I hope this note finds you well! My name is Laura Poetzel, and I work as a programs coordinator with the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice, an institute of the Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem, Palestine. I’ve attached our Public Engagement Director, Daniel Bannoura, to this email as well.
We are hosting a conference called Church at the Crossroads this November 5-7 in Atlanta (at Grace Midtown Church) which, while welcoming of all audiences, aims especially to engage evangelicals with Palestinian Christians and provide a space to wrestle with questions about Palestine, Israel, the war and genocide in Gaza, and beyond (I’ve attached an official conference ‘blurb’ below).
This is the second iteration of the Church at the Crossroads conference, with the first being held in Glen Ellyn, Illinois last September. During this conference, a local Mennonite church (Lombard Mennonite, which I personally attended as a university student:) generously helped support the conference by providing some trained de-escalator volunteers from their congregation; these folks were stationed in different locations during the conference to help navigate any conflictual interactions.
We would love to invite your congregation to join us as attendees this November, and we would also be curious in having a conversation around whether you would have trained de-escalators as part of your congregation who would be interested in supporting us in this way. However, if this is not something that your congregation would feel comfortable or able to do, that is completely understandable.
Please let me know if you would be interested in a conversation, and regardless thank you for your time and consideration!
For many American Christians, the voices of Palestinian Christians have been almost entirely absent from conversations about Israel and Palestine.
Church at the Crossroads is an opportunity to change that.
Meet pastors, theologians, and ministry leaders whose communities have worshiped in the Holy Land since the earliest centuries. Hear how they read Scripture, understand the gospel, and follow Jesus amid one of the world’s longest-running conflicts. Along the way, you’ll wrestle honestly with the biblical questions many evangelicals are asking about Israel, the Church, the land, justice, peace, and faithful discipleship.
Join us November 5–7 in Atlanta for a conversation rooted in Scripture, shaped by the witness of the historic Church, and open to honest questions.
They treat the wounds of my people as if it were nothing. They say, “Peace, Peace, when there is no peace.” 1 Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith. 2
As Central District Conference Anabaptist Mennonites, we believe that all human beings are made in the image of God. As followers of Jesus and his gospel of reconciliation, we long for peace, security, and the well-being of all people living in Israel/Palestine. We affirm the spirit of the 2017 MCUSA “Seeking Peace in Israel and Palestine” Resolution.
We believe in caring for those who are undergoing suffering. Palestinian Christians have cried out with one voice from the depths of despair as they confront the U.S.-funded Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza through the Kairos Palestine II – A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide document (Kairos II). This document was written by Palestinian Christians and shared at the Kairos Palestine conference on November 14, 2025, in Bethlehem. From the birthplace of Christ, the land of the incarnation of the Word, and the cradle of love, mercy, and justice, Kairos II is a call to “learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the oppressed.” 3 God the Creator and source of love for all, stands in solidarity with and takes the side of the oppressed, the victims of all forms of injustice and tyranny from every nation regardless of race, religion, or nationality. 4 We stand on the mission of the church that is made manifest in joining the work of God’s reign through the pursuit of peace, the defense of the oppressed, and doing good in our communities and the world.
As followers of Jesus, our faith convicts us to speak the truth as to what is happening to the Palestinian people, both on the West Bank and in Gaza. We echo the findings from many scholars and human rights groups, including Palestinian and Israeli groups, that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. All reports from Gaza and the West Bank indicate that Israel has not upheld its obligations under the so-called “ceasefire” and continues to destroy Palestinian life and property. Recognizing this truth, and our complicity, we commit to divesting ourselves financially from the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide and theologically from Christian Zionism
We believe in the practice of lament. *We lament and denounce the slaughter of Israelis by Hamas on October 7, 2023. We lament our complicity, as Americans, whose tax dollars fund this genocide against Palestinians, and as Christians whose theology has been used to justify it. May God help us lament with the Palestinian people all the ongoing loss of lives, institutions (churches, mosques), hospitals, art, sports, education (universities, schools, day care centers), economy (markets, businesses) and more in Israel’s ongoing genocide against them.
*Upon further reflection at their meeting on August 7, 2026, the Board of Directors replaced the word ‘slaughter’ with ‘killing’ to better reflect the reality of October 7, 2023.
