May 15 brings celebration and lament in the Holy Land
May 15, the day Israelis and most of the world celebrate the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 every year, is a painful day for Palestinians, whose experience of that day and history is very different from...
Build up the Schools through the ELCJHL Libraries Project
http://youtu.be/5q3xHE9D9dc The schools of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) have been providing excellent education for students in Palestinian communities since 1851 – regardless of gender, race, religion, or ability to pay. They were the...
Israel admits it covertly revoked residency rights of 140,000 Palestinians
May 11, 2011 – An article in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz by Akiva Elder today reveals that Israel revoked residency rights of 140,000 Palestinians who traveled abroad between 1967 and 1994 without telling the Palestinians what they were doing. When Palestinians left, they...
Press conference on new UN report: Palestinian presence threatened in East Jerusalem
Ray Dolphin, Barrier Specialist at the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for the occupied Palestinian territory and author of a new report called East Jerusalem: Key Humanitarian Concerns, held a press conference Monday, May 9, highlighting findings...
“The Bookseller of Jerusalem” Fighting for Right to Live in Home Town
Imagine that you were told you were not allowed to live in the city in which you were born or grew up. That is what has happened to 14,000 East Jerusalem Palestinians since the Israeli occupation began in 1967, and...
Non-Violence Post-Bin Laden
In his article “Bin Laden Killed, Americans Celebrate”…beyond the dispute, Glen Gersmehl discusses some of the questions raised post-Bin Laden. Drawing on his experience working within high crime communities as well as his international peace work he explores the ways...
ELCA Bishop Calls For ‘Solemn Remembrance’ in Response to Bin Laden Death
In a May 2 statement to ELCA members, ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson urged remembrance of those who have died because of Bin Laden’s choices “of hatred and violence” and those who continue to mourn their loss. He also reminded us of our...
A Unity Government for an Emerging Palestinian State?
The April 27 news that Palestinian factions have taken steps toward a unity government (see Fatah and Hamas Announce Outline of Deal) has created a storm of reactions, especially in the Israeli and United States governments. There have been similar...
ELCA Presiding Bishop Joins Interfaith Call for Middle East Peace
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and 32 Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders, said in a letter that a new peace initiative by former Israeli government, intelligence and security officials offers...
Reflecting on Arab World Citizen Activism
As part of our academic careers my husband and I had the privilege twice of living and teaching in the Arab Muslim world and thus have special interest in news reports from the region. While in Syria we experienced the...