World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay welcomed the decision by Israel's Supreme Court, ordering the return of Khirbet Zanouta Palestinians to their village in Hebron’s Masafer Yatta area in the West Bank, by 16 February, after they fled due to settler violence.
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay has described the proposal of US President Trump as “tantamount to proposing full-scale ethnic cleansing and neo-colonization of the homeland of the 2 million Palestinians of Gaza.”
The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva are inviting a special screening of the documentary: "Via Dolorosa: The Path of Sorrows", on 18 February at the United Nations in Geneva.
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.
Under the Patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, chief advisor to His Majesty for Religious and Cultural Affairs and the Personal Envoy, the University of Dar Al-Kalima in Bethlehem, and the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Amman organized "The International Consultation on Understanding Christian Zionism and Its Effects on Christians in the Middle East." The conference was held at the Baptism Site from the 23-26 January.
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay celebrated with families to whom loved ones have been restored in an initial exchanges of hostages and prisoners in Gaza. “We pray that all the remaining hostages and all those unjustly detained will soon be released,” he said.
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.
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.
In a statement released on 22 November, the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem reflected on the commemoration of the religious observances of Advent and Christmas in the midst of the continuing war.
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.
In the midst of the devastating war sweeping Lebanon, killing and displacing its people, the Women's Pastoral Office of the Maronite Church in Bkerki, Lebanon has launched a cry and issued a statement entitled “Stop the Madness of War, Lebanon deserves to live!" Abboud Mzawak, coordinator of the office, took time to reflect on the motivation behind the statement, some of the daily realities women are facing, and how women across the world can help.
The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), in partnership with Télé Lumière - Noursat, launched a new media production center. The new center, called "Manbar Al Kalima,” or “The Platform of the Word,” is equipped with the latest technology and modern tools—and they will be used to foster the wellbeing of humankind.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel convened online for its annual meeting from 4-7 November.
Reports from the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (WCC-EAPPI) revealed that Palestinian communities are defenseless against violence and are living in fear.
World Council of Churches (WCC) moderator Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs Peter Prove met online with representatives from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).