Advent Prayers

During this Advent season, join in a daily prayer vigil for hope, healing, and justice in the Middle East. You can use these resources from Kairos USA or ACT Palestine, as well as submit your own prayers to their website for shared use.

You can also invite your congregations and friends to join Sabeel’s Wave of Prayer every Thursday as well as share Sabeel’s Christmas Message from Jerusalem: “Do not be afraid…to you is born…a Savior” (Luke 2:10-11).

Christmas Giving

Looking for a Christmas gift that can also be a conversation starter? Try Equal Exchange Olive Oil: http://equalexchange.coop/olive-oil or Ten Thousand Villages products from the West Bank: https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/. Purchase of these products helps support sustainable livelihoods and fair wages for many living in the West Bank, while fostering care for the life and history of the land.

PeaceSigns

As the violence between Israelis and Palestinians continues, a recent PeaceSigns article tells the story of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy named Abed al-Rahman Obeidallah, who was killed by an Israeli soldier in Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem.

Take action by calling your members of Congress at (202) 224-3121. Tell them you are dismayed by all acts of violence, and ask them in their public communications to acknowledge the broader cycle of violence created by the Israeli military occupation.

MCUSA Resolution

Several members of MennoPIN’s Steering Committee participated in a roundtable November 19-20 on Israel-Palestine convened by Mennonite Church USA, to determine next steps for following up on the “Saturday resolution.” The resolution calls for education, reflection, discernment as we pray and act for peace in Israel-Palestine over the next two years. MennoPIN will work with various Mennonite agencies to help implement the resolution, as we work toward passage of a stronger resolution in 2017.

International Day of Solidarity

November 29 marked the United Nations’ International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. This year, the day also brought protests around the world asking the UN to end its contract with G4S, a security company that provides services and equipment to Israeli prisons where Palestinian prisoners are detained and often tortured without trial.

More than 1800 Palestinians, including 300 children, have been arrested and imprisoned since the beginning of October. You can use this form to send a letter to the UN asking them to end their contract with G4S.

Bethlehem Today

This Advent, some of our congregations are focusing on Bethlehem today and the experience of colonial occupation, lifting up the stories of Palestinians, and reflecting on our response as U.S. Mennonites. What are you doing this Advent season in your congregation to remember Bethlehem today? We would love to share your stories on the MennoPIN facebook page and website!

Mennonite Palestine-Israel Network
mennopin@gmail.com | mennopin.org | facebook.com/mennopin | twitter.com/mennopin

Steering Committee:
Jonathan Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH)
Tom Harder (Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, Wichita, KS)
Joy Lapp (Pleasant View Mennonite Church, Mt Pleasant, IA)
George Muedeking (Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Albuquerque, NM)
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach (Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC)
Timothy Seidel (Community Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA)

Friends,

In the midst of increased violence in Israel-Palestine, encourage your congregation to continue to pray fervently for justice and peace. Here are some resources to use:

• Prayers from The Lutheran World Federation – Jerusalem Program
• Sabeel’s Wave of Prayer 

More on the Current Violence

• Hebron, a city in the southern part of the West Bank where Christian Peacemaker Teams works, has been the site of much of the violence this past month, with 10 Palestinians killed. CPT’s “Occupation Captured” provides compelling photos documenting life under occupation in Hebron.
• Mennonite Central Committee and other Christian agencies working in Israel-Palestine issued a statement calling “on the international community to address the root causes of the conflict by redoubling its efforts to safeguard international humanitarian law and human rights.”

Join Us

If you have not yet responded to our request to let us know your city/state/zip, congregation, and area conference, please do so by sending us an email with that information. This will help us to facilitate connections between MennoPIN members locally and also to organize better as we look ahead to the next Mennonite Church USA convention.

Fall MCC Palestine Update

Many of you have visited Israel-Palestine on learning tours hosted by Mennonite Central Committee. Here are a few highlights from their fall update:

• Over one year after the end of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge, the situation in Gaza remains dire. A recent UN report warns that Gaza could become “unliveable” by 2020 without immediate and radical action, including the lifting of the blockade.
• The village of Susiya, which lies between an Israeli settlement and archeological site, was slated for demolition and bulldozers had arrived on the scene in early August. With outcry from the international community, the bulldozers have left for now and it seems the Israeli authorities are seeking to negotiate with the village. Unfortunately, while international attention was turned to Susiya, demolitions were carried out in many other communities in Israeli-controlled Area C.

