Taybeh, the only entirely Christian village in the West Bank and believed to be the biblical town of Ephraim, has recently come under attack by Israeli settlers. According to local church leaders, settlers have set fires that damaged historic sites and crops, aiming to undermine the residents\u2019 dignity and the sanctity of the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Redeemer Christ, we lift up to you the cries of Taybeh, the town once called Ephraim, where you found refuge before facing the cross. Today, we seek that same refuge in you. Restore to the oppressed what empire tries to destroy. Be with the people of Taybeh as they face violence and desecration. May the faith of this village, rooted in centuries of witness, shine even brighter in the face of injustice. Let those who seek to erase dignity be transformed by truth, and may peace rise from the ashes with the power of your resurrection. July 9th was the 20th year anniversary of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. Over the past two decades, the BDS movement has empowered people of conscience to apply nonviolent pressure aimed at ending Israel\u2019s impunity and global complicity in violations of international law. Last week, two young Palestinian men, 23-year-old Muhammad Shalabi and 20-year old Sayfollah Musallet, were beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah. One of the men, Sayfollah, was a U.S. citizen from Tampa who was visiting his family. While instances of settlers burning and ransacking Palestinian towns has been more common since October 7, 2023, the last few weeks saw widespread settler and military pogroms across the West Bank that have injured dozens of Palestinians, including children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Holy God, we lift before you the lives of Muhammad Shalabi and Sayfollah Musallet. We mourn their loss and pray for comfort for all families affected by the expanding attacks on the West Bank. Give us courage to confront this evil, to refuse silence, and to stand in solidarity with the oppressed. May our mourning lead to action, and may their names be remembered in the struggle for peace rooted in justice. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the Israeli army to prepare a plan to forcibly relocate 600,000 Palestinians in Gaza to Rafah, as a first step towards later \u201cconcentrating\u201d all of Gaza\u2019s population in the area. Palestinians would be screened before entering the zone and would not be allowed to leave in what human rights experts have called concentration camps. The desire to expel millions of Palestinians has been expressed for months and efforts have already taken place even prior to the announced plan, including with military operations that have pushed 86.1 percent of Gaza Strip into militarized zones or forced evacuation orders. A few weeks ago, the United States officially closed its Office of Palestinian Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. The Office of Palestinian Affairs previously gave the Palestinian Authority a dedicated US representative and a direct line to Washington without going through the US ambassador to Israel. Under its new name, \u201cU.S. Embassy Jerusalem \u2013 Palestinian Audiences,\u201d the department will operate under the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who has openly dismissed Palestinian identity. The closure is simply a continuation of the systematic downgrading of US-Palestinian relations that began during Trump\u2019s first term. Friends and activists in the Netherlands held a liturgical demonstration last week at the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN). Around 250 people, many of them pastors, showed up to protest PKN\u2019s silence and inaction on genocide in Gaza. At the protest, Friends of Sabeel in the Netherlands read a statement from Sabeel\u2019s director Omar Haramy. This protest came just after the second Red Line demo, where 150,000 people in the Netherlands gathered to call upon the Dutch government for a clear position on Gaza and against Israeli violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Lord in your mercy\u2026hear our prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
God of the oppressed, we give thanks for the global witness of the BDS movement. We remember that this movement, like the one that helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa, is rooted in the deep, moral cry for freedom, equality, and dignity. As we recommit ourselves to nonviolent resistance, help root us in the radical love of Christ. May we confront systems of domination not with hatred and violence, but with holy indignation, organized hope, and deep solidarity.
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Lord in your mercy\u2026hear our prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Lord in your mercy\u2026hear our prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Merciful God, even in our utmost grief, we can never fathom the trauma of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, who have experienced multiple Nakbas in their lifetime and will experience yet another one. Yet, you know each soul in Gaza and feel their pain. Hold close those who are vulnerable and threatened. Holy Spirit, inspire the global community to act with urgency and compassion to prevent further suffering.
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Lord in your mercy\u2026hear our prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holy God, we grieve the continued acts of erasure by empire, whose deepening disregard for Palestinian identity and dignity only remind us that justice will never come from those in power. In the face of empire, help us to remain steadfast in your promise of liberation. Strengthen those who continue to speak truth from the margins, and awaken the world to answer the call for justice.
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Lord in your mercy\u2026hear our prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n