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NEWS SECTIONS

• Violence Against Christians in Mgbar: Declaration by the Heads of the Churches in the Holy Land

17-Feb-05 Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem,

The heads of churches in the Holy Land met at the residence of the Greek Melkite Catholic Apostolic Administrator of Haifa on February 14.2005 and issued the following declaration:

1. The grave and disturbing violent events that took place in the village of Mgbar shocked us and the entire Christian Community. Hundreds of Druzes from the village attacked for no apparent reason the Christian quarters, and burnt homes, cars and businesses and frightened women and children who ran away from their homes in the hundreds.
2. We the heads of Churches denounce in the strongest terms these events and express our dismay at the attitude of the police who failed to intervene to stop the violence and ensure the security of the citizens.

(Read more here)

• Employment Opportunity: Holy Land Gifts Coordinator

07-Feb-05

The Holy Land Gifts program was developed as a job creation project. It allows the Christian craftsman in and around Bethlehem to distribute their crafts despite the deteriorating economic conditions of the region. The lack of pilgrims, tourists, and consumers in general has interrupted the commerce at the Holy Sites and cities and left these craftsmen with no way to make a living.

(Read more here)

• HCEF President Sir Rateb Rabie, KHS, and over 50 Christian Leaders Sign Letter to President Bush; Appeal for Practical Peacemaking Leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

21-Jan-05

In a full-page ad in the New York Times on January 21, leaders of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical Churches and institutions urge President Bush to have the courage to seize the opportunity and end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In an open letter to the newly inaugurated President, the leaders ask: “Will Palestinians finally be free? Will Israelis be secure at last? As people of faith and hope, we say yes!” The letter appeals to the President to place a high priority on Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking in his second term and emphasizes a point new to the churches’ advocacy -- that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict poses a threat to the people of the United States by fueling terrorism. The 57 signers of the open letter to the President represent the broad spectrum of Christians in the United States.

(Read more here)

• Full Text of Letter from Christian Leaders to President Bush for Practical Peacemaking Leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

21-Jan-05

Dear Mr. President:

As leaders of Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Churches and Christian organizations with millions of members across the country, we encourage you to lead a political process that will end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As you begin your second term, the vision of a two-state solution is coming back into focus after having faded into obscurity. Will Palestinians finally be free? Will Israelis be secure at last? As people of faith and hope, we say yes!

(Read more here)

• 1000 Children from Palestinian Christian Towns Join in Historic Christmas March to Bethlehem

18-Jan-05

On Saturday, January 8, 2005 the second day of the Orthodox Christmas celebrations, HCEF organized a special program for children "A Journey to Bethlehem" where buses filled with gleaming children pulled into the Salesian of Bethlehem schoolyard. This journey was undertaken as part of "Jesus Loves the Children" Christmas Gifts Program. HCEF brought 1000 children, aged 9 to 11, representing 52 churches - Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic - from thirteen Christian villages and towns around Palestine. Each village and town had specifically-colored hats, flags, and scarves, and they carried olive branches and banners with Biblical quotes about peace and justice.

(Read more here)

• HCEF Follows Leadership of Bishops in the Middle East: Fast and Pray for Peace on December 22, 2004 [full text of Bishops' Declaration enclosed]

15-Dec-04

The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) encourages its supporters to follow the lead of the bishops of the Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa (CERNA) and of the Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (CELRA). These bishops have called for Christians around the world to fast and pray on Wednesday, December 22, 2004 for a peaceful resolution to the violence in the Holy Land. Their efforts are also supported by the bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jerusalem, the Rt. Rev. Munib Younan.

(Read more here)

• Caritas Jerusalem calls attention again to the deteriorating Palestinian humanitarian situation

15-Dec-04 Caritas Jerusalem,

Caritas Jerusalem, a Catholic humanitarian organization engaged in relief, development and social service projects throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, wishes to call attention to the worsening humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). This is to follow up on the Press Release issued by Caritas Jerusalem, October 1, 2004, "Continuing Palestinian Economic Deterioration." In that press release, Caritas Jerusalem pointed to the fact that since September 2000, "226,000 Palestinian households lost more than 50% of their usual income and about 22.6% of households in Gaza Strip suffered from highly critical living conditions." This fact was documented in a comprehensive economic survey conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.[1]

(Read more here)

• HCEF Conference Speaker Evicted from Her Home in Jenin

11-Nov-04

The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) hosted three women from the Holy Land - one Muslim, one Jewish, one Christian - at its 6th International Conference. The women spoke about their sufferings and their commitment to work with one another for a just peace over a 17-day speaking tour sponsored by Partners for Peace.

Hidaya Najmi (Age 38) was the Muslim Palestinian participant. She is a Senior Design Engineer with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Within a few days of returning to her home in Jenin, her family was evicted from their home by Israeli soldiers who seized the building. Under gunpoint they were given five minutes to leave.

(Read more here)

• Holy Land Delegates and Jerusalem Heads of Churches Expressed the Urgency for Peace and Justice

28-Oct-04

Over 450 persons representing 15 states and five foreign countries were transfixed by messages of hope and need at HCEF's 6th International Conference on October 22-24, 2004 in Washington, D.C. Conference attendees were able to hear the experiences of many Christians who live and work in the midst of the Holy Land facing the hardships of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This rare occasion was also marked by the unity expressed by four of Jerusalem's major religious leaders: Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal, Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem, H.B. Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Rt. Rev. Munib Younan, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jerusalem, H.B. Irineos I, Greek Orthodox Patriarch represented by Archimandrite Innokentios Exarchos.

(Read more here)

• HCEF Honors Individuals and Institutions at 6th Annual Awards Banquet

01-Oct-04

Each year, at the time of the 6th International Conference, HCEF grants awards to people and institutions who have accomplished excellent work in support of the Christians of the Holy Land. The 2004 Awardees are:

LIVING STONES AWARDS

ST. ANDREW PARISH, Milford

(Read more here)

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