Hope
My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. 5
We seek to collaborate with the Holy Spirit and witness to the kingdom of God, where everyone is
valued and has what they need for flourishing, and we seek to resist actions and ideas that do not work
towards the things that make for true, lasting peace. To hold on to faith and hope is resistance. To pray is
resistance. To help safeguard all places on earth for sustainable living is resistance. To promote and live peace is resistance. 6 We affirm the sanctity of life and the duty to care for creation. We are called to live in
coexistence with creation and to care for our siblings living under oppression. 7
We hope for cooperation and mutual care between various Christian expressions. Just as Jesus
prayed for his disciples, that they would be one, 8 the writing of Kairos II from different denominations of
Christianity, demonstrated that unity across differences can be possible.
We hope for love and understanding between all the Abrahamic faith traditions, Christian, Jewish,
and Muslim, that our differences in stories and traditions, interpretations of sacred texts, sacred places and sacred ways, might enrich
one another’s lives and be used to support one another’s practice.
We hope for a more close-knit relationship between the congregations within Central District
Conference and with our Christian siblings around the world as we work toward justice and peace for our
siblings in Palestine.
We hope for members in Central District Conference to speak the truth in love about this and every
matter of importance. When there is disagreement, we hope for openness to dialogue and genuine
curiosity about the other, not to confuse firmness of conviction with the need to compete with those with
whom we disagree.
Love
But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God. 9
We cannot love what we do not know. All CDC congregations are encouraged to read and study
Kairos II itself, and make use of the
Kairos II Study guide
, which walks you through the powerful
statement from our Palestinian Christian siblings.
Answer the call to Boycott, Divestments, and Sanctions (BDS). In line with the call from Kairos II,
CDC members are urged to support creative non-violent resistance, including educating congregants and
pastors about boycott campaigns and investment justice tools, such as the American Friends Service
Committee’s Investigate and Everence’s “Peace in Palestine and Israel fund,” to divest from Israeli
apartheid and genocide.
We do not walk alone. All CDC members are encouraged to join (or create) a local
Mennonite Action
group engaging in advocacy and connect with the
Mennonite Palestine-Israel Network
which maintains
relationships and resources congregations. All members are encouraged to join and support this living
action by creative non-violent resistance with those who have been organizing for years. Develop local
relationships with Palestinians in or near your
community (such as, students at colleges and through cultural centers), as a way of practicing ongoing
solidarity through befriending and caring about the ongoing nature of the Palestinian struggle.
The primary principle of our faith is to love 10 our neighbors and our enemies. 11 As we work to respond,
let us always keep alive the question “what is the most loving action we can take in this circumstance?”
Love calls us to just actions on behalf of the oppressed Palestinian people, centered in non-violent, love
oriented movement with those causing harm. Be encouraged to follow this love to creatively come up with
your own congregation’s ways of practicing active, ongoing solidarity.
______________________________
1 Jeremiah 4:16 2 Habakkuk 2:4 3 Kairos II (3.1), Isaiah 1:17 4 Kairos II (3.2), Luke 4:18-19 5 Lamentations 3:20-22 6 Kairos II (2.3) 7 Kairos II (2.6) 8 John 17:21 9 Jude 1:20-21a 10 Mark 12:28-34 11 Luke 6:27-36
I, together with my father, Mr. Khalil Al-Halabi, visited one of the oldest churches in the Middle East to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our Christian brothers and sisters in Gaza on the occasion of Easter. It was a visit filled with humanity and warmth, as we were received with genuine hospitality that reflects the deep bonds of love and coexistence among the people of this land.
What was most moving and inspiring is that this church has become more than a place of worship, it has transformed into a safe haven, sheltering both Muslim and Christian displaced families who have lost their homes, embodying in the truest sense the unity of pain and hope.
The walls of this church stand as witnesses to profound sacrifices, to those who were martyred within it, Muslims and Christians alike, during the period of genocide in Gaza, writing in their blood a story of unbreakable unity. We also heard from families how the church extended a helping hand, providing food to those under siege and striving to save children from hunger and thirst, an act of humanity that will forever remain etched in memory.
In this spirit, we recall the words of Allah Almighty:
“And you will surely find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, ‘We are Christians.’ That is because among them are priests and monks, and because they are not arrogant.”