#BlackPalestinianSolidarity

A recent video was released under the hashtag #BlackPalestinianSolidarity that features more than 60 Black and Palestinian artists, writers, and activists highlighting the shared experiences of racism and oppression that both communities are confronting, holding up signs such as “Gaza Stands With Ferguson” and “When I see them, I see us.” Angela Davis explained:

“Mutual expressions of solidarity have helped to generate a vigorous political kinship linking black organizers, scholars, cultural workers and political prisoners in the U.S. with Palestinian activists, academics, political prisoners, and artists…That the Palestinian people have refused to surrender after almost seven decades of continuous struggle against Israeli settler colonialism is a great encouragement to black people in the U.S. to accelerate our ongoing struggles against racist state violence. These powerful images represent a journey from struggle against tyranny to a collective hope for a just future.”

This expression of solidarity reminds us that our work for justice in Palestine-Israel must also include work for justice at home, actively dismantling structures of oppression such as racism and poverty as well as militarism.

Announcement from Mennonite Church USA: Israel/Palestine Learning Experience, March 2016

Interesting in deeper understanding of the conflict in Israel and Palestine? In meeting with Palestinian pastors and church leaders? In visiting important sites in the Biblical story?

Consider participating in a “Come and See” mini-tour in conjunction with the Christ at the Checkpoint conference (March 3-6, 2016). The tour will involve three days of immersion in the realities of occupation in the West Bank.  The conference that follows (March 7-10) is hosted by Bethlehem Bible College and will create space for Palestinian and American evangelicals to enter into honest conversation about the realities faced by the Palestinian church and the challenges of working for justice in the spirit of Jesus in this context.

After the conference you can choose to participate in a three day Holy Land tour and visit sites in the Biblical story in Bethlehem, Galilee and Jerusalem. The “Come and See” tour and conference will cost roughly $1000 plus airfare and the Holy Land Tour will be an additional $395 or $515 depending on lodging choices. Mennonite Church USA pastors and leaders who participate in the first tour and conference can apply for a $1000 scholarship.  

Recommended Reading

We are lifelong Zionists; here is why we’ve chosen to boycott Israel

Frequently Asked Questions about KC2015 Delegate Assembly Resolutions, Part 2

Mennonite Palestine-Israel Network
mennopin@gmail.com | mennopin.org | facebook.com/mennopin | twitter.com/mennopin

Steering Committee:
Jonathan Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH)
Tom Harder (Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, Wichita, KS)
Joy Lapp (Pleasant View Mennonite Church, Mt Pleasant, IA)
George Muedeking (Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Albuquerque, NM)
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach (Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC)
Timothy Seidel (Community Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA)

In This Issue
Mennonite Church USA resolution
Cremisan Valley
Sign a petition for Gaza
Budget cuts to Palestinian Christian schools
Want to get involved?
Recommended reading
From the Sabeel Wave of Prayer

It has been a while since we have been in touch with you, and a lot has happened.

Mennonite Church USA resolution

In July, Mennonite Church USA delegates voted to table the resolution on Israel-Palestine for two years. This was a huge disappointment and setback for all of us who care so deeply about justice in Israel-Palestine and had worked so hard on it—drafting the resolution, gathering support from our congregations, and educating people about it.

But there have been setbacks before in the pursuit of justice, and we must redouble our efforts to ensure successful passage of a strong resolution in two years at Orlando 2017. The Mennonite reports that Executive Board “staff will identify a three-person writing team, as well as a broader reference team representing a range of perspectives, to revise the resolution. Congregations will receive an early draft for study and feedback; the team will use the feedback to adapt the statement as needed prior to the 2017 Delegate Assembly.” As MennoPIN members, it is critical that your voices are heard during this process.

Summary of comments by delegates on the Israel-Palestine resolution

6 Palestinian and Israeli peacemakers respond to delayed action

Cremisan Valley

In August, the high court of Israel ruled that Israel could continue building the separation wall in the Cremisan Valley near Bethlehem, after a ruling in April had halted construction. The wall goes directly through the land of 58 Palestinian families in Beit Jala and around a Salesian monastery, convent, and primary school. Sign a petition urging foreign governments to intervene to stop construction of the wall. Learn more through this update from Friends of Sabeel North America.

