A Call for Urgent International Intervention: Stop the genocide in Rafah and the forcible displacement of the Palestinians!

Feb. 13th, 2024

Despite the International Court of Justice ruling that Israel is plausibly committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and despite the provisional measures the court issued—including the demand that Israel take all measures within its power to spare the lives of the civilians—Israel has intensified its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip and is planning for a horrific assault on Rafah.

Read the full call in English

  على الرغم من حكم محكمة العدل الدولية بأن إسرائيل ترتكب إبادة جماعية ضد الفلسطينيين في غزة، وعلى الرغم من التدابير المؤقتة التي أصدرتها المحكمة - بما في ذلك مطالبة إسرائيل باتخاذ جميع التدابير الممكنة، لإنقاذ حياة المدنيين - فقد كثفت إسرائيل عمليات الإبادة الجماعية في حربها على قطاع غزة، وهي الآن تخطط لهجوم مروع على رفح.

اقرأ البيان كاملا باللغة العربية

 

Joint Kairos Southern Africa and Kairos Palestine Open Letter to Church leaders and Christians in the USA, Europe and the Ecumenical Family

Nov. 1st, 2023

“Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God” (Ps. 35:24)

Sisters and brothers:

We are witnessing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza unfolding in front of our eyes, not dissimilar to what happened less than 30 years ago in Rwanda and 80 years ago in Europe. Many in the West were complicit in those genocides. We cannot and dare not let it happen again. It must be stopped.

Read the full open letter in English

 

Kairos Palestine call after the bombing of the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza - نداء المبادرة المسيحية الفلسطينية / كايروس فلسطين بعد قصف كنيسة القديس بورفيريوس للروم الأرثوذكس في غزة

نداؤنا لكل صاحب ضمير، لكل يهودي ومسيحي ومسلم، لكنائس العالم، للعالم العربي والاسلامي لإسرائيل نفسها ولكل أصدقاءها المشاركين منهم في قتلنا والصامتين منهم عما يحدث في قطاع غزة. أوقفوا الحرب الآن. لم تعد الإنسانية تتحمَّل جنون الإنسان. أي دمار بعد هذا؟!!!

 اقرأ نداء المبادرة المسيحية الفلسطينية كاملاُ

Our call to every person of conscience, to every Jew, Christian and Muslim, to the churches of the world, to the Arab and Islamic world, to Israel itself and to all its friends; some of whom have participated in killing us and others have remained silent about what is happening in the Gaza Strip:

Stop the war now. Humanity can no longer tolerate human madness. What destruction lies after this?!!!

Read the full call in English

 

A Call for Repentance: An Open Letter from Palestinian Christians to Western Church Leaders and Theologians

We, at the undersigned Palestinian Christian institutions and grassroots movements, grieve and lament the renewed cycle of violence in our land. As we were about to publish this open letter, some of us lost dear friends and family members in the atrocious Israeli bombardment of innocent civilians on October 19, 2023, Christians included, who were taking refuge in the historical Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza. Words fail to express our shock and horror with regards to the on-going war in our land. We deeply mourn the death and suffering of all people because it is our firm conviction that all humans are made in God’s image. We are also profoundly troubled when the name of God is invoked to promote violence and religious national ideologies.

Sign the petition 

Read the full call in English

Read the full call in Dutch

Read the full call in Spanish

Read the full call in Greek 

بيان المبادرة المسيحية الفلسطينية – كايروس فلسطين حول الحرب على غزة / Kairos Palestine Statement on the War on Gaza

الحرب من جديد على غزة، لكنها انطلقت هذه المرة من غزة. وأحدثت دمارًا كبيرًا في إسرائيل. والكثيرون يرون أنها حرب ظالمة على إسرائيل. لكن السؤال الذي يجب أن يطرحه كل إنسان، وكل طالب سلام وعدل، هو: لماذا انطلقت هذه الحرب؟

 اقرأ بيان المبادرة المسيحية الفلسطينية كاملاُ

The war on Gaza again, but this time it started from Gaza. It has caused great suffering and destruction in Israel. Many see it as an unjust war against Israel. But the question that every human being, and every seeker of peace and justice, must ask is: Why did this war start?

