Thousands gathered Saturday in Nazareth to protest a failed bombing attempt by a Jewish family Friday night at the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where Christians had gathered for traditional Lenten prayers. Fortunately, the homemade mixture of fireworks, flammable liquids and a jar of marbles and nails to serve as shrapnel didn’t explode properly, … [Read more…]
“Accompany Israeli and Palestinian leaders with courage and patience in a direction that will give their people cause for hope,” World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia says today in a letter to members of the UN Security Council’s “Middle East Quartet”. letter comes at “a critical juncture in the Israeli-Palestinian … [Read more…]
There have been “forbidden roads” for a long time now – within Palestinian land – that Palestinians are not allowed to drive on. They are by-pass roads for Israeli settlers only. Now a new military order prohibits Palestinians living in the West Bank from entering Israeli via any route other than one of the 11 … [Read more…]
Hundreds attended the Enthronement of His Beattitude Theophilos III as the new Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem on Tuesday, Nov. 22. The Church went ahead with the ceremony despite the fact that Israel has not yet recognized the appointment, a necessary step in the process for him to have standing in Israel. The last Patriarch, … [Read more…]
This year we were blessed to celebrate the Jewish High Holidays at the same time as the Holy Month of Ramadan. Both Ramadan and Yom Kippur call for repentance and fasting, and Sukkot invites pondering the wanderings in this life, as it commemorates the Hebrews wandering homeless in the wilderness of Sinai after their deliverance … [Read more…]
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met an LWF delegation led by President Bishop Mark S. Hanson; General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko; and Vice-President for the Asia region, Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan in the PA offices in Gaza City September 3. He praised the LWF for its continued efforts to work for peace, justice and … [Read more…]
The same leaders met with Israeli President Moshe Katsav to discuss the future of Middle East peace, conditions of the Palestinian people and the status of the AVH tax case. Katsav spoke of the importance and the trauma of the Gaza disengagement for his people, and said that because of this a “historic opportunity” is … [Read more…]
Twenty-five Catholic bishops through-out the Middle East and Africa have called for a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Israel and Palestine on Dec. 22 and for urgent action by the Christian world to do more to make peace. Bishop Dr. Munib Younan of the ELCJ, serving in Palestine, Jordan and Israel, has … [Read more…]
On March 23, 2004, Bishop Younan was the first of four lecturers in a series of cultural and religious events in Milan, Italy. Speaking on the topic “Co-Existence in Jerusalem and the Middle East,” Bishop Younan stated: “Jerusalem does not need walls. Jerusalem needs more places for bringing people together for mutual understanding. Christians around … [Read more…]
A Message from Jerusalem 26 March, 1999 We Palestinian Christians of the Holy Land dedicate this day, Friday, March 26, 1999, as a day of prayer and fasting for our city Jerusalem. Jerusalem today, is an occupied city. It came under Israeli sovereignty by a unilateral Israeli decision that violates international law and the consensus … [Read more…]