This Lent, US Lutherans Are Learning a New Palestinian Practice: Sumud
An Arab word meaning ‘steadfastness,’ the Sumud devotional offers churches a six-week study to raise awareness of Israel’s military rule over Palestinians.
Trump Renamed the Gulf of Mexico. Pro-Israel Christian Groups Hope the West Bank Is Next.
Pro-Israel evangelicals and some members of Congress want to use the biblical names Judea and Samaria for what is now known as the West Bank.
Bethlehem Plans Another Somber Christmas Under the Shadow of War in Gaza
For the second straight year, Christmas celebrations will be somber and muted: no giant Christmas tree in Manger Square, no raucous scout marching bands, no public lights twinkling, and very few public decorations or displays.
As Wars Rage Around Them, Armenian Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City Feel the Walls Closing In
The small Christian community has begun to fracture under pressure from forces they say threaten them and the multifaith character of the Old City.
‘Advent Not Arms’ Prayer Vigil Presses for Peace in the Middle East
Leaders from a variety of denominations and organizations gathered on International Human Rights Day to call for Christians to stand for justice and dignity for Palestinians.
From DC to the Vatican, Baby Jesus Is Wearing a Keffiyeh
The pro-Palestinian creche is intended to point out the disconnect between the idealized Bethlehem of most representations and the reality in present-day Gaza and the West Bank.
West Bank Christian Woman Leads Resistance to Settlers’ Seizure of Family’s Land
Alice Kisiya leads an interfaith effort to defend her family’s land against encroachment by Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
Heads of Churches Say Israeli Government Is Demanding They Pay Property Tax, Upsetting Status Quo
There are 182,000 Christians in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and 1,300 in Gaza, according to the U.S. State Department. The vast majority are Palestinians.
We Must Remember the Palestinian Nakba
May 15, 1948 — 75 years ago — a human rights travesty began. Palestinians and those of us who are in solidarity with their liberation and human rights movement commemorate what is referred to as the Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic.
Bethlehem Welcomes Christmas Tourists After Pandemic Lull
Christmas is normally peak season for tourism in Bethlehem, located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank just a few miles southeast of Jerusalem. In pre-pandemic times, thousands of pilgrims and tourists from around the world came to celebrate.