Sign a petition for Gaza

Last summer’s war left more than 100,000 housing units damaged, 19,000 destroyed, and damaged or destroyed 562 factories and workshops. Israeli restrictions on construction materials entering Gaza mean that few of the materials needed to rebuild have been allowed in. MCC and other organizations are seeking 1.8 million signatures on this petition—one for each resident of Gaza. To learn more and find out what steps you can take to advocate for an end to the blockade, check out MCC’s latest action alert.

Budget cuts to Palestinian Christian schools

On September 1, 47 Palestinian Christian schools in Israel went on strike to protest cuts in funding from the Israeli government. Funding given by the government has decreased dramatically over the last two years, while Israeli Jewish private schools remain fully funded. At the end of September, the Israeli Ministry of Education agreed to pay the Christian schools a one-time payment of $12.6 million, though the schools continue to advocate for a more equal, permanent solution. Disparate funding for both public and private Palestinian schools highlights the discrimination that Christian and Muslim Palestinians face in Israeli society.

Want to get involved?

Consider joining one of MennoPIN’s subcommittees to help MennoPIN continue this important work.

• The Communications Subcommittee focuses on publicizing the network and its areas of concern via articles, news releases, and digital media (web site, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
• The Grassroots Subcommittee focuses on expanding and strengthening the network through personal contacts and regional organizing, with an emphasis on building relationships.
• The Advocacy/Action Subcommittee organizes and promotes Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions actions as well as legislative advocacy.
• The Education Subcommittee promotes educational resources and opportunities related to Israel-Palestine.

Email mennopin@gmail.com and note which subcommittee you are interested in.

Recommended reading

Combatant for a just peace by Ryan Rodrick Beiler

From the Sabeel Wave of Prayer…

Dear God, as leaders of the nations gather together at the General Assembly of the United Nations, we give thanks for the nation states that recognize the state of Palestine. We give thanks for the message of Pope Francis for the need for international responsibility as global citizens. We pray that the leaders of the world may raise their voices in solidarity with those who demand an end to the occupation of their land, so that Palestine and Israel may live within secure borders, democratic rights and religious freedom. Lord hear our prayer…And let our cry come unto you. 

Mennonite Palestine-Israel Network
mennopin@gmail.com | mennopin.org | facebook.com/mennopin | twitter.com/mennopin

Steering Committee:
Jonathan Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH)
Tom Harder (Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, Wichita, KS)
Joy Lapp (Pleasant View Mennonite Church, Mt Pleasant, IA)
George Muedeking (Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Albuquerque, NM)
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach (Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC)
Timothy Seidel (Community Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA)

Dear Friends,

Kansas City 2015:
The Mennonite Church USA convention in Kansas City is only two weeks away! There are a lot of exciting opportunities for education, advocacy, and relationship-building as Mennonites from around the country gather together. We have compiled a list of Kansas City convention events and activities that will be of interest to MennoPIN.

First on this list is the Palestine-Israel resolution that will be presented to the Delegate Assembly on Wednesday July 1. If you are present in Kansas City, please try to attend this delegate session. For those not attending, let us all hold the delegates and our church leaders in prayer as the Delegate Assembly considers this resolution on July 1!

Please continue to be in conversation with your congregation’s delegates to Kansas City, providing them with whatever resources they might find helpful for their preparation. Resolution resources can still be found on the MennoPIN website https://mennopin.org/resolution/, including a brief history of Mennonite involvement in Palestine-Israel, a link to resources for further learning as well as the list of MennoPIN suggested materials for your congregation. Also check out this list of frequently asked questions prepared for delegates.

More resources for education and advocacy:
Here is a great piece in Mennonite World Review describing the work for peace with justice in Palestine-Israel that many have been doing in Mennonite Church USA, and that has laid the groundwork for this summer’s resolution in Kansas City. This summer will see a number of church denominational meetings across the U.S. Check out this article to learn more about what other churches are doing to support the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement.

Palestinian Christians continue to invite their brothers and sisters around the world to act nonviolently for peace with justice in Palestine-Israel. The Kairos Palestine call, including the call to boycotts and divestment, is one such invitation. Learn more about the Kairos Palestine call here and about the experience of Palestinian Christians.

