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While Christians around the globe prepare to celebrate Easter, military occupation continues to severely impact communities in the same places where Jesus himself is said to have walked in the Easter story. An Easter initiative by the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (WCC-EAPPI) now sets out to connect the Biblical narrative with current realities in Palestine and Israel, to spotlight the injustices of life under occupation.

Four new videos, part of an Easter Initiative by the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, offer a firsthand glimpse into the lives of people living under military occupation.

The road from Jericho to Jerusalem. Bethany. The Mount of Olives. The Holy Sepulchre. The World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (WCC-EAPPI) is exploring the current realities of life under military occupation in four holy sites.

In an oral statement delivered to the UN Human Rights Council, the World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on International Affairs expressed grave concern about inadequate COVID-19 vaccine access for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.

World Council of Churches (WCC) interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca sent a congratulatory message to Dr Audeh Quawas for being appointed by His Majesty King Abdullah II as a member of the Jordanian Senate on 26 November.

With the annual olive harvest season in the Holy Land soon to draw to a close, the WCC convenes a webinar on the topic ’Uprooting Identities or Planting Just Peace?’ on 2 December.

Signing a celebratory certificate commemorating 25 years of fruitful dialogue, leaders from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization in Tehran met online on 27 October.

In a mood of hope, solidarity and compassion, the WCC olive harvest initiative continued on Wednesday with a live-streamed public webinar, addressing cultural, socio-economic and spiritual aspects of the olive harvest season in the Holy Land, as well as highlighting the impact of the continuing military occupation of the Palestinian territories.



 

Providing migrants and refugees a platform to share their concerns, challenges, and aspirations not only helps them, but also addresses xenophobia and helps build bridges with host communities, participants at a recent conference found.

On Wednesday 21 October the World Council of Churches hosts a webinar open to the public covering the cultural, economic and spiritual aspects of the olive harvest.  

Olive trees know neither religious nor territorial boundaries and bear fruit even under occupation. With the annual olive harvest season commencing, the WCC launches a global initiative this week, highlighting the spiritual, economic and cultural importance of the olive harvest for Palestinian communities, and witnessing to the impact of the occupation.

In a 21 September letter, World Council of Churches interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca congratulated Dr Michel Abs on being elected as the next secretary general of the Middle East Council of Churches.

As churches across the world observed the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel, they were reminded of God’s infinite love yet confessed to feeling overwhelmed by dark forces, too.

The fatal blast in Beirut last month became yet another blow to an already plagued country. In recent months, a financial crisis with a free-falling currency and rising unemployment has further undermined the Lebanese economy. Add to that one million Syrian refugees and the COVID-19 pandemic, and the contours of a fragile nation facing monumental challenges emerge.

Prayers, minds and hearts across the world were focused on the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel during an online ecumenical gathering hosted by the WCC on 14 September.

An online morning prayer hosted by the WCC on 14 September will be specially focused on the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel, observed this year from 13-21 September.

In a joint statement, the World Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, and Middle East Council of Churches appealed to address the most urgent needs in the wake of the catastrophic explosion that ripped through the heart of Beirut on 4 August.

Church leaders from across the world are expressing their grave concern over the government of Israel’s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

In a statement on 16 June, WCC interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca reiterated the WCC’s policy position in support of international law, and corrected false media portrayals of activities in Israel and the occupied territories.