Read Kairos Palestine full statement in Engish

Read Kairos Palestine statement in Danish

Read Kairos Palestine statement in Dutch

Read Kairos Palestine statement in German 

Read Kairos Palestine statement in Spanish

Read Kairos Palestine statement in Italian 

 

بيان المبادرة المسيحية الفلسطينية – كايروس فلسطين حول الانتهاكات للأماكن المقدسة المسيحية

بيت لحم - ٤ نيسان ٢٠٢٣

منذ تسلمت الحكومة الإسرائيلية الجديدة، تزايدت الاعتداءات على المقدسات المسيحية. وهي نتيجة طبيعية لتطرف القيادات الحالية وتحريضها الصريح على الفلسطينيين. منذ مطلع السنة وحتى اليوم، خلال أقل من ثلاثة أشهر، تكررت الاعتداءات؛ تدنيس المقابر المسيحية، وتحطيم تمثال السيد المسيح في قلب الكنيسة، في دير الرهبان الفرنسيسكان، في حي مراحل درب الصليب، والبصق على رجال الدين الأرمن في حارة الأرمن، وعلى الصليب الذي يحملونه.

  اقرأ بيان المبادرة المسيحية الفلسطينية كاملاُ

 

Kairos Palestine 13th Anniversary Conference Statement - Nov. 18th and 19th, 2022

We members of Kairos Palestine, the most extensive Palestinian Christian ecumenical movement,
and Global Kairos for Justice, the worldwide coalition of concerned Christians from diverse
churches and church-related organizations as well as other faiths-based and secular organizations,
have gathered in Beit Sahour, Palestine, together with leaders of Palestinian civil society and other
international advocates to pray, to discern, to receive and now to share a declaration of
sumud
(resilience) and hope from the Holy Land.

Read full statement in English

Read full statement in Arabic

Read full statement in German

Anglican Church of South Africa (ACSA) 2022 Resolution on Palestine and Israel

On Sep 30th, 2022 The Provincial Standing Committee, the Anglican Church of South Africa top decision-making body between Provincial Synods, has passed on a resolution requesting parishes to highlight the plight of the Palestinian people at annual observances.

Read the Resolution

Kairos Palestine welcomes Amnesty International Report: “Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity”

February 4th, 2022 Jerusalem

The board, staff and supporters of Kairos Palestine welcome Amnesty International’s momentous report, Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime Against Humanity. 

Read the full statement in English

Read the full statement in Arabic

A Tribute to the Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu from Kairos Palestine

 37881659 1951151834949119 4281657918199169024 oDec. 26th, 2021 Jerusalem, The Christian Palestinian Initiative, Kairos Palestine, mourn, together with all conscious people, the passing of the Nobel Peace Prize winner the Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who had inspired the entire world to fight for justice.

View Tribute ...

بيان المؤسسات المسيحية الفلسطينية حول تصنيف المنظمات الفلسطينية / Statement from Palestinian Christian organizations on the classification of Palestinian Organizations

25/10/2021

القدس، فلسطين. تشجب المؤسسات المسيحية الفلسطينية وتدين بأشد العبارات قرار وزير الأمن الاسرائيلي"بيني غانتس" الصادر بتاريخ 22/10/2021، بحق ست منظمات حقوقية فلسطينية ...

اقرأوا البيان كاملا

Jerusalem, Palestine - Palestinian Christian organizations condemn and denounce in the strongest possible terms the decision of the Israeli Minister of Defense Benny Gantz issued on 22/10/2021 against six Palestinian human rights organizations

Read the full statement here

An open letter from Kairos Palestine to United Church of Christ

July 22, 2021

Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, General Minister and President

United Church of Christ

 

بيان المبادرة المسيحية الفلسطينية - كايروس فلسطين حول الجريمة النكراء التي أودت بحياة الناشط الفلسطيني نزار بنات

  

