Statement on the Current Threat to the Christian Presence in the Holy Land

On December 13, 2021 the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issued a Statement on the Current Threat to the Christian Presence in the Holy Land.

Tell the President: Increased settlement activity undermines peace prospects

Take Action Today

While considerable attention was rightly being given last month to the Israeli government’s attacks on six prominent Palestinian human rights groups, Israel was also stepping up its plans to expand settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

On Oct. 24 the Israeli Housing Ministry published tenders for new construction of 1,418 homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and despite objections from the State Department, on Oct. 27 the Israeli Civil Administration also advanced plans for 3,130 settlement units in 25 settlements in the West Bank. Axios reported, “Senior Israeli officials admit that the U.S. position on settlements was tougher than they had expected, but note that the criticism is coming mainly from the State Department, with the White House not weighing in publicly for now.”

Also last month, pressure increased on Palestinians living in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where Israeli settlers have sought to evict Palestinian residents. The Israeli Supreme Court issued a proposed agreement to settle the dispute by Nov. 2, but the Palestinian residents rejected the court’s proposal. In another development, Israeli authorities started holding hearings to advance the construction of the E-1 settlement, a long-pending project, which, if built, would disconnect East Jerusalem from the West Bank and create two dis-contiguous areas, splitting the northern section from the southern section of the West Bank. Settler violence during the olive harvest season (now underway) goes on mostly unchecked by Israeli forces, evidence of state collusion that B’Tselem has described as “a major informal tool at the hands of the state to take over more and more West Bank land.” Documentation of this pattern is a further example that underscores the need for and importance of reliance on local human rights organizations for objective and accurate documentation and analysis.

Altogether these illegal, unilateral actions intensify pressure on Palestinians, their families, their homes and their lands under occupation, in contravention to the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (1949), by “altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem” (United Nations Security Council resolution 2334 [2016]).

They also undermine further prospects for a negotiated final status agreement that respects the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.

TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION AND URGE PRESIDENT BIDEN TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, STATING THAT THESE OR OTHER UNILATERAL STEPS ARE ILLEGAL UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW AND MAKE THE PROSPECTS FOR ACHIEVING A NEGOTIATED FINAL STATUS AGREEMENT MORE DIFFICULT.

Advent Pilgrimage in Palestine

Join us this Advent Season on the WAY to Bethlehem: Prepare, Journey, Arrive, Witness

Are you looking for an Advent resource for your home or church? The Advent Pilgrimage in Palestine is up and ready for you to use!

Advent Pilgrimage in Palestine: a four-week virtual pilgrimage from the ELCA’s Peace Not Walls and Young Adult Ministry teams featuring young adult voices from the ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

What is “the way to Bethlehem,” as Advent practice, and as Christian engagement in Palestine? What does it mean for us as Christians, and for the church, to be called to resist the injustice of “the way things are” in favor of following the disruptive and transformative way of the Lord? What does it mean for us to be “on the way”?

This resource is available to everyone, regardless of age. You can use this resource as an individual or as a leader for a group gathering during Advent.

You can register here for the Monday Nov 22 Opening Webinar and to receive the resources directly.

All of the resources are here: explore the tabs to find the elements you want to use.

You will find:

Videos: five 5-minute videos (an intro and then 1 video for each week of Advent focused on a specific word and Biblical text)

Bible Study: includes Biblical text, discussion questions, centering and closing prayers for each gathering

Leaders Guide: suggestions for how to structure the group meeting time

Contributors: bios of the video presenters

Leader Webinar recording

What’s next: Ways to learn more and connect with advocacy opportunities through Peace Not Walls

ELCA opposes designation of Palestinian HR groups as terrorist organizations

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America joins 14 other Churches and church-based organizations in a letter to Secretary of State Blinken to express concerns about the recent Israeli decision to label key Palestinian human rights and civil society organizations as “terrorist organizations.”

“As Churches and church-based organizations we unequivocally reject this move and call on you to both
demand its immediate reversal and to insist on protection for Palestinian civil society and human rights
defenders.”

