Churches for Middle East Peace
netanyahu says annexation going forward

Netanyahu: We Will Move Forward with Annexation in July
A look at updates on proposed annexation and responses, ongoing discussions of agreements, and more news in this week’s bulletin.

Image: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Jordan Valley community of Mevo’ot Yericho in February 2020.
(Tomer Neuberg/FLASH90)

 
netanyahu says annexation going forward

Netanyahu: We will move forward with annexation in July
J-Post

“Israel must seize the opportunity to apply sovereignty to portions of the West Bank in July, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Likud faction meeting Monday (May 25), as the settler leadership intensified its campaign against a US-supported annexation process. ‘For the first time since 1948, there is a historic opportunity to apply sovereignty in an agreed-upon fashion [with the US] as a diplomatic, sovereign act of the State of Israel in Judea and Samaria,’ he said. ‘This is an opportunity that should not be missed.’” 

Image: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Jordan Valley community of Mevo’ot Yericho in February 2020. (Tomer Neuberg/FLASH90)

 
erdogan objects

Turkey's Erdogan vows to protect Palestinians against Israel annexation
Y-Net News

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated Turkey's support for the Palestinian people on Monday (May 25) during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in a video message posted on social media. ‘We will not allow Palestinian lands to be offered to anyone,’ Erdogan said in the video message addressed to American Muslims. ‘I would like to reiterate that Al Quds Al-Sharif [the Temple Mount in Jerusalem], the holy place of the three religions... is a red line for all Muslims in the world,’ he said. According to Erdogan, Turkey is the 'only voice' that defends the Palestinians today.”

Image: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slams Israeli policy at the UN General Assembly in New York, Sept ember 2019. (Reuters)

 
samaria's gate

Israel plans West Bank industrial zone that would 'destroy' unique ecosystem
Haaretz

“Israel’s Civil Administration, the branch of the military responsible for civilian matters in the West Bank, has been advancing a plan to establish a large industrial zone straddling the Green Line that is expected to cause great damage to a unique ecological area. Welcomed by settler leaders, the project, called ‘Samaria’s Gate,’ is also seen as a way to facilitate a larger influx of Israeli Jews into the West Bank. But it is facing opposition from residents and environmental groups, who cite risks in store not only for nature but deep water aquifers as well.” 

Image: The area where the new Samaria's Gate industrial zone is expected to be established, May 2020. (Tomer Appelbaum)

 
What's Happening at CMEP
summit

Less than 1 Month to Equal in God’s Eyes!

We have restructured our annual advocacy summit to be digital. Join us June 22nd for an online summit. We are excited to have incredible speakers joining us and hope you will, too!

eastertide

Churches Against Annexation Webinar Series:

The first webinar will be on Thursday, June 4 from 11:00-12:00 pm Eastern and will feature Palestinian Christian leaders Rev. Munther Isaac, of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, and Father Jamal Khader, the Director of the Latin Patriarchate Schools in Palestine.

events

33 Days to Stop Injustice: Join #ChurchesAgainst
Annexation:

CMEP is excited to announce the launch of our Churches Against Annexation campaign. With all signs pointing towards formal annexation of Area C in the West Bank beginning July 1, speak out against this injustice! We will offer webinars, action alerts, and other ways for you to engage.

 

Donate

We are almost half way to our $20k matching goal. Please donate today and help us reach that important milestone!

Thanks for your support! Churches for Middle East Peace is following guidelines related to the Covid19 Pandemic to allow our employees to work from home and to observe social distancing measures. As a result, we are temporarily updating our mailing address to receive donations. We appreciate your ongoing support. If you are planning to donate to CMEP via check, we encourage you to take advantage of online credit-card or E-check options at www.cmep.org since our staff will be working from home for the foreseeable future, making it hard to process checks.

Please write your checks out to Churches for Middle East Peace and mail your checks to: 

Churches for Middle East Peace
PO Box 328
Cedarville, AR 72932

 
senate sessions chamber

New legislation to increase technological cooperation between Israel, US
J-Post

“New bipartisan legislation aims to increase collaboration between Israel and the US in developing defense technology. US Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the United States-Israel Military Capability Act of 2020 last week. Peters and Cotton are both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Their legislation would enhance collaboration on the research and development of technology used for national defense.”

Image: The US Senate Session Chamber. (Wikimedia Commons)

 
PA ends agreement

Israeli officials confirm Palestinian Authority is ending security coordination
Times of Israel

“Israeli sources confirmed Thursday (May 20) that the Palestinian Authority is making good on its threat to end security coordination with Israel over the new Israeli government’s plans to annex parts of the West Bank. In addition to security cooperation between the Israeli military and Palestinian security forces, civil ties between Israel and the PA were also set to cease. Defense officials warned that the halting of cooperation between Israel and the PA could lead to rising violence, with more clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians."

Image: Palestinian security forces guard at the entrance to the West Bank city of Nablus on March 23, 2020, as part of measures to contain the coronavirus. (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

 
ICC probe oslo accords

Ahead of ruling on war crimes probe, ICC asks PA if Oslo Accords still in force
Times of Israel

“Three judges at the International Criminal Court on Tuesday asked the Palestinian Authority to clarify PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s statement about terminating all agreements with Israel, and whether it applies to the Oslo Accords as well. The judges — who make up the pretrial chamber tasked with ruling on whether the court has jurisdiction to open a criminal investigation into suspected war crimes committed on Palestinian territories — have given Ramallah a June 10 deadline to respond to their query. It is unclear how the Palestinians will respond, but observers say the pretrial chamber’s interest in the status of the 1993 accords puts Ramallah in a bind: If it renounces the agreement that for the first time granted it autonomy in the areas it claims for its state, and thus hands the keys back to Israel, how can it argue that Palestine is a sovereign state that can transfer jurisdiction to The Hague for a war crimes investigation?”

Image: ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda (left) with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki on the sidelines of the ICC Assembly of States Parties in The Hague, December 2, 2019 (courtesy International Criminal Court)

 

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)
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