an end to the occupation of Palestine and that international lawmakers and governments around the world will actively condemn Israel for their plans to annex more Palestinian land. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Thursday, the 30th of April, Fatou Bensouda, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor, published her decision to affirm that Palestine is a state. A panel of three judges will now examine the case and the statements of a number of countries both in support of the Palestinians and of the Israelis before making a decision on whether the lengthy process of investigation into potential war crimes by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank can proceed.

• Lord, we pray for those invested with power to uphold the law at an international level, knowing that such responsibilities weigh heavily on the lawmakers. We remember that ‘whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor’ (Proverbs 21:21) Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

This month, the Catholic Church around the world celebrates the Virgin Mary, leading up to the feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary on the 31^st May.

• Lord, as the Catholic Church celebrates Mary, the mother of Jesus, we pray that peace, like the flowers used to crown the statues of Mary, is given the chance to bloom around the world and especially in Palestine at this challenging time. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

Lectionary Prayer

Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year A)

John 14:1-14

Heavenly Father,

You are the source of our life.

You have given us a wonderful world

and permeated it through and through

with your grace and your love.

You have promised that you will give us your Spirit,

to be with us as we journey through this life.

Yet, we confess the many times when

our eyes can’t see you,

can’t take you in,

can’t comprehend how you can be at work

in occupation and oppression, pain, disappointment and sorrow.

We need your Spirit to lift our sights to your wide horizons.

Teach us to pray with such openness to your Spirit that you make yourself plain to us.

Bring us to that place where we are willing

to place our lives in your keeping,

to submit to your life-changing love,

and to move with you into your large open spaces of salvation.

We ask these things in Jesus’ name, our light and our salvation, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit in the bright glory of the holy Trinity, forever and ever.

Amen

Sabeel Wave of Prayer 30.4.20

This week’s Kumi Now initiative focuses on the work of the Palestinian Center for  Development and Freedoms, MADA (www.madacenter.org). It was established as a nonprofit organisation in 2006, with its headquarters in Ramallah. It works to support and protect journalists in the Palestinian Territories. They are currently facing greater restrictions and suffer frequent assaults from the Israeli authorities as they try to go about their work.

• Lord, we thank you for the work of the MADA centre as they seek to help journalists to continue their witness. We thank you too for the courage of journalists as they shed light on the darker aspects of the occupation of Palestine, even at the cost of their own liberty. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The drastic cut in US aid under the Trump Administration has left hospitals in East Jerusalem seriously under-equipped and ill-prepared to deal with the COVID-19 virus. The Israeli government has been slow to respond to requests for help, and, until recent weeks, had not registered the number of cases in East Jerusalem or majority Arab cities within Israel. As Israel begins to lift restrictions, identifying and treating those with the virus is becoming more and more important.

• Lord, we cry out to you as we think of those living in cramped and impoverished places like East Jerusalem. We pray that this virus may not run like wildfire through such places. We pray too that the Israeli government will start to share their resources more equitably to limit the spread of the virus throughout the land. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown there has been a spike in the number of attacks by Jewish settlers, supported by the Israeli army, on Palestinians. There have already been twenty three settler attacks in April according to B’Tselem, despite the movement restrictions ordered countrywide.

• Lord, we pray for an end to these violent settler attacks and for the Israeli government’s tacit support for such actions by providing military support. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Monday the 20th of April virtual vandals disrupted the Holocaust Remembrance Zoom event organised by the Israeli Embassy in Germany. They posted anti-Semitic videos and images during the time they were logged in. The event, which hosted the Holocaust survivor Zvi Herschel, was suspended and reconvened shortly afterwards by invitation only. This incident was referred to as ‘Zoombombing’ and security measures are now being strengthened to protect such meetings.

• Lord, we are deeply saddened by such incidents of slander and hate. We pray for an end to these outbursts of abuse online and in person. We must remember to, ‘keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit’, (Psalm 34:13). Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Benjamin Netanyahu has secured his tenure as Israel’s longest serving prime minister. He has come to an agreement with his main opponent Benny Gantz. The initial plan was to set up an emergency government for six months to deal with the Covid 19 virus, however, the agreement signed was for a full term government with Netanyahu serving as prime minister for one and a half years and then Benny Gantz taking over. The annexation of large swathes of Palestinian land in the West Bank will be brought to a vote in the cabinet and the Knesset, as early as the 1st of July.

• Lord, we pray that international lawmakers and foreign governments around the world will speak out against the illegal land grab supported by Israel and the US. We pray that the Palestinian land will not be stolen while the world is distracted by the outbreak of the virus. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

The level of water in the Sea of Galilee has reached a sixteen year record high after an unusually wet winter. The level of the freshwater lake is just five inches below its capacity.

If it reaches its peak, predicted in early May, the Degania Dam, which regulates water flow to the Jordan River, will be opened.

• Lord, we look at the beautiful photographs of the Sea of Galilee this springtime in full flood with  trees appearing to grow out of the water. And yet the scenes are strangely empty and we remember the lockdown due to the virus and think of those confined to home and those suffering from lack of food and water. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

• We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia,Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Lectionary Prayer

John 10:1-10

Patient and loving God, we stand at the gates of lockdown and peer through.

We keep creating our own ways,

believing that we know what is in our own best interest,

and we ignore the voice of the one Shepherd who will guide us to peace and hope.

We wander aimlessly and then wonder why we get so lost.

Help us stop and listen to the Shepherd’s voice.

Let us place our trust in the Shepherd who has never failed us,

who loves and guides our lives.

Forgive us our stubbornness and stupidity.

For we ask this in Christ’s Name.

AMEN.

Sabeel Wave of Prayer 23.4.20

This week’s Kumi Now initiative looks at the work of the Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees, (DSPR). It is an ecumenical group run by the Middle East Council of Churches which was originally set up in 1948 as a result of the Nakba. The DSPR focuses on the chronic level of unemployment suffered by young Palestinians, especially those from refugee camps, due to discrimination and economic deprivation. They offer vocational training and start-up loans to empower young people and to enable them to earn an income.

• Dear Lord, we seek to serve you through the work of our hands and yet so many young people born in poverty are deprived of the dignity of work. Thank you for the work of the DSPR as they seek to support young people through vocational training and support. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

Many Israeli Arabs are working on  the  frontline of the fight against Covid-19 in Israel. They make up a fifth of the population in Israel, but have a high level of representation in the medical community with half of the country’s pharmacists, a quarter of its nurses and just under a fifth of its doctors. Israel is dependent on their care at this critical time, particularly to treat the outbreak of the virus among the country’s Jewish ultra-orthodox communities.

• Dear Lord, we thank you for the selfless professionalism of the medical staff who put their own lives at risk to help treat all those suffering from the Covid-19 virus, no matter their race or religion. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Tuesday, the 14th of April, the Israeli police raided a Covid-19 clinic which had been set up by Palestinians in Silwan, East Jerusalem. Israeli government rules mean that the Palestinian Authority are prevented from doing anything to support communities in occupied East Jerusalem. The  overcrowded living conditions in this area make it particularly susceptible to the rapid spread of the virus.

• Oh Lord, we pray that the Israeli government would work with the Palestinian Authority to help Palestinians test those in need of treatment and to help them access hospitals equipped to treat those suffering with the deadly virus. Lord, in your mercy..,hear our prayer.

The occupied and besieged populations of Palestine and Gaza are seen as extremely vulnerable by the World Health Organisation of a serious outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, as well as from the effects of the economic fallout. The NGO Who Profits? have released a new report which is monitoring and analysing the Covid-19 crisis in occupied Palestine, (whoprofits.org). Palestinians are experiencing a lack of testing kits, protective clothing and availability of intensive care beds. There are also serious concerns about the authorisation of heightened surveillance and the introduction of further repressive measures under the guise of ‘a state of emergency’.

• Lord, we pray for those who are  trying to survive under the occupation and we pray for those ‘writers who keep writing oppression’( Is10:1), that they would turn again and stop their harsh treatment of those in need. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On Wednesday, the 15th of April, Jewish settlers assaulted Palestinian shepherds as they grazed their sheep, east of Yatta, near Hebron. Under heavy military protection from the Israeli army, the settlers seriously injured one of the shepherds. Across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank there are between 500,000 and 600,000 Israeli settlers in illegal settlements, in violation of international law.

•  Dear Lord, we pray for those Palestinians living in the West Bank who have had to endure frequent violent attacks, damage to their land and property, including the uprooting of many olive trees. We pray for a cessation of these hate crimes and for the risk of spreading the contagious virus through the attacks. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

On the evening of Thursday, the 23rd of April, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins and ends on a month later with Eid al-Fitr. During this month Muslims will be fasting during daylight hours from dawn to sunset. This year will be especially difficult with restrictions preventing prayer in Mosques and no groups allowed to gather in homes for the evening iftar meal.

• We pray for our Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine as they start fasting for Ramadan. Many of them will be experiencing worry over lack of work, income and food, as well as concerns and grief over those close to them who are affected by the virus. Lord, in your mercy…hear our prayer.

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

Lectionary Prayer

Third Sunday of Easter (Year A)

Luke 24:13-35

Meet us, Lord, on the Emmaus road.

Guide us on the path toward our destination,

and renew our strength as we continue to walk with you.

Open our eyes, so we see the signs of your presence around us

despite occupation and fear;

Open our hearts, so we may receive your peace and love;

and empower us to pass on to others

the grace you have shared with us so freely.

Amen.