Solidarity with the Suffering: Presbyterian Church (USA) Delegation to Palestine and Israel

Join us for a conversation on Zoom on Thursday, March 21, at 11:00, to hear from Rev. Alex Thornberg, Rev. Ane Fitzgerald, RE Doug Olson, and RE Amgad Beblawi who just returned from Israel and Palestine. They were commissioned at the February presbytery meeting to be participants in this PC(USA) delegation.

The delegation included thirty PC(USA) participants and a handful of ecumenical partners. We were hosted by Sabeel, a Christian theological center in Jerusalem.

The staff of Sabeel organized a series of meetings and conversations that included the Catholic Patriarch, Greek Orthodox and Lutheran church leadership in Palestine and Israel.   PC(USA) mission co-worker Doug Dicks traveled with our group and shared his expertise.

The delegation is committed to a peacemaking process, calls for immediate ceasefire and urgently requests humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.

Throughout the ten days of meetings, we shared middle eastern meals with citizens and community leaders.  We listened to an Israeli father, whose adult son is a hostage. We heard Palestinian mothers and sisters describe unlawful detention of young men and children. Youth leaders described the negative impact of the war on their education, employment and hopes for the future.

Amgad, Ane, Alex and Doug are available to speak at your church.  We can lead presentations by Zoom and in-person.  Please contact the presbytery staff if you would like your PW, Adult Education, Confirmation or fellowship group to participate.