Read the full letter here.

Tell Congress to pass H.R. 2590

September 2021

Tell Congress to pass H.R. 2590. Send a message to your lawmaker through the ELCA Action Center.

Israel’s new government is in place, and its prime minister, Naftali Bennett, visited President Biden in the White House late last month, attempting to reset Israeli-U.S. relations. Bennett has voiced his opposition to creating a Palestinian state and his support for settlement expansion in the West Bank, both of which violate international laws and conventions and conflict with Biden’s approach. Even so, Biden asserted the “unshakable” nature of the U.S.-Israel relationship and pledged that “the U.S. will always be there for Israel.” As Bennett and Biden seek to establish an amicable rapport, a just and lasting solution for Palestinians and Israelis seems as distant as ever, with neither leader seemingly intent on engaging the core issues.

Meanwhile, with the federal fiscal year coming to a close at the end of this month and next year’s federal budget due, this is an opportune time to consider allocations to advance foreign policy priorities. President Biden has made clear that, for him, human rights, equality and democracy are guiding principles in U.S. foreign policy, and he has demonstrated some willingness to act on those principles, holding up arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over their involvement in the Yemen civil war. Now is the time to hold Israel accountable to human rights standards and adopt H.R. 2590 that addresses Israeli violations as well.

In May, Rep. Betty McCollum introduced H.R. 2590, the Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act, which would prohibit Israeli use of U.S. financial aid to detain, abuse or ill-treat Palestinian children in Israeli detention; to seize or destroy Palestinian homes and property; or to annex Palestinian land and territory, all of which violate international humanitarian law. Many of our Lutheran churches and agencies have offered support for this resolution, and to date it has 29 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives.

This fall, children in the Northern Hemisphere started a new school year. During the first week of school in Bethlehem, four Palestinian youth were arrested in a night raid, and Israel has withheld information about their detentions from their families — in violation of Article 9 of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Israel and the United States are both signatories. Already in September, Israel has demolished at least three Palestinian homes and properties in Silwan and in the Bethlehem area. The settlement expansion favored by Prime Minister Bennett is a de facto annexation of Palestinian land, the sort Israel has undertaken for decades.

Israel must be held accountable, and the United States has the leverage to do so, given the presidential administration’s stated commitment to human rights, existing U.S. foreign assistance laws, and the aid that the United States sends to Israel.

Urge your congressional representative to support H.R. 2590, which prevents your taxes from being used to support violations of international human rights law.

Meet Your Congressional Representatives and Senators During Their August Recess

Through most of August, the U.S. Congress will be in recess. In lieu of an action alert, this month we urge you to take advantage of the recess to schedule meetings with your representative and senators through their local offices or to attend town hall meetings.

At these meetings, you can advocate for H.R. 2590, the “Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act,” and encourage them to co-sponsor the bill. Emphasize that it aims to promote equality and justice by demanding steps to ensure that no U.S. funds support abuses of Palestinians’ human rights. Passing this bill can help end U.S. complicity in the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Additionally, we ask that you call attention to critical issues facing Palestinians, including:

Detention and torture of Palestinian children within the Israeli military court system.
The need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and for equal access to medical care and COVID-19 vaccines throughout the West Bank and Gaza.
Freedom of movement for medical patients ― for example, from Gaza to East Jerusalem to receive medical care at Augusta Victoria Hospital ― and an end to the Gaza blockade.
Home demolitions and forced displacements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Expanding settlements and actions resulting in the de facto and illegal annexation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israel must be held accountable to its international obligations as an occupying power. Urge your representative and senators to protect the human rights of Palestinians and end unconditional military aid to Israel. The Israeli occupation, supported by the United States, must end for us to move toward justice. We can end the continued suffering of the Palestinian people if we push our elected officials to demand change.

Advocacy Summer School

Through advocacy, the ELCA community can create lasting, systemic change. If you want to get involved in faith-based advocacy, but aren’t sure where to begin, sign up for Advocacy Summer School. The five-part online series is being offered by ELCA advocacy, in collaboration with ELCA Peace Not Walls.