Kairos palestine photo

  ٢٧ حزيران ٢٠٢١ - تدين المبادرة المسيحية الفلسطينيّة - كايروس فلسطين، وبأشد العبارات، الجريمة النكراء التي أودت بحياة الناشط الفلسطيني   نزار بنات. وإننا، كفكر فلسطيني مسيحي حرّ، يعمل مع سائر أبناء الوطن من أجل الحرية والاستقلال، وسائرون مع كل السائرين على طريق الحرية،   سمعنا صوت فلسطين، صوت جماهير فلسطين، الرافضة لأي سياسة قمعية. حريّتنا تبدأ عندما نصون حريّة التعبير عن الرأي والمعتقد؛ إنها حريّة الكلمة والفكر، وتقبّل الاختلاف والنقد.

  اقرأ البيان كاملاً

Kairos Palestine call to The Holy See (Vatican), The World Council of Churches and Church Leaders Worldwide for Solidarity and Action

kairos jerusalem alaqsaThe Christian Palestinian Initiative, Kairos Palestine, urges the Christian community worldwide to act justly and speak the truth about Israel’s oppressive policies and practices, especially regarding violent attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem and Israel’s deadly assault on the people of Gaza.

Read full English statement...

Read full Arabic statement...

Read full Spanish statement...

Read full French statement...

Read full Portuguese statement...

Join the Palestinian Christians: Resist the Ethnic Cleansing of East Jerusalem

save sheikh jarrahYour sisters and brothers in Palestine implore you to resist the State of Israel’s impending eviction of 15 families from their homes in the Israeli-occupied territory of East Jerusalem.

Read full statement - English

Read full statement - German

Read full statement - French

 

Palestinian Christians Support the Rev. Frank Chikane, the Moderator of the WCC's Commission of the Churches on International Affairs

We give thanks for and come alongside our Christian brother, Frank Chikane, who suffered many years for his courageous anti-apartheid work in South Africa. Now, our friend is unjustly criticized for his solidarity with Palestinians suffering under the apartheid State of Israel.

Read more...

بيان المبادرة المسيحية الفلسطينية - كايروس فلسطين حول الانتخابات الفلسطينية

palestine elections small

جاء مرسوم الرئيس لإجراء الانتخابات التشريعية والرئاسية وانتخابات المجلس الوطني استجابة موضوعية لحاجة ملحة في المجتمع الفلسطيني، وفرصة للقيام بالإصلاحات المطلوبة، لكي نبدأ مرحلة جديدة في تاريخنا. نحن شعب تحت الاحتلال، يطالب بحريته واستقلاله. ولنتمكن من النجاح في صراعنا مع الخارج، يتوجب علينا أن نصارع أنفسنا أولا، كل فلسطيني، الراعي والرعية، المسؤولون والشعب، كل واحد يصارع نفسه، ليحرر نفسه من كل ما يعيق استرجاع حريته ممن سلبوه إياها.

 إقرأ المزيد

A Tribute to Dr Clint Le Bruyns from Kairos Palestine and Global Kairos for Justice Coalition

Dr. Clint Le Bruyns, a much loved and respected South African theologian, intellectual and activist passed away at the age of 48 years on 7 January 2021 due to complications after contracting Covid-19. We offer our heartfelt condolences to his daughter, his mother, the rest of his family and all his friends, colleagues, students and fellow activists who suffer from this tragic and enormous loss of a human being who stood in service of humanity.

View Tribute ...

تهنئة للدكتور ميشيل عبس امين عام مجلس كنائس الشرق الاوسط

القدس – تتقدم المبادرة المسيحية الوطنية / كايروس فلسطين بأحر التهاني القلبية للدكتور ميشيل عبس بمناسبة انتخابه امينًا عامًا لمجلس كنائس الشرق الاوسط، وتتمنى له النجاح والتوفيق في هذه الشهادة الهامة. ونحن إذ نصلي وندعو له بالنجاح في خدمة وتمكين الحضور المسيحي في المشرق، نهيب به باستمرار الدفاع عن كافة القضايا العربية العادلة واعطاء الاولوية خاصة للدفاع عن القضية الفلسطينية والتي تعاني اليوم من خطر الاندثار والنسيان.

