The Writing on the Wall
From Pastor Fred Strickert of the English-speaking Redeemer Lutheran Church in Jerusalem comes a blog post, the Writing on the Wall: A report “Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds,” was recently released by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence....
Tell your representative no on punishing Palestine
This new alert from Churches for Middle East Peace urges constituents to contact their members of congress and dissuade them from signing on to a letter to President Obama that would punish Palestinians for their successful bid to raise their...
Pastor Ashraf Tannous on life in Palestine
httpv://youtu.be/TXMOYdNFGp4 Pastor Ashraf Tannous is the newest pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. He is serving the Lutheran Church in Beit Sahour. Here he discusses his life and feelings as a Palestinian Christian from...
Advent: Reflections from Bethlehem and devotional materials
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bNqaZwXLVo&feature=share&list=UU9FKTVBng6XeDUEArww1S3g Pastor Mitri Raheb of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem shares an advent greeting from the Holy Land. Christmas Lutheran does a simulcast Christmas Service between Bethlehem and the National Cathedral in Washington DC each year. Find out more about this...
Amendments to cut aid to Palestine unsuccessful
Recently, three amendments were proposed in the Senate which would have cut aid to Palestine, including $370 million for budget support for the Palestinian Authority. This would probably have affected vital organizations like Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem. The amendments were in...
Images reveal settlement growth over the years
In this Haaretz article current plans for Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank are further explained. Check out this article for interactive maps that show settlement expansion over the years in Har Gilo, Har Homa, and Ma’aleh Adumim.
Givat Hamatos: newest Israeli settlement in southeast Jerusalem slated for final approval
The Jerusalem Municipality is expected to give final approval for a new settlement called Givat Hamatos near Bethlehem and Beit Safafa. It will be the first completely detached settlement built within the Green Line since Har Homa near Bethlehem. Givat...
Palestine becomes UN non-member state with observer status; Israel to build 3000 new settlement units
In an historic vote at the United Nations Thursday, Nov. 29, exactly 65 years after passing the Partition Plan for Palestine, the General Assembly voted by a huge majority to recognize Palestine within the 1967 borders as a non-member state with...
Bishop Hanson urges Pres. Obama to support upcoming Palestinian bid at UN
In a letter to President Obama on Nov. 26, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson advocates for the US to support the upcoming Palestinian bid for non-member observer state status at the UN in the General Assembly: With the...
Israel and Hamas: Fire and Ceasefire in a New Middle East – International Crisis Group
The International Crisis Group analyzes the politics and new realities of the Gaza situation post-Arab Spring: For now, the immediate objective must be to ensure fighting truly stops and that the other commitments mentioned in the ceasefire agreement are fulfilled....