#NoWayToTreatAChild:
As of March 2015, 184 Palestinian minors (ages 12 to 17) were being held in Israeli custody, according to the Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem. Their most common offense is throwing stones. Because they are held under military law, these children do not have the protections generally provided under both international and Israeli law. While in detention they are often blindfolded and subjected to verbal and physical abuse. A 2013 UNICEF report states, “Ill treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system appears to be widespread, systematic and institutionalized.” While noting positive progress on some fronts, a UNICEF update this year states, “Reports of alleged ill-treatment of children during arrest, transfer, interrogation and detention have not significantly decreased in 2013 and 2014.”
Learn more about what you can do by reading MCC’s action alert and learn more about the work to address Israeli military detention of Palestinian children at http://www.nowaytotreatachild.org/.

“Wall to Wall”:
The most recent issue of the MCC Washington Office Memo features reflections on Israel’s Separation Wall and its relationship to a wall that is not so far away—the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. There are many connections between these two walls, from U.S. government funding to the corporations building them. Several years ago an Israeli brigadier general was speaking at a border security conference in El Paso, Texas, when he boasted, “We have learned lots from Gaza. It’s a great laboratory.” This chilling quote brings home the reality that walls are all too often built to keep out the “other”—usually seen as one who is different from us and sometimes even less than human. In the face of these high walls, we as Christians must proclaim that love for neighbor is more powerful. Christ can break down even the strongest walls that divide us (Ephesians 2:14) and in that we place our hope.

This current issue focuses on Palestine and Israel and the next issue will focus on the U.S.-Mexico border. In it you will also find an analysis of the impact of the Wall on Palestinians, resources for reflection and mediation, and a helpful list of policy principles that can help you as you advocate for a more just and peaceful U.S. foreign policy in the region.

“Intersections: Palestine, Baltimore, and beyond”
In MennoPIN we are committed to an intersectional approach to working for peace with justice in Palestine-Israel. This means that we believe that working for justice and peace in Palestine-Israel cannot be separated from and must be complemented by working for justice and peace in our home communities. This is an important point highlighted in the MCC Washington Office Memo mentioned above. Learn more about the exciting solidarity opportunities being realized by organizations like Interfaith Peace-Builders and their commitment to the goal of justice in Palestine as well as the goals of the racial justice movement in the United States.

Prayer requests:
Remember that you can find prayer requests to use in your congregations here. The most recent prayer request has been formatted so you can include them as church bulletin inserts. We also encourage you to continue to pray alongside Palestinians using prayers like those shared by Sabeel. There is much to remember in prayer this month as we prepare to gather in Kansas City, but let us particularly remember the people of Gaza for whom this month marks one year since Israel’s most recent brutal assault on their lives and homes.

During this month of June, and as we prepare for the Mennonite Church USA convention in Kansas City, please continue to pray for all the people of Palestine-Israel.

Mennonite Palestine-Israel Network
mennopin@gmail.com | mennopin.org | facebook.com/mennopin | twitter.com/mennopin

Steering Committee:
Jonathan Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH)
Tom Harder (Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, Wichita, KS)
Joy Lapp (Pleasant View Mennonite Church, Mt Pleasant, IA)
George Muedeking (Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Albuquerque, NM)
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach (Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC)
Timothy Seidel (Community Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA)

Dear Friends,

This email goes out to the Mennonite Palestine Israel Network as an urgent request for information regarding MennoPIN’s presence at this summer Mennonite Church USA convention in Kansas City.

We need your help! Please take a few minutes and fill out this very brief survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GnPJJDc-qM4fXcXOQXdcugdkJ45R2bf2aERHZM9ncVE/viewform

1) Are you attending the 2015 convention in Kanas City?
2) Are you serving as a delegate?

Please continue to be in conversation with your congregation’s delegates to Kansas City, providing them with whatever resources they might find helpful for their preparation including this list of frequently asked questions: http://mennoniteusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/FAQIsrael-Palestine_2015May.pdf.

Remember the resolution materials on our website, such as a brief history of Mennonite involvement in Palestine-Israel, a link to resources for further learning as well as the list of MennoPIN suggested materials for your congregation.

Again, please fill out the survey above and let us know what your plans are for Kansas City!

—
Mennonite Palestine-Israel Network
mennopin@gmail.com | mennopin.org | facebook.com/mennopin | twitter.com/mennopin

Steering Committee:
Jonathan Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH)
Tom Harder (Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, Wichita, KS)
Joy Lapp (Pleasant View Mennonite Church, Mt Pleasant, IA)
George Muedeking (Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Albuquerque, NM)
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach (Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC)
Timothy Seidel (Community Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA)

We would like to highlight the Sabeel Wave of Prayer, updated weekly by the Sabeel Palestinian Christian organization. Reminding us that prayer is an essential part of peacemaking, these prayers address regional, timely concerns for Palestine-Israel from a Christ-centered perspective. The posts address regional, timely concerns for Palestine-Israel in a Christian perspective. Subscribe and join this community of prayer.