 

إقرأ المزيد

An Open Letter to The Most Reverend David Malloy, Bishop of Rockford, Illinois, Chair

An Open Letter to

The Most Reverend David Malloy, Bishop of Rockford, Illinois, Chair

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on International Justice and Peace

They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,

saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.

Jeremiah 8:11

Indian solidarity group protests the Israeli court ruling that Palestinian prisoners have no right to social distancing

The Indo-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) is a growing network of like-minded people drawn from all parts of the country committed to justice and freedom for Palestine. It seeks an end to the racist-colonialist-apartheid politics of Israel through which Israel’s Occupation of Palestinians and their lands have continued for the last 53 years. To enlarge our scope of influence we join with other organizations whose major concern is Palestine. We see the need to create consciousness and mobilize solidarity with the Palestinians on all issues of justice and equality and oppose the illegal annexation of their lands. We desire a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine. IPSN is globally linked through thousands of Palestinian Christians and people of other faiths through Kairos Palestine and the Global Kairos for Justice Coalition.

Black Lives Matter - A Declaration of Solidarity

Love is seeing the face of God in every human being.  Every person is my brother or my sister.  However, seeing the face of God in everyone does not mean accepting evil or aggression on their part.  Rather, this love seeks to correct the evil and stop the aggression.  (Kairos Palestine: a confession of faith and call to action from Palestinian Christians, 4.2.1)

Kairos Palestine expresses its unequivocal support for the Black Lives Matter movement and everyone working for racial justice in USA, the demands of which have resonated in communities around the world. The movement has opened an opportune moment—a kairos moment—for citizens in the United States and people of faith and civil society around the world to name and address places of systemic racism, economic inequality, food deprivation, lack of access to health care, and state-sanctioned violence that strip human beings of their dignity, equal rights and far too often their lives.

The Dire Consequences of Israel’s “Coalition Government”

The board of Kairos Palestine raises an alarm regarding the consequences of the third failed Israeli election in less than a year.  The resulting coalition entered on April 20, 2020, combines two of the most right-wing parties—Bennie Gantz’s Blue and White and Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud—in a deal that directly threatens Palestinians’ freedom, health and human rights.

The American declaration on peace in the Middle East made on 28/1/020

 

The position announced by the U.S. administration regarding what they termed as the ‘deal of the century’ was in fact an insult to history, humanity, the Palestinian people, and the American dignity itself.

The American-Israeli proposal is premised on consolidating Israeli control over all of Palestine’s land, making sure that the Palestinian people are subjected to this control, in return for economic promises that are closer to a deal for buying the people and their spirit with money.

بيان كايروس فلسطين حول الإعلان الأمريكي في سلام الشرق الأوسط

الموقف الذي أعلنته الحكومة الأمريكية في ما سموه ب"صفقة القرن"، كان في الواقع صفعة للتاريخ والإنسانية والشعب الفلسطيني، ويمكن أن نقول صفعة للكرامة الأمريكية نفسها.

الطرح الأمريكي والإسرائيلي مبني على تكريس السيطرة الإسرائيلية على كامل أرض فلسطين، وضرورة خضوع الشعب الفلسطيني لهذه السيطرة، مقابل وعود اقتصادية أقرب إلى عملية شراء الناس بل روح الشعب بالمال . 

Kairos Youth statement 2019 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

From the land of Jesus Christ there shone a new light seeking to break through the darkness. It is the light of faith, hope, and love that rise from the heart of Palestinian suffering. Such was the Kairos Palestine’s ‘Moment of Truth’ initiative. Today, we renew the pledge, a group of young women and men of this land, addressing the call to ourselves and all youth, to assume our role, accept our calling and mission in this land, right now and here.

Kairos Palestine 10th Anniversary Conference Statement & Call to the Church

Since the launch of A Moment of Truth ten years ago, life in Palestine has rapidly deteriorated under the illegal occupation by the State of Israel.  The oppression is more aggressive and brutal.  Our imprisoned and besieged sisters and brothers in Gaza, non-violently gathering in the March of Return, were the targets of a bloody and deadly response.  Settlements continue to expand.  Threats of annexation of the Jordan Valley and the settlements themselves grow without a word of condemnation from the major powers.  We are experiencing the continued dispossession of our land, our freedom and our human rights. 