[Surah Al-Ma’idah: 82]
This verse comes alive in such places, where hearts unite before identities, and humanity rises above all divisions.
Wishing our Christian brothers and sisters a blessed Easter, and may this occasion bring hope, peace, and renewed strength. May Gaza always remain a symbol of unity, resilience, and shared humanity.
Abuna [Father] Firas Khoury of the Melkite Catholic Parish in Zababdeh, Northern West Bank, is seeking “friendly parishes and churches with whom [to] establish a twinning relationship.” The women of Abuna Firas’ parish produce olive oil soap for sale in order to raise urgently needed funds for the ongoing life of their parish. Basic information about the sale of the olive oil soap is the following:
–The soap costs $5.00 per bar.
–Orders must total 100 bars or more per order.
–Payment can be made through arrangement with Abuna Firas.
–Shipping will be arranged by Abuna Firas through a shipping company located in Jenin, West Bank.
–Cost of shipping could start at $200 and will rise depending on the size of the order.
Abuna Firas says, “Can you please help me in finding friendly parishes and churches with whom we could establish a twinning relationship? This would greatly support my “living stones.” I am trying to keep hope alive in the midst of our way of the Cross.”
Please consider encouraging one faithful and struggling Christian parish in the Northern West Bank by contacting Abuna Firas and planning a soap drive for your congregation!
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are deeply saddened by the violence and destruction unfolding in our world.
The bombing of Iran and the escalating tensions in the region remind us of the fragile nature of peace and the immense cost of war.
We affirm the sacred dignity of every human life.
We reject hatred and dehumanization that occurs in the name of seeking peace.
We grieve every life lost.
We pray for families who are mourning.
We ask you to protect civilians, children and all who are most vulnerable from further harm.
While nations wrestle with complex political and security concerns, we believe Christ calls us to be agents of reconciliation, truth and peace.
We commit ourselves to pray for wisdom for leaders, protection for the innocent, comfort for those who grieve, and restraint that prevents further bloodshed.
May God’s justice and mercy guide all nations toward lasting peace.
Holy Spirit, bring comfort where there is fear, courage where there is despair, and hope where darkness feels overwhelming.
Amen
Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz prays for lasting peace in response to the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that started Feb. 28, 2026, and Iran’s retaliation that have led to the loss of hundreds of lives, including many children. Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz is MC USA’s denominational minister for Peace and Justice. For more than 25 years, she served as the coordinator of Mennonite Central Committee’s Restorative Justice program. She also co-authored “The Little Book of Restorative Discipline for Schools” and “What Will Happen to Me?” Lorraine graduated from Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, and earned a master’s in Social Work from Marywood University, Scranton, Pennsylvania. She and her husband attend Blossom Hill Mennonite Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
An Opportunity to Get Involved: Join our Steering Committee
Dear Members of MennoPIN,
The term of service of the current Steering Committee of MennoPIN is about to end, and several members, including the Chairperson will not be continuing to serve for a variety of personal reasons. We are looking for new members to join our Steering Committee, and help us as we seek to discern our direction and activities in light of the current situation in Palestine and the robust action-oriented activities of Mennonite Action, which we fully cooperate with and support.
If you are interested, and have the capacity to serve in any capacity with MennoPIN, please contact Lydia Brenneman @ LydiaBrenneman3@gmail.com to indicate your interest and to be invited to the next Steering Committee meeting.
In November, faith-based advocates, theologians, church leaders, and activists from Palestine and around the world gathered in Bethlehem, Palestine to commemorate the 16th Anniversary of Kairos Palestine.
Standing together in prophetic witness and committed action, this year’s conference presented a new Kairos document and call; a renewed theological and moral plea to the global Church at a time when Christianity itself faces the threat of extinction in its land of origin.
The new Kairos Palestine document, A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide, laments the loss of people, the land, and the world’s moral compass. It names the realities that Palestinians are experiencing and insists that others use this vocabulary that describes these realities: settler colonialism, illegal occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.
We encourage you to take some time this holiday season to read this Palestinian Christian initiative in its entirety and to open your hearts to their appeal for us, as their brothers in sisters in Christ, to join them in costly solidarity.