Greetings! Here is another update from the steering committee:

Mennonite Church USA resolution:

As many of you already know, the Palestine-Israel resolution was affirmed by the Constituency Leaders Council, approved by the Executive Board, and will be presented to the Delegate Body at this summer’s convention in Kansas City! Many thanks to all of the folks involved in the drafting and dialogue around this resolution!

We continue to encourage all of you to be in conversation with your congregation’s delegates to Kansas City, providing them with whatever resources they might find helpful for their preparation. We hope to make available a brief list of frequently asked questions that we hope will be useful as you discuss with your delegates. In the meantime, remember that the full resolution packet is up on the MennoPIN website here: https://mennopin.org/resolution/. There you can also read about some of the anticipated reasons for supporting and objecting to this church statement as well as a brief history of Mennonite involvement in Palestine-Israel. There is also a link to resources for further learning as well as the list of MennoPIN suggested materials for your congregation.

As the Kansas City convention approaches, we want to compile a list highlighting events and activities that will be of interest to folks attending the convention. In order to do this, we want to hear from you all. Who is going to Kansas City? What would be most helpful as you prepare? Please email us back at mennopin@gmail.com.

MennoPIN Logo?

In preparation for the Kansas City convention, we are organizing a MennoPIN booth. In addition to providing resources related to the resolution, we also want to provide more general information about Palestine-Israel and MennoPIN, something like a MennoPIN brochure. But as we prepare, we are realizing that we do not have any visual brand or logo for our network! That’s where we need your help. So calling all artists and graphic designers, we are asking for your submissions for a MennoPIN logo. For inspiration check out our website, especially our ‘about’ pages: https://mennopin.org/about/.

Mennonite Media:

We want to highlight a couple of reflections on Palestine-Israel that have appeared in recent issues of the Mennonite World Review. Check out articles by Andre Gingerich Stoner (http://mennoworld.org/2015/04/13/columns/a-moment-of-truth/) and Tom Harder (http://mennoworld.org/2015/04/27/latest-issue/being-pro-jesus-on-israel-palestine/).

Also we recently learned that documentaries on Palestine-Israel produced by Mennonite Central Committee have been posted on their YouTube channel. Check out the videos “Children of the Nakba” (https://youtu.be/bVtmA5zCnfI) and “The Dividing Wall” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX7-w_gXYHM)!

“Without peace, you cannot live.” Shatha Al Azzeh, Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem

MCC Palestine continues to share stories of women involved in the search for justice and peace in Palestine and Israel. They recently highlighted the story of Shatha Al Azzeh, a young woman who runs the Lajee Center Environment Unit in Aida Refugee Camp. As part of her work Shatha conducts water consumption and safety trainings and carries out tests for bacteria and other contaminants in Aida Camp’s water sources. Water is “not just a local problem,” she emphasizes. “It’s a political issue.” During the hot Palestinian summers, access to clean water is severely limited, and not just for residents of refugee camps. Israel controls access to Palestine’s aquifers, redirecting almost 90 percent to Israeli West Bank settlements and towns inside Israel; Israeli water companies sell the remaining 10 percent back to Palestinian residents. Read more at https://mccpalestine.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/without-peace-you-cannot-live-shatha-al-azzeh-aida-refugee-camp-bethlehem/.

You can also keep up to date by checking in with these Mennonite-related websites:
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT)
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC)
MCC Palestine Update
Mennonite Church USA (MCUSA)
MCUSA Peace and Justice Support Network
Mennonite Palestine Israel Network

Again, please do let us know what your plans are for Kansas City and submit your MennoPIN logo ideas to mennopin@gmail.com!

Mennonite Palestine-Israel Network
mennopin@gmail.com | mennopin.org | facebook.com/mennopin | twitter.com/mennopin

Steering Committee:
Jonathan Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH)
Tom Harder (Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, Wichita, KS)
Joy Lapp (Pleasant View Mennonite Church, Mt Pleasant, IA)
George Muedeking (Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Albuquerque, NM)
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach (Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC)
Timothy Seidel (Community Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA)

Greetings! Here is another update from the steering committee:

Mennonite Church USA resolution
Since the last update, this resolution was submitted to the resolutions committee who then sent it on to the Constituency Leaders Council (CLC), for discussion at their meeting last week. We were happy to hear that the CLC recommended the resolution to the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board. Now we wait to hear for the outcome from the Executive Board meeting in early April.