Kairos Palestine Statement on the U.S Secretary of State legalizing settlements

Kairos Palestine expresses deep disappointment that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced—in a statement that disregards the Geneva Conventions, international law and widespread global consensus—a radical departure from U.S. policy regarding the illegal colonial activities of the State of Israel. 

Resolution To Provincial Synod: Church Of The Province Of Southern Africa

  1. This is the 10th year anniversary of the Palestine Kairos document, a document written by Palestinian Christians for our reflection and action (www.kairospalestine.ps);
  2. The South African government has withdrawn its ambassador from Tel Aviv;
  3. It is reported that each year a few hundred Palestinian children are held in Israeli jails and there is evidence of human rights violation.

Kairos Palestine’s statement on House Demolitions Perpetrated by the Israeli Occupation Authorities

Everywhere, and throughout the occupied Palestinian Territories, the Israeli authorities demolish the houses of Palestinians, which the international law stipulates that they be protected and preserved by the occupying authority. In violation to the said law and to implement colonial plans, the Israeli authorities demolish houses, confiscate lands and build settlements on their ruins.

Kairos Palestine on the statement made by His Holiness the Pope about peace in Palestine and Israel

In his traditional speech on New Year’s Eve to accredited ambassadors to the Vatican, His Holiness Pope Francis tackled several international issues that require resolution. On the Palestinian problem, he stated that negotiations are the natural way to achieve the needed solution and to bring about a just peace between the two peoples.

Kairos Palestine 9th Anniversary Conference Statement

On December 6-7th, 2018, more than 300 people met in Bethlehem, consisting of Palestinian Christian church and organization leaders, Kairos Palestine leaders, people of faith, representatives of the Palestinian civil society, and around 100 international Christians representing the global Kairos for Justice movement and different church bodies.

Kairos Palestine letter of solidarity and appreciation

Kairos Palestine has been following the recent work of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship and its Palestine Israel Network with great interest and abiding appreciation. While the Episcopal Church has partnered with the Palestinian Christian community since 1922, we recognize that this is a kairos moment for the Episcopal Church as you meet in Austin, Texas, for the 79th General Convention.

Salute to Presbyterian Church USA

Jerusalem, 25, June 2018, The board, staff and supporters of Kairos Palestine and the members of Global Kairos for Justice coalition celebrate the historic pro-justice actions taken by the Presbyterian Church(USA) at its 223rd General Assembly meeting just days ago. We offer our profound thanks to staff, commissioners and advisory delegates of the PC(USA), and to its mission network, the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (USA) (www.theipmn.org) which worked tirelessly to bring a slate of resolutions to the church’s assembly gathered in St. Louis.

Open letter to all people of good will in Palestine, Israel and the World community

We who live in a Europe of many elderly people join hands with you the many young people of Palestine and Israel, ensuring you that we will continue to raise our voices and to work with you and for your life, your rights and your dignity as long as we can.

A Message for the Churches and People of Palestine and Israel

Today, May 15, the people of Palestine mark the day when 70 years ago, they were uprooted from their homes into the status of refugees and statelessness, denied the right of return to their homeland. The South African Council of Churches (SACC), recognizes in sadness, the many lost opportunities since that day, for the creation of a peaceful coexistence between Israel and Palestine.

Indian groups convey solidarity with the Palestinians on Nakba Day

This is a letter to Kairos Palestine from an informal collective of civil society groups, churches, and individuals calling for justice on the 70th anniversary of the Nakba

Kairos Statement on Gaza and Jerusalem

" If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they" (Ecclesiastes 5:8).

Nakba Day 2018

Pray for and Express Solidarity with Palestinians

This year marks the 70th year of Nakba: Nakba Day , Yawm an-Nakba, meaning “Day of the Catastrophe” is generally commemorated on 15 May. The day was inaugurated by Yasser Arafat in 1998.