TONIGHT, Wednesday December 17th at 8 pm EST, Christians for a Free Palestine, Mennonite Action, and others will gather for a time of biblical reflection, action testimony, and ritual to conclude a season of action.
Sabeel Jerusalem invites you to join their online services in Englishtomorrow, December 18, at 11 am EST. Join together in prayer for the specific needs of this region through the Sabeel Wave of Prayer.
Join AFSC’s Action Hour for Palestine this Friday at noon EST featuring Rev. Dr. Munther Issac, Palestinian Christian theologian with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Palestine. He will speak about the experience of Palestinian Christians in this particularly difficult moment. You’ll also get updates from Palestine, be inspired by artists and actions, and call your members of Congress.
“They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.”
Mennonite Palestine Israel Network
MennoPIN keeps you informed about Palestine/Israel through our monthly update, special alerts, calls to action, important resources and tour possibilities, all from an Anabaptist perspective. To find out more, please visit our website at www.mennopin.org
Feedback, responses, and suggestions for future updates can be submitted to info@mennopin.org
Steering Committee
Bob Atchison (Manhattan Mennonite Church, Manhattan, KS) Lydia Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH) Dave Janzen (Fellowship of Hope, Elkhart, IN) Michael George (Landisville Mennonite Church, PA) Jonathan Kuttab (Palestinian lawyer and human rights activist, Manheim, PA) Dorothy Jean Weaver (Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA) Zachary Murray (Mennonite Central Committee, Washington, DC) Adam Ramer (Co-coordinator of Mennonite Action, New York, NY) David Bluford (Rainbow Mennonite Church, Kansas City, KS) Gretchen M (Philadelphia, PA)
I’ve read several books about Israel/Palestine, covering the history, the politics, and the theology behind it. I read a lot of articles and emails from groups focused on the topic. Of all the time and mental energy I spend reading, Israel/Palestine commands a lion share.
It begs the question: Why are you so obsessed with Israel? It is a small country, far from my own. The casualties from the conflict are actually pretty small compared to other modern wars. And they are very small compared to wars of the past.
I think for me the core reason is the DISHONESTY surrounding it. So much of what I’ve learned from reading about it has shown my prior understanding to be false. And now that I have learned the details of the situation, I recognize just how much the rhetoric and the description of events in this country are biased against equal human rights. And my country, the government that represents me, is operating against the principles of Peace and Justice.
In my efforts to be a Peacemaker, I will continue to read and learn and gain as many perspectives as I can on this issue. I would love to reach a point where I feel a stable Peace has been established, and I could move on to other topics. But I doubt that will happen in my lifetime.
I encourage the readers of this email to read more also. Lately I’ve found that studying the modern history is effective in helping shape how people view the situation. Sources abound, including some we share with you below.
Also, as MennoPIN looks toward updating our website with helpful resources, we’d love to hear what book/s have been transformative for you. What book/s have challenged you, changed your perspective, or touched your heart and moved you to take action for peace in Israel/Palestine? Please email us at info@mennopin.org
Upcoming Events, Actions, and Resources
In our September newsletter, we shared with our readers about an opportunity to support the Palestinian Christian community of Zababdeh on the West Bank by purchasing their handmade olive oil soap. We’re pleased to discover that several churches have done so, and encourage more congregations to jump on board. With the holiday season quickly approaching, these soaps would make excellent teacher gifts, stocking stuffers, etc.
Below is an email sent to us recently about West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship’s experience supporting this project:
Good morning. Thank you for sharing the information about Zababdeh parrish, Melkite Catholic church olive oil project.
I corresponded with Abouna Firas Khoury in October and West Philly Mennonite Fellowship purchased soap. Working with Abouna FIras via email was fairly easy as well as figuring out how to purchase the soap. After paying, the soap arrived in a week and was well packaged and all in good condition. We are now selling the soap.
I would encourage other congregations or groups to consider working with the Zababdeh community to support the project. This is an opportunity for mutual aid that is straightforward and fairly simple to implement.
If anyone would like to contact me regarding the project, I am very willing to share what I learned.
Best,
Donna Sharer
Phila, PA
dLsharer@gmail.com
This Advent, Christians for a Free Palestine is mobilizing Christians to join the Boycott Chevron campaign and has created an Advent resource page for 2025 full of what you need to participate.
Two years ago, congregations across the U.S. and Canada rallied together in response to the escalated violence against Palestinians. Mennonites across the nation have been organizing, learning, painting signs, singing, holding vigils, showing up to legislator’s offices, pestering elected officials by phone and email, praying, taking public action, sharing money and resources, and living into our Anabaptist calling, together.
Mennonite Action’s Anniversary Call is an opportunity to reflect, mourn, celebrate, and recommit to the work of justice. Make plans to attend, and share this church bulletin with your congregation!
Join Red Letter Christians’ Book Club on Tuesday, November 25 at 7pm EST with Palestinian theologian Daniel Bannoura and New Testament scholar Dr. Gary Burge to discuss Being Christian after the Desolation of Gaza.
Grab your copy for 40% off using code DESOLATION40 from Wipf & Stock.
And be sure to read Chapter 17 by MennoPIN’s Amy Yoder McGloughlin!
Looking to expand your knowledge on Palestine? Or find something to recommend to a friend who is open to learning more? Check out this topical reading list compiled by two Palestinians in Ramallah.
Mennonite Palestine Israel Network
MennoPIN keeps you informed about Palestine/Israel through our monthly update, special alerts, calls to action, important resources and tour possibilities, all from an Anabaptist perspective. To find out more, please visit our website at www.mennopin.org
Feedback, responses, and suggestions for future updates can be submitted to info@mennopin.org
Steering Committee
Bob Atchison (Manhattan Mennonite Church, Manhattan, KS) Lydia Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH) Dave Janzen (Fellowship of Hope, Elkhart, IN) Michael George (Landisville Mennonite Church, PA) Jonathan Kuttab (Palestinian lawyer and human rights activist, Manheim, PA) Dorothy Jean Weaver (Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA) Zachary Murray (Mennonite Central Committee, Washington, DC) Adam Ramer (Co-coordinator of Mennonite Action, New York, NY) David Bluford (Rainbow Mennonite Church, Kansas City, KS) Gretchen M (Philadelphia, PA)
Reflections on MennoPIN conversations as of Mid-October 2025
by David Janzen
The five-year relationship of Fellowship of Hope of Elkhart IN and other church friends with the Gaza YMCA Board and Leadership has been full of drama, beauty, inspiration and tragedy. We have witnessed the impact of their work with children and their families in addressing social/psychological needs, providing artistic and athletic development, and celebrating holidays including lighting a Christmas tree. Most of the YMCA has now been destroyed, like nearly all Gaza buildings.
Our most recent Zoom meeting on October 14 with Gaza friends came just days after the welcome release of Israeli and Palestinian captives, many of whom were in confinement before the debacle of October 7, 2023. The complication of releasing bodies from both sides appears to be slowing down food and medical supplies so desperately needed. Gunfire is threatening those seeking life-sustaining resources.
As important as this step is, achievement of real peace is far away until Palestinians regain and retain their homes and establish a viable state run by competent leaders. Little was said by those brokering the hostage release of what next steps are required and who will provide the political and financial resources. The continued usurpation of Palestinian land in the West Bank, along with the near-total destruction of Gaza, must be addressed for any stability to be achieved. Until that happens, conflict will erupt again with the dream of a shared, stable land remaining a fantasy. Strong, capable and compassionate leaders are needed and immediate aid provided to stop starvation that is commonplace. The United States should stop providing Israel military resources and work with other countries to save the lives of those suffering.
Our contact persons from Gaza, now living in the US and Egypt, receive occasional news from Gaza residents about their desperate situation, although communication is difficult. Hundreds continue to shelter in two of the churches still standing in Gaza City.
There are other reliable sources to give assistance which can be found online under “Gaza Relief Agencies” including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
May God bless those suffering and all working to stop the violence and find the true path to peace. Please contact your US Senators and Representatives to call for ending the US support of Israeli military used to destroy Gaza and kill innocent people.
Upcoming Events, Actions, and Resources
Some of you may recall that MennoPIN was trying to get the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land screened at MCUSA‘s Convention last summer.Despite our best efforts,we were unsuccessful due to distribution issues discussed in the three-minute video above.