The first session will take place on August 11. It will paint a picture of what advocacy is and how advocacy is shaped with a faith foundation, especially as members and affiliates of the ELCA. Future sessions will cover ways to carry out advocacy work and specific policy issues where the Lutheran community can make an impact.

Sign up for one session or all five to learn about how we can lift our voices together to advance the common good. Each virtual session will include a 30-minute virtual presentation followed by an optional question & answer session for 15 minutes.

**NOTE** you have to register for each session to receive a unique zoom link for each session.

SESSION 1: Wed. Aug. 11 at 2 p.m. EDT

Wondering about how advocacy fits into our Christian and Lutheran presence in policy discussions? Session 1 of Advocacy Summer School will paint a picture of what advocacy is and how advocacy is shaped with a faith foundation, especially as members and affiliates of the ELCA. With discussions, examples, and ways to connect, register for “What is faith-based advocacy?” today!

SESSION 2: Wed. Aug. 18 at 2 p.m. EDT

If you want to be part of moving the needle on a policy matter, Session 2 of Advocacy Summer School can demystify and encourage your participation in the process. Knowledge from ELCA advocacy and Capitol Hill staff as well as state and personal experiences will help you understand this access point with policy decision makers. Register for “How do I approach policy makers?” soon!

SESSION 3: Wed. Aug. 25 at 2 p.m. EDT

Gaining attention for your advocacy aims can amplify your efforts. Tips for using op eds, letters to the editor, event attention and social media are among topics highlighted during “How Do I Use Media for Impact?”, Session 3 of Advocacy Summer School.

SESSION 4: Wed. Sept. 1 at 2 p.m. EDT

Hear from ELCA Peace Not Walls network members, partners and staff for a faith-centric update on what is happening in the region and with Lutheran affiliated ministry. This issue-specific Session 4 of the ELCA Advocacy Summer School series will help update your appreciation of current issues as we walk alongside our siblings in the Holy Land.

SESSION 5: Wed. Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. EDT

The human journey of children of God lurches many of us on a passage as immigrants. Hear about root causes and experience of individuals and ministries, including the ELCA AMMPARO strategy – an acronym that mirrors the word “amparo” in Spanish that means the protection of a living creature from suffering or damage – and ways policy intersects with immigration pressures. This issue-specific Session 5 of the ELCA Advocacy Summer School series will highlight current realities.

ALAMEH statement on recent violence in Jerusalem and Gaza

The Association of Lutherans of Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage (ALAMEH) issued a statement today regarding the situation in Palestine and Israel.

ALAMEH encourages us to learn more about the situation: “If you want to help, the first step is to become informed. Seek out Middle Eastern members of your community who have a direct connection to the Holy Land. Engage your heart and mind, and take the time to read and understand beyond the headlines. Then contact your elected
representatives and make your voice heard.”

Read the full statement here: Statement of ALAMEH concerning the recent violence in Jerusalem and Gaza

Video: Support Peace with Justice in Palestine and Israel

“Violence between Israelis and Palestinians that we have witnessed in the past couple of days is a shocking escalation of the conflict…” begins Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton in this video message. “In the context of Israel and Palestine, we are seeking a positive peace: peace with justice where human dignity is upheld and human rights are protected. We have a responsibility as people of faith who see all – Christians, Jews, and Muslims – created in the image of God to love our neighbor and to work for the common good.”

Use the Action Alert at https://bit.ly/ELCASupportPeace from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Peace Not Walls campaign to express your concerns and convictions to the president and lawmakers at this urgent and specific moment.

Here you can read the full video transcript: Peace in Palestine and Israel video transcript.

COVID-19: “Tree of Life” initiative launched by Palestinian bishop

Prompted to remember those who have died of the virus, Bishop Azar launched a memorial to plant an olive or native tree for every person lost to COVID-19. The Tree of Life initiative was announced in December and launched in late March. The initiative is managed the Environmental Education Center, an educational ministry of the ELCJHL.

Read the full Lutheran World Federation story here.