Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser

Churches for Middle East Peace

Israel-Palestine: Life in Sheikh Jarrah Has Become a 'Big Prison' Under Israeli Siege

A look at continuing upheaval, new leadership adjusting to ongoing situations, and more news in this week’s bulletin.

Image: A Palestinian woman stands by the gate of her home in Karm al-Jaouni and looks towards the house that Israeli settlers forcibly took from the Palestinian Ghawi family. (MEE/Aseel Jundi)

Sheikh Jarrah

Image: A Palestinian woman stands by the gate of her home in Karm al-Jaouni and looks towards the house that Israeli settlers forcibly took from the Palestinian Ghawi family. (MEE/Aseel Jundi)

Israel-Palestine: Life in Sheikh Jarrah has become a 'big prison' under Israeli siege

Middle East Eye

“In the closed-off Karm al-Jaouni area in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, Palestinian residents describe life under a perpetual threat of forced expulsion as akin to being imprisoned in their own homes under constant Israeli scrutiny and restriction of movement. Cement blocks meet visitors as they approach the neighbourhood, with Israeli police forces denying entry to non-residents. The only option left for those who wish to enter the area is to navigate their way around rooftops and reach the heart of Karm al-Jaouni, where families are threatened with removal from their homes to make way for Israeli settlers. The settlers who have occupied the house of the Ghawi family since 2009 stand, on alert, in front of the outpost at all times. Meanwhile, Palestinian residents try to get some much-needed rest during the day in anticipation of new rounds of attacks by settlers around sunset."

 
Gaza could need millions to recover from May conflict

Image: Workmen breaking rubble from a building destroyed during the May 2021 conflict. (Ahmed Zakot / SOPA Images / Sipa USA / Reuters)

Gaza could need $485M to recover from May conflict, World Bank says
Devex

“Gaza suffered damage worth up to $380 million during the most recent conflict with Israel, with the housing sector representing more than 40% of that amount, according to an assessment conducted by the World Bank in partnership with the United Nations and European Union. The Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, released Tuesday (July 6), estimates that between $345 million and $485 million will be needed for recovery efforts over the next two years, much of which will likely have to come from donors. That’s provided a new conflict does not break out. Gaza’s economy will likely contract by 0.3% this year, compared with the 2.5% growth that was projected prior to the conflict, according to the report. The unemployment rate could rise to 50% — the highest on record since the 1990s."

 
Gantz to send aid to Lebanon

Image: Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White political party. (Marc Israel Sellem)

Defense Minister Gantz sends proposal for humanitarian aid to Lebanon
J-Post

“Defense Minister Benny Gantz has sent a proposal for humanitarian aid to Lebanon through UNIFIL, his ministry announced on Tuesday (June 6). The move comes after Gantz has repeated several times in recent weeks that Israel is willing to offer assistance to its northeastern neighbor, which is suffering from a worsening economic crisis, with the World Bank calling it one of the world’s worst financial crises since the 1850s. Violence and protests have been breaking out around the country as basic services collapse. According to an assessment released by UNICEF on Monday, 77% of Lebanese households don’t have enough money to buy food. The country’s medicine importers have warned they have run out of hundreds of essential drugs. Electricity outages and gas shortages are commonplace and the Lebanese Armed Forces announced it is offering tourists helicopter rides for $150 to make money.”

 
 
What's Happening at CMEP
lent

Travel with CMEP:

If visiting the Holy Land is on your bucket list, CMEP can help! CMEP pairs with MEJDI to provide the chance to hear multi-narrative perspectives through the use of two local guides, one Israeli and one Palestinian.

New Academic Article from CMEP Staff:

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon and CMEP Ambassador Warren Clark Fellow Kevin Vollrath published the article "Spiritual Synchronicity: Icon Veneration in Evangelical and Orthodox Religious Practices in the 21st Century" in the academic publication The Journal of Religions.

travel

Host an Event with CMEP:

We are pleased to offer private events and experiences for your church, scheduled for a time that works for your community. Whether you want to have a casual evening of experiencing the culture of the Middle East or host an in depth discussion on the religious history of the land, current theological conversations, and the root causes of the recent war in Israel and Palestine. CMEP is eager and willing to support the work you are doing in your community.

Donate

Please support CMEP's work for equal rights for all in Israel/Palestine.

 
Qatar to provide aid to Lebanon

Image: Qatar's donation was announced on Tuesday (July 7) during a visit to Beirut by Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. (AFP)

Qatar to provide aid for Lebanese troops as crisis deepens
Al-Jazeera

“Qatar has said it will provide the Lebanese armed forces with 70 tonnes of food a month as Lebanon seeks assistance in the face of its worst economic and political crisis in decades. Lebanon’s army chief Joseph Aoun had appealed to world powers last month, during a meeting organised by France, for assistance for soldiers, whose wages have plunged in value as the Lebanese pound has crashed and inflation has soared. Qatar’s donation was announced on Tuesday (July 6) during a visit to Beirut by Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.”

 
Iran concerned about Biden's next move

Image: US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris speak after meeting with Asian-American leaders at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, in March. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Iran concerned about Biden’s next Middle East moves
J-Post

“Iran’s Tasnim news had an interesting article discussing concerns about US President Joe Biden’s next moves in the Middle East. Iran has been watching the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and is hopeful that it might also withdraw elsewhere. However, veteran analysts in Iran appear to think that the US will not continue the withdrawal and will instead find reasons to stay in Iraq, Syria and other places. Iran is deeply interested in how Biden views Syria and the US military presence in Iraq.”

 
attacks on us forces in Syria

Image: Base housing US troops in Iraq comes under rocket attack. (Getty Images)

Base housing US troops in Iraq comes under rocket attack
The Hill

“A base housing U.S. troops in Iraq was hit with more than a dozen rockets on Wednesday (July 7), causing two minor injuries. The al-Assad Air Base in western Iraq was hit by 14 rockets at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time, Col. Wayne Marotto, the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition Operation Inherent Resolve, confirmed on Twitter. Marotto said the rockets landed on the base and its perimeter, and force defensive measures were activated. He later tweeted that all of the personnel at the base were accounted for following the attack, though ‘two personnel sustained minor injuries’ and damage is still to be assessed.”

CMEP's Bulletin is a weekly round-up of news from the Middle East and represents an array of perspectives on the issues we cover. CMEP does not necessarily agree with all the views expressed in the articles, and they do not speak on CMEP's behalf.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
110 Maryland Ave NE, Suite 311 | Washington, District of Columbia  20002
(202) 543-1222 | info@cmep.org

Follow Us

Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences