For Further Action, Study and Reflection

Additional resources

Under Vine and Fig Tree: The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict and Biblical Theologies of Land
By MCC Middle East workers
To be published by Cascadia Press soon, http://www.pandorapressus.com

videos/DVDs and other resources
  Walking the Path that Jesus Walked
  the Dividing Wall
  Children of the Nakba

Updates from Timothy and Christi Seidel
Peace Development Workers
Mennonite Central Committee – Palestine
http://mccpalestineupdate.blogspot.com

Action, Study and Reflection

	MCC first came to Palestine in 1949, in response to the refugee crisis brought on by the 1948 war or the Nakba. Read Alain and Sonia Epp-Weaver’s Salt and Sign: Mennonite Central Committee in Palestine, 1949-1999 for further insight into how MCC has responded to the evolving situation in Palestine and Israel throughout the decades, considering political, theological and justice issues that have been and are being faced. Learn more about MCC’s work and about Palestine-Israel in What Is Palestine / Israel: Answers to Common Questions, a free resource from MCC available from your local MCC office or online at http://www.mcc.org/catalog/.
	MCC belongs to Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), a coalition of churches and church-related organizations that works for a future of justice and peace for Palestinians and Israelis alike. Look on the CMEP Web site for ideas about how to urge your government to work for justice, peace and reconciliation in Israel/Palestine.
	In recent years, due to the affects of the occupation and the diminishing infrastructure in the Palestinian territories, many Palestinian Christian families have immigrated to Western countries, causing the Palestinian Christian presence to decrease significantly. For those who remain, access to Jerusalem’s holy sites is restricted. Read Father Elias Chacour’s Blood Brothers and/or We Belong to the Land to gain insight into the Palestinian Christian experience. Have your Christian education group write to your elected officials on behalf of Christian brothers and sisters.
	Explore and discuss the Bible’s approach to land, considering the responsibilities that accompany the land and other people living in the land. (Leviticus 19:33,34 / Deuteronomy 10:17-19, 24:17-22) Consider refugee experiences throughout the world, past and present. How can the Bible and history be tools to build a future of just peace throughout Israel/Palestine and the world?
	Throughout Scripture, land is described as a gift from God. Explore the different strands of the Bible’s approached to land. What responsibilities and obligations come with the gift of land? Is God’s gift of land only for one people?
	Plan a Sunday of prayer and advocacy at your church focusing on Palestine-Israel. Include prayers for Palestinians and Israelis—for their security, freedom from violence, and future of peace and reconciliation. Contact MCC’s Ottawa or Washington, DC for ways to communicate your congregation’s prayers and hopes for peace, justice, and reconciliation in Palestine-Israel with government officials.
	Is there a mosque or a synagogue in your area? Find out when the main Islamic and Jewish holidays are, and invite your church to send greetings to the leaders of these communities during the appropriate holidays.
	Religion is a very important part of the lives of the people of this region. Learn more about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and the meanings these identities hold to the people here. What are the values taught in Islam and Judaism? How do these values compare with Christian values?
	What has the Israeli-Palestinian conflict meant for the entire Middle East? How does it continue to effect the daily lives of Christians in Palestine / Israel, Syria, and Egypt? What do you see as a just solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict?
	For more information on these refugee issues as well as on how Palestinians and Israelis are working together for a shared future of justice and peace, contact the Badil Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights and the Zochrot Association.
	View the MCC video Children of the Nakba with your church or small group to learn more about the realities of the Nakba for both Palestinians and Israelis (available from your local MCC office or online.)
	Read these recent news stories from Bethlehem: Bethlehem Christians flee tensions By Matthew Price, BBC News, Bethlehem Holy Land Christians' decline By Heather Sharp, BBC News Website Guide: Christians in the Middle East, BBC News Website 'We are facing the hardest Christmas yet', by Rory McCarthy