Israel-Palestine
Church of the Sermon on the Mount, Ibillin
Find mission workers in Israel and Palestine
Background
The Presbyterian Church has been involved in mission efforts in the Middle East for nearly two centuries. The denomination's long-standing witness in Israel and Palestine has spanned a range of efforts: supporting mission personnel; working with partner churches; contributing to refugee relief and resettlement; combating hunger and poverty; supporting ministries of local churches; sponsoring travel-study seminars; promoting education, health and leadership development; vocational training programs and self-development projects; programs supporting peace, justice and human rights movements; engaging in constituency education; and mobilizing to influence public policy.
Since 1948 General Assemblies have repeatedly addressed the Middle East and particularly Israel and Palestine. The Presbyterian position has consistently been to affirm the right of Israel to exist as a sovereign state within secure, internationally recognized borders and the right of the Palestinians to self-determination, including the right to the establishment of a neighboring independent, sovereign state toward the end of establishing a just and durable peace.
Read actions of Assemblies from 1997 to 2014
Background of the conflict
Resources for study and engagement
Students at the Arab Episcopal School, Ramallah, Palestine. Courtesy of the Arab Episcopal School.
Interview with Mitri Raheb
Mitri Raheb Interview from Presbyterian Foundation on Vimeo.
B’Tselem report: Attacking residential buildings in the Gaza Strip, summer 2014
The inheritance of Abraham? A report on the ‘promised land’, The Church of Scotland, May 2013
Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum of the World Council of Churches (WCC)
The Presbyterian Pre-Occupation with the Occupation of Palestine—Construing and Misconstruing the “Divestment” Vote—Whitney Bodman, Unbound
Faith Under Occupation: Palestinian Christians tell their story
Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth
Kairos Palestine: Congregational Study Plan
Steadfast Hope: The Palestinian Quest for Just Peace
Palestine-Israel Ecumenical Forum: Guidelines for Christians Contemplating a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land
Graduates of the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School, Ramallah, Palestine. Courtesy of the Arab Evangelical Episcopal School.
Partner Churches and Church Organizations
The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land
Baraka Presbyterian Church
Bethlehem Bible College
Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees of the MECC
Diyar Consortium
Pilgrims of Ibillin
Sabeel Ecumenical Center
Ecumenical Accompaniment
ECUMENICAL ACCOMPANIMENT PROGRAMME IN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL
The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) brings internationals to the West Bank to experience life under occupation. Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAs) provide protective presence to vulnerable communities, monitor and report human rights abuses and support Palestinians and Israelis working together for peace. When they return home, EAs campaign for a just and peaceful resolution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through an end to the occupation, respect for international law and implementation of UN resolutions. Learn more
Israel-Palestine Mission Network
The Israel-Palestine Mission Network is among more than 40 networks that connect Presbyterians who share a common mission interest. Most participants are involved in mission partnerships through congregations, presbyteries or synods. Network members come together to coordinate efforts, share best practices and develop strategies.
- For more information contact the moderator of the IPMN.
2015 meeting date: October 29-31; Cenacle Center, Chicago, IL
Learn more about Israel-Palestine
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in occupied Palestinian Territory (OCHA)
Israel and Palestine, a six-minute animated introduction
See 2016 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, Jan. 5 (Palestine)
