Church leaders talk back to Trump
“Christianity will cease to exist in Gaza. If we look at the West Bank, I’m not sure if Christianity will survive the year 2050.” – Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, in a discussion of the film
Via Dolorosa: The Path of Sorrows (see below)
Church leaders talk back to Trump
On February 4, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced to a stunned world his plan to “clean out” all Palestinians from Gaza and re-develop the region as “the Riviera of the Middle East.” This plan is enthusiastically supported by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But it has been soundly condemned by Palestinians, Arab and European nations, international institutions and our own country, Canada. We include here the responses of Palestinian Christian leaders, as well as the World Council of Churches.
The World Council of Churches has described President Trump’s plan as “tantamount to proposing full-scale ethnic cleansing and neo-colonization of the homeland of the 2 million Palestinians of Gaza.” It asserts, “We affirm that peace cannot be built on the dispossession and suffering of an entire people but must be rooted in justice, dignity, and the fundamental rights of all.” See more here.
Kairos Palestine states, “We categorically condemn and reject President Trump's plans, which amount to the forced displacement and erasure of our entire nation. We considered this neo-settler colonial plan evil, and ‘a sin against God and humanity.’” The organization endorses the World Council of Churches’ call for “all people of faith and goodwill to stand against this egregious violation of human dignity and international law.” The full statement is here.
The Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem issued a humanitarian plea: “In this critical moment, we acknowledge and support the position of His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, President El-Sisi of Egypt, and others, whose firm and principled stance have remained clear and unwavering in rejecting any attempt to uproot the people of Gaza from their land.” The leaders call for the release of captives on all sides and for unfettered humanitarian access for those in need. “As we lift our prayers for those in mourning, for the wounded, and for those who remain steadfast in the land of their forefathers, we remember the promise of Scripture: ‘The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down’” (Psalm 145:14). Full statement here .
CFOS news
On March 2, we will host a webinar featuring six speakers who participated in the Palestine Solidarity Pilgrimage last November. Entitled Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem: Stories of Lament and Sumud, this webinar is jointly sponsored by CFOS and the Palestine Israel Networks of Mennonite Church Manitoba and Mennonite Church East Canada. Admission is free, but you must register to participate. Click here to register.
Are you an “Influencer”? Or do you know of an influencer? Please consider nominating key individuals who might participate in our Influencing Civil Society Project. Participants will visit Palestine to learn about Palestinian identity, culture, and current political, economic and social realities. They will join an international network advocating for Palestinian rights and the observance of international law. Click here to learn more.
We are happy to announce that Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe has joined CFOS as Communications & Outreach Coordinator, assisting with social media and other communications projects. Nicolien participated in a study tour to Palestine in 2017 that made a profound impact on her life. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Canadian Mennonite University and has been working as a journalist and communications specialist for the past seven years. She lives in Winnipeg, on Treaty One Territory.
Another honour for Issa Amro
Together with Sabeel Jerusalem, we at CFOS congratulate Palestinian peace activist and nonviolence promoter Issa Amro for his nomination for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. In October 2024 Amro won the Swedish Right Livelihood Prize, often referred to as “the alternate Nobel.” As summarized in his Right Livelihood citation, he “has dedicated his life to peaceful resistance against Israeli occupation in the West Bank city of Hebron.” Amro, based in Hebron, founded Youth Against Settlements in 2007, and has also been active in B’Tselem, a prominent Israeli human rights organization. For his efforts, Amro “has been detained, tortured, attacked on the streets, evicted from home, and subjected to judicial harassment.” See more here.
Muhammad El-Halabi is released
In its February 17 Wave of Prayer, Sabeel highlights that one of the persons imprisoned in Israeli jails and released under the terms of the Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange accord is Muhammad El-Halabi. El-Halabi served as Gaza Director for the Christian relief and development agency World Vision International. In 2016, he was arrested and accused of participating in terrorist activities. According to Amnesty International, he was interrogated without a lawyer, tortured, tried in secret hearings, and convicted after a grossly unfair trial. Throughout his nine-year detention, El-Halabi denied the charges. See the complete current Wave of Prayer from Sabeel here.
A summer learning opportunity
Those wishing to broaden and deepen their understanding of “the church's struggle to reclaim the core of the gospel” from Christian Zionism, should consider the course being offered this summer at St. Stephen’s University in New Brunswick: Zionism, the Church's Colonial Legacy, and the Palestinian Call. It will focus on Kairos theology in South Africa and Palestine, and “the weaponization of antisemitism in the context of Christian nationalism.” The online course runs from May 18 to August 9. Details here.
The Christian presence in Palestine
A new film tells the story of the Christian presence in Palestine since the birth of Christ. The 50-minute Arabic film, with English subtitles, is called Via Dolorosa: The Path of Sorrows. It premiered in Geneva on February 18 at an important gathering of church leaders, hosted by the World Council of Churches and the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine.The screening event, including the film, is available here. We draw your attention especially to the discussion where Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb expresses the fear that Palestine, the birthplace of Christianity, may lose its Christian presence; view the recording from 1:32:47 to 1:40:14.