The International Day of Solidarity

with the Palestinian People

This First Sunday of Advent coincides with the International Day of Solidarity with

Palestinian People. This day recalls the UN plan to partition Palestine into a

Jewish state, a Palestinian state, and with special status Jerusalem. Christian leaders in Palestine ask that we be awake to Palestinians in our prayers and church services.

 See: The picture, was taken at 6 am, an hour or more after the queue forms to slowly be allowed through Israel’s Checkpoint 300 in the daily commute from Bethlehem to Jerusalem.

The video is from a few years ago, about Bethlehem before COVID undermined the local economy.

In Gaza we see COVID rates now rising in one of the most densely populated and under-resourced regions on Earth.

In the occupied West Bank, we see Bethlehem surrounded by settlements and the separation barrier - these being internationally viewed as illegal. We see Palestinians excluded from their fields, work and relatives by Israel’s checkpoints. We see Israeli forces destroying trees just before harvest; demolishing schools, homes and water systems. We see people being expelled as homeless refugees.

Reflect: Many Palestinians stress that they seek a just future for all in the land while recognising that an oppressor dehumanises themselves as well as the oppressed. That also applies here. The aggression of the UK against refugees, Westminster’s plans to cut the overseas development aid budget and boost defence spending all shrink our spirit. 

Solidarity is about recognising that those in need are our sisters and brothers, and being willing to act like it. The oppressors too are in need, a need of a different sort. In recent years, more Israeli soldiers their own lives than were killed by others.

Act:  During Advent and Christmas, whenever you hear the word Bethlehem do pray for those there today. Recall Mary and Joseph were also refugees in an occupied land with dysfunctional politics… as today. Let your prayer flow with its grace, love and hope from the cradle in Bethlehem, to all in Israel and Palestine and on to all those anywhere who are suffering from violence, occupation and oppression today,.

Learn some Palestinians’ names and personal histories: to find out more see here  or join with “see and pray” each Tuesday and Friday for 20 minutes at 6:30pm here.

The SEECAT justice and peace AGM and planning meeting will take place by Zoom on Wednesday 2 December at 7pm. Please register  at: https://tinyurl.com/SEECAT-AGM

All are warmly invited. We will review the last year and plan what we will do in the next year.