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A man dressed in religious garb pictured speaking at a pulpit inside a stone church, with a cross and altar seen partly blurred in the background.

At Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, “our faith gives us strength”

Bishop Dr Sani Ibrahim Azar is from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

06 May 2025

View of sunrays over people entering a set of barracks at a military checkpoint.

Yusef Daher: “one day this killing and madness will stop”

Yusef Daher, coordinator of the Jerusalem Liaison Office of the World Council of Churches in Jerusalem, earned the Menno Simons Sermon Award for 2025.

28 April 2025

People light candles together standing face to face.

Accompaniers pass torch of witness, solidarity in South Hebron Hills, Jordan Valley, Bethlehem, Jerusalem

A new group of 12 ecumenical accompaniers was deployed on 17 April to serve in South Hebron Hills, Jordan Valley, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.

28 April 2025

A man is pictured in conversation with six other people sitting on chairs in a circle inside a meeting room.

Yusef Daher earns Menno Simons Sermon Award

Yusef Daher, coordinator of the Jerusalem Liaison Office of the World Council of Churches in Jerusalem, earned the Menno Simons Sermon Award for 2025.

15 April 2025

Woman wearing a vest reading 'EAPPI' viewed from behind walking along an asphalt road in the countryside, some school children visible blurred out in the distance.

Accompaniers in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jordan Valley, and South Hebron Hills show “someone from the international community cares”

A new group from the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel have released a report on incidents in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley, and South Hebron Hills.

20 March 2025

View of people walking in a square surrounded by stone buildings in daytime.

Young Armenians with deep roots in Jerusalem work to preserve their land

Hagop Djernazian, with other young Armenians from Jerusalem, has just returned from a global US tour that included the cities of New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, and Washington, DC. He took time to describe their 10 days of raising awareness to protect Armenian land in Jerusalem.

20 March 2025

Journalist turned envoy reveals motivation behind documentary on Holy Land Christians

Ambassador Amira Hanania, a Palestinian diplomat and media veteran, serves as the representative of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Europe. A Christian from Bethlehem, she has dedicated her career to journalism and diplomacy. Recently, she completed a documentary titled “Via Dolorosa: The Path of Sorrows,” which sheds light on the history of Christians in Palestine and the challenges they face.

26 February 2025

WCC stands in solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem

The World Council of Churches (WCC) stands in solidarity with the Armenian Patriarchate in Jerusalem in the face of an unjust foreclosure order issued by the Municipality of Jerusalem, said Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary.

20 February 2025

Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem issue humanitarian plea for Gaza

In a statement released 14 February, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem issued a humanitarian plea for Gaza.

17 February 2025

Video feature

Collage of images of Christians, Muslims and Jews, respectively, pictured in the city of Jerusalem.

WCC video reiterates sacred importance of Jerusalem

As significant religious observances approach in Jerusalem, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has been sharing a video detailing violations of freedom of worship and the urgent need to safeguard the city as a shared sacred space.

13 February 2025

Rabbis for Human Rights: “We want to slowly rehabilitate our path towards a just and peaceful future”

Anton Goodman is director of Partnerships for Rabbis for Human Rights. He took time to reflect on how and why Rabbis for Human Rights values its partnership with the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel; the challenges ahead; and ultimately the vision for a just and peaceful future.

30 January 2025

View of an open valley, some rudimentary buildings in the foreground and a city in the background seen in the distance.

Palestinian women in An Nabi Samwil village are staying—and surviving

Nawal Barakat lives in the village of An Nabi Samwil. It’s only eight kilometers northwest of Jerusalem—but it might as well be a world away.

23 January 2025

Newly released WCC video addresses freedom of worship in Jerusalem

A newly released World Council of Churches (WCC) video addresses the importance of freedom of worship in Jerusalem and for the whole world.

20 January 2025

Ecumenical accompaniers continue offering protective presence

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel continues to offer a protective presence, and the need is growing given the deteriorating humanitarian situation, as revealed from the incident reports.

14 January 2025

Expansion of illegal settlements in West Bank blocks justice, security, and peace

Ecumenical accompaniers, land experts, and the United Nations are all documenting increasing instances in which Palestinians are not granted the construction permits needed for natural growth and development. When they build without permits they open themselves to demolitions.

05 December 2024

Two school girls look over a street they are about to cross.

School principal expresses grave concern for children in Bedouin community

A school principal near Jerusalem is expressing grave concerns for her students and staff as harassment by settlers increases, and fear keeps young people from learning.

29 November 2024

WCC seeks justice and peace in Gaza, Lebanon, and the wider Middle East

The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee, in a statement, expressed deep concern over ongoing and widespread Israeli attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure in occupied Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, spilling over into neighbouring Syria and beyond.

25 November 2024

View of person from behind, wearing a vest reading 'EAPPI'.

WCC accompaniment programme in Palestine and Israel convenes for annual meeting

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel convened online for its annual meeting from 4-7 November.

08 November 2024