That is why we are so pleased to announce that, for the first time ever, No Other Land will be available to rent or own on October 20, on all major streaming platforms (Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, Kinema, and Gathr).
This incredibly important film is a must-see! Even better, it is brought to you completely independently, so all proceeds will go to the communities of Masafer Yatta on the West Bank. What an opportunity to make an immediate impact!
We encourage you to watch the short announcement video (above) that Israelism and the No Other Land teams put together, and then consider hosting a screening in your community.
Mennonite Action organizers are traveling the country and are inviting you to join them! Share food and worship together and then participate in trainings in grassroots organizing, nonviolent action, and faith-based non-cooperation.
ICE is terrorizing immigrant, Black, brown, and Native communities while the genocide continues against Palestine. What’s the connection? Come and see. Join CFP for their October Community Call focused on the shared struggle of immigration justice and Palestinian freedom.
MennoPIN keeps you informed about Palestine/Israel through our monthly update, special alerts, calls to action, important resources and tour possibilities, all from an Anabaptist perspective. To find out more, please visit our website at www.mennopin.org
Feedback, responses, and suggestions for future updates can be submitted to info@mennopin.org
Steering Committee
Bob Atchison (Manhattan Mennonite Church, Manhattan, KS) Lydia Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH) Dave Janzen (Fellowship of Hope, Elkhart, IN) Michael George (Landisville Mennonite Church, PA) Jonathan Kuttab (Palestinian lawyer and human rights activist, Manheim, PA) Dorothy Jean Weaver (Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA) Zachary Murray (Mennonite Central Committee, Washington, DC) Adam Ramer (Co-coordinator of Mennonite Action, New York, NY) David Bluford (Rainbow Mennonite Church, Kansas City, KS) Gretchen M(Philadelphia, PA)
When Abouna Firas (Or Is It God?) Comes Calling. . .
by Dorothy Jean Weaver
God is in the business of calling. And God doesn’t give up on the first try, or even the second. Just ask Samuel, the young boy lying awake one night in “the temple of the Lord” in Shiloh (1 Sam. 3:1-18). Or ask Peter, taking a noonday prayer siesta on a roof in Jaffa one day (Acts 10:1-48). Me? I was just reading my e-mail in Harrisonburg, as I do every single day.
Sunday, August 17, 2025. The e-mail was extremely brief, just five words long. “Is your email still working?” That was it. No name whatsoever. The sender was, as it appeared, “melkite Catholic” at melkitecatholic@yahoo.com. And the designation below read, “Zababdeh parish, Melkite catholic.” What to make of this strange, brief e-mail? And what to do by way of response? I did indeed have connections, very brief connections from long years ago, with Zababdeh in the northern West Bank. So this could potentially be genuine. But this could just as easily be an e-mail phishing expedition. The extreme brevity and total non-specificity of the e-mail roused my suspicions immediately. It sounded exactly like a hoax. I didn’t respond.
Monday, August 18, 2025. A second e-mail, not quite so brief and this time with a name attached. “Did you receive my last message? Hoping to get a reply so I know. Regards, abouna firas khoury” This now began to have the feel of a genuine e-mail. I have met Abouna (read “Father” as in priest) Firas Khoury twice in my life, once in Zababdeh years ago on a trip up through the northern West Bank and once in Bethlehem. But what was this message about? I still didn’t know. And I still didn’t respond.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025. A third e-mail, this time with a photo of Abouna Firas standing by a bell tower. And this time there was a brief but substantive message: “After a long time of work and effort, we have built a new bell tower. This bell will ring for peace. For me, building the bell tower is a confirmation of the fulfillment of God’s promises with us.”
My response: “Thanks for your note! I am grateful that you could build a new bell tower. Blessings to you all!” And with this I may have thought that I was finished with the e-mails from Abouna Firas.
But I was mistaken. After a fourth e-mail (Wednesday, August 20, 2025), thanking me for my “kind words and blessings” and assuring me that they “always keep [me] in [their] prayers with gratitude for [my] friendship and support,” I finally learned the underlying reason for this intriguing and unanticipated e-mail chain.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025. E-mail number five. “Dear Dorothy Jean, I also want to share with you the situation of our parish during the war—many people have lost their homes. We are making the soaps here and planning to send them abroad. Could we correspond to find out how many parishes and churches would be interested in buying the soaps? Thank you for your love for my ‘living stones’ (our people). With gratitude, Abouna Firas”
Here was the answer. It took multiple tries. But finally Abouna Firas (and God!) had and have my attention. This is a genuine and urgent appeal coming from a Christian Palestinian community in the heart of the West Bank, a region increasingly threatened both by the vicious actions of angry Israeli settlers and the even more ominous calls for total “annexation” of the West Bank by the rightwing Israeli government presently in power.
And this is an appeal to which I can and must respond, as best I can. I may not know Abouna Firas well. But I care deeply about the people of Palestine and their decades-long struggle as people having lived through the Nakba (“Catastrophe”) of 1948 and the ongoing Israeli military Occupation of the West Bank from 1967 to the present day. And I don’t simply care. I also have connections, useful connections—in this case MennoPIN connections—through which to contact the “parishes and churches” which Abouna Firas wants to reach with his own parish’s soap-selling venture.
So I invite you to join with me in responding to Abouna Firas’ call
Your participation in this project of purchasing this parish’s soap will not end the Occupation. It will not initiate a ceasefire in Gaza. It will not change the course of major world events. But your participation in this project will provide hope and material assistance to the people of one Palestinian village, Zababdeh; people living in the midst of deep threat and profound uncertainty at this moment in time and this place in the West Bank. As Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, President of Dar al Kalima University in Bethlehem regularly says, “Hope is what we do.” And with this urgent appeal from Abouna Firas there is “hope” just waiting to be “done.”
Could this be the “call” to your congregation? Could this be the “hope” which your congregation “does”? If it is, please contact Abouna Firas directly for details at melkitecatholic@yahoo.com and engage with the Zababdeh soap-selling project.
Block the Bombs Act
51 House representatives are now supporting the Block the Bombs Act. The bill would proactively block the U.S. government from sending more weapons to Israel in the midst of a genocide.
It is extremely important that Members of Congress hear from their constituents right now that they oppose giving more weapons to Israel. Write your Representative and urge them to sign on to H.R. 3565 (or thank them for doing so) and encourage others to do the same.
Christians and the Complicit Corporations Campaign
On Thursday, September 18 a large coalition of over 25 Christian organizations (including Mennonite Action, Friends of Sabeel North America, American Friends Service Committee, Christians for a Free Palestine, and Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace) launched an economic resistance campaign focused on tech company Palantir and Chevron.
The Complicit Corporations Campaign aims to create economic and political pressure to reduce corporate support for the Israel government’s policies and help shift U.S. policy to end the genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank.
Why Chevron?
Per AFSC, Chevron runs natural gas extraction and pipelines off the shore of Palestine/Israel, making it a major partner in Israeli energy apartheid, the military blockade on Gaza, and the illegal exploitation of Palestinian land and resources.
During the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, a movement to boycott Shell Oil for its complicity in apartheid gained worldwide momentum with supporters taking part in gas station pickets and major divestment campaigns from the fossil fuel company.
Inspired by the South African liberation struggle, Palestinians and allies aim to build pressure on Chevron through a coordinated boycott until it no longer conducts business that gravely violates Palestinians’ human rights.
Join the Campaign and Sign Christians for a Free Palestine Pledge by Clicking the Image Below
Mennonite Palestine Israel Network
MennoPIN keeps you informed about Palestine/Israel through our monthly update, special alerts, calls to action, important resources and tour possibilities, all from an Anabaptist perspective. To find out more, please visit our website at www.mennopin.org
Feedback, responses, and suggestions for future updates can be submitted to info@mennopin.org
Steering Committee
Bob Atchison (Manhattan Mennonite Church, Manhattan, KS) Lydia Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH) Dave Janzen (Fellowship of Hope, Elkhart, IN) Michael George (Landisville Mennonite Church, PA) Jonathan Kuttab (Palestinian lawyer and human rights activist, Manheim, PA) Dorothy Jean Weaver (Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA) Zachary Murray (Mennonite Central Committee, Washington, DC) Adam Ramer (Co-coordinator of Mennonite Action, New York, NY) David Bluford (Rainbow Mennonite Church, Kansas City, KS) Gretchen M (Philadelphia, PA)