In the meantime the full resolution packet is up on the MennoPIN website here: https://mennopin.org/resolution/. There you can also read about some of the anticipated reasons for supporting and objecting to this church statement as well as a brief history of Mennonite involvement in Palestine-Israel. There is also a link to resources for further learning as well as the list of MennoPIN suggested materials for your congregation.

In the coming weeks, as we get closer to the Kansas City convention, we will compile a list highlighting events and activities that will be of interest to folks attending the convention. Stay tuned!

Lenten reflections from Kairos USA
This Lenten issue features a powerful reflection on the meaning of Kairos in our modern world: http://kairosusa.org/a-litany-for-holy-week-troubling-days-in-jerusalem/. Also check out this heart-grabbing litany, specifically for Holy Week: http://kairosusa.org/a-lenten-reflection-my-kingdom-is-not-from-this-world/. And read this testimony about one person’s journey in support of Palestinian rights, tying his witness to his commitment to human rights here at home in the U.S.: http://kairosusa.org/walking-where-jesus-walked-led-to-the-proctor-conference/.

Pro-Israeli, Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Jesus
Former MCCer Ryan Rodrick Beiler has written a great piece lifting up the voices of Palestinian Christians like Rev. Alex Awad. Ryan writes: “Stun grenades and tear gas bombs exploded in the street outside of Bethlehem Bible College, forcing Rev. Alex Awad to end his class early. Down the block, youth threw stones at the Israeli separation wall that cuts deep into Bethlehem. Frequent clashes had erupted in the months since the Israeli offensive known as Operation Protective Edge killed more than 2,200 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them civilians. During that operation, 66 Israeli soldiers and seven civilians were killed by Gaza militants. In the months that followed, Jerusalem became the focal point of further violence. ‘Many people ask, what are signs of hope?’ says Awad. While the facts on the ground get worse, he names one encouraging trend: ‘Many evangelicals are moving from the Israeli side into what I think is the peace and justice side.’” Read more at http://sojo.net/magazine/2015/03/pro-israeli-pro-palestinian-pro-jesus. Also read Ryan’s piece “To evangelicals, Zionism an increasingly tough sell” at http://electronicintifada.net/content/evangelicals-zionism-increasingly-tough-sell/14357.

MCC Palestine: “There is no victory in war.” Mariam Zakout, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip
In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8 and March as U.S. Women’s History Month, MCC Palestine presents several stories of women involved in the search for justice and peace in Palestine and Israel. We highlight these stories not because women peacemakers are an exception to the rule, but because these are exceptional women committed to bettering their communities through nonviolence, in spite of systems of patriarchy and occupation. Whether consciously or subconsciously, these women have taken on oppressive systems of power, remained engaged despite obstacles, and continue to believe in a better future for their people. Read more: https://mccpalestine.wordpress.com/2015/03/21/there-is-no-victory-in-war-mariam-zakout-khan-younis-gaza-strip/.

Prayer requests
A new item we will begin to share are regular prayer requests that you can use in your congregations. We will format them so you can include them as church bulletin inserts: https://mennopin.org/category/prayer-requests/. We also encourage you to continue to pray alongside Palestinians using prayers like those shared by Sabeel: http://www.sabeel.org/waveofprayer.php.

MennoPIN learning resources list
We are happy to share a list of learning resources compiled by our Education Subcommittee. In the attached you will find helpful ideas for further learning. We welcome your feedback. Work continues as we develop a Kairos Palestine study guide for Mennonites. As always, check out the MennoPIN website for more information on Kairos Palestine, BDS, and more at https://mennopin.org/. Like us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mennopin. And follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/mennopin.

Mennonite Palestine-Israel Network Steering Committee:

Jonathan Brenneman (Lima Mennonite Church, Lima, OH)
Tom Harder (Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church, Wichita, KS)
Joy Lapp (Pleasant View Mennonite Church, Mt Pleasant, IA)
George Muedeking (Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Albuquerque, NM)
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach (Peace Fellowship Church, Washington, DC)
Timothy Seidel (Community Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA)