13.7.23
This week’s Kumi Now will consider the impact of Israel’s separation wall, also known as the apartheid wall. The illegality of the separation wall under international law was acknowledged by the UN resolution, (ES-10/15) passed on July 20th, 2004. And yet Israel continues to construct the wall, now over 700 km long. Most of the wall has been built on annexed Palestinian land and it cuts off many communities from their agricultural land, from neighbouring communities and from access to services. It has confined Palestinians to live in isolated areas, reminiscent of the Bantustans of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
- Lord Jesus, we pray for those suffering violence and oppression living under the Israeli occupation. We pray for your light to shine in their darkness and for hope for those living in the shadow of death.
Lord, in your mercy…
Friends of Sabeel North America will be hosting a nine day witness trip to the Holy Land with Sabeel from Saturday, the 8th of July until Monday, the 17th of July. The tour will be led by Jonathan Kuttab, international human rights lawyer and Executive Director of FOSNA together with Nyle Fort, a minister and Assistant Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University, New York.
- Lord, we pray that the participants in the FOSNA tour will be led to share all they have witnessed on their return home. We pray they will be inspired to work for non-violent change to establish a just and lasting peace in Palestine/Israel.
Lord, in your mercy..
Sabeel’s ninth Young Adult’s Conference will take place in Jerusalem from the 18th-27th July. The conference will feature the work of various organisations, including
Kairos Palestine, Bethlehem Bible College, Dar al-Kalima and Sabeel. Ways of extending the Kumi Now initiative to an international movement will be explored.
- Lord, we pray that the young adults attending this conference will be inspired in their future work for peace advocacy by following the principles of inclusivity, justice and non-violence.
Lord, in your mercy…
Residents of the Jenin Refugee Camp are taking stock of the full devastation caused by the large scale Israeli military operation carried out on the 3rd and 4th of July. Twelve Palestinians were killed by gunshot wounds or air strikes, including five children. One hundred and twenty Palestinians were wounded, including twenty with critical injuries. One Israeli soldier was killed in the attack. Four thousand refugees were displaced from the crowded camp, which is home to fourteen thousand refugees. Entire streets, sewage, water and electricity networks were destroyed when Israeli bulldozers were sent into the narrow alleyways to make way for Israeli army vehicles.
- Lord, we pray for all those who were bereaved in the Israeli attack and for recovery for those who have been seriously injured. We pray for the thousands of refugees who were terrorised by the military assault. It will have revived bitter memories of the Nakba for many refugees as, yet again, they are left homeless and destitute.
Lord, in your mercy..
On Thursday, the 6th of July, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres condemned Israel’s excessive use of force in its attack on Jenin in the occupied West Bank. He called on Israel to, ’abide by its obligations under international law’ to, ‘exercise restraint and use only proportional force’. He went on to state that the use of airstrikes in a densely populated area is, ‘ inconsistent with the conduct of law enforcement operations’.
- Lord, we pray that the Israeli government will pay attention to the UN condemnation and stop the escalation of violence and bloodshed. We pray that Israel will fulfil its duty as the occupying power to ensure the civilian population under its authority is protected against acts of violence.
Lord, in your mercy..
On the 30th of May, 2020, Iyad Hallaq, a 32-year old Palestinian man with autism was shot dead by an Israeli policeman in the Old City of Jerusalem. Even though the policeman was told of the Palestinian’s disability, he still went ahead and shot him. Initially the policeman claimed Iyad had been holding a suspicious object, but he later acknowledged that Iyad was unarmed. Last week the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem acquitted the policeman from any wrongdoing and simply stated that he had ‘acted recklessly”.
- Lord, we bring Iyad’s family and friends before you and pray for them as they grieve over his violent death. We are deeply saddened that Israeli judicial system has not given any redress for this extrajudicial killing.
Lord, in your mercy..
- We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Lord, in your mercy..