The Palestinian people are committed to seeking freedom

We are a collection of Palestinian groups and civil society organizations. We address our call to the Palestinian Authority, all Palestinian leaders, Israel, the American administration, the Arab states, the international community, and to all those of good will who support us in seeking our freedom and independence.

Urgent Appeal

We, the undersigned, Justice and Peace-loving citizens in India, urge the US Adminstration to withdraw its recognization of Jerusalem as the Captital of Israel and the proposal to shift its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem in the wake of President Trump’s speech

President Trump made a speech yesterday in which he said that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Prior to Trumps’s speech yesterday, Patriarchs and the heads of churches in Jerusalem addressed a letter telling Trump that: “We believe that this step will lead to more hatred, conflict, violence and anguish for Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and will hinder the aspired goal of unity and peace.” Many other leaders in the region and the world told Trump the same words but he did not listen to anyone.

An Appeal to respect and protect the life and land of Palestinians

We, the undersigned, the justice and peace loving citizens of India, who met on the 1st August 2017 in New Delhi, have resolved to prefer the following Appeal to Govt of India and those who are concerned with the life, livelihood, freedom of Religion and the dignity of Palestinians:

Open Letter to WCC - Swedish

När vi möts den här månaden i Betlehem i det ockuperade Palestina, lider vi fortfarande under 100 år av orättvisa och förtryck som åsamkats det palestinska folket. Det började med den orättvisa och olagliga Balfour-deklarationen 1917 och fortsatte med Nakba och flyktingströmmen 1949. Sedan följde den olagliga israeliska ockupationen av Västbanken och Östra Jerusalem 1967, splittringen och uppdelningen av vårt folk och vårt land genom isolationspolitik, konfiskering av mark och byggande av apartheidmuren och bosättningar för endast judiska invånare.

Open Letter to WCC - German

Wenn wir in diesem Monat in Bethlehem im besetzten Palästina zusammenkommen, leiden wir immer noch an 100 Jahren Ungerechtigkeit und Unterdrückung, die dem palästinensischen Volk mit dem Anfang der ungerechten und gesetzeswidrigen Balfour-Deklaration aufgebürdet wurde, intensiviert durch die Nakba und das Hereinströmen von Flüchtlingen und gefolgt durch die israelische Besetzung der Westbank, von Ostjerusalem und Gaza und der Zerstückelung unseres Volkes und unseres Landes durch die Politik der Isolation und Konfiskation von Land durch die Errichtung von Siedlungen „nur für Juden“ und die Apartheid-Mauer.

Open Letter to WCC - Spanish

Nos hemos reunido este mes en Belén, Palestina ocupada. Llevamos 100 años sufriendo la injusticia y la opresión que se infligió sobre el pueblo palestino, empezando por la injusta e ilegal Declaración Balfour[1], intensificada a través de la Nakba que nos convirtió en refugiados/as, seguida por la ocupación israelí de Cisjordania, Jerusalén oriental y Gaza, y la actual fragmentación de nuestro pueblo y nuestra tierra mediante políticas de aislamiento, confiscación de tierras, construcción de colonias ilegales y del Muro de apartheid.

Open Letter to WCC - Dutch

Wanneer we deze maand in Bethlehem bijelkaar komen, duurt het onrecht van 100 jaar onderdrukking nog steeds voort. Dit onrecht is het Palestijnse volk aangedaan door de onrechtvaardige en onwettige Balfour verklaring, geïntensiveerd door de Nakba en de stroom van vluchtelingen, gevolgd door de Israëlische bezetting van de Westbank inclusief Oost-Jeruzalem en Gaza en de fragmentatie van ons volk en ons grondgebied door het beleid van isolatie en confiscatie van land, en door de bouw van exclusief joodse nederzettingen en de Apartheidsmuur.

Open Letter to WCC - French

Alors que nous allons nous rencontrer ce mois-cià Bethléemen Palestine occupée, nous souffrons toujours des 100 années d’injustice et d’oppression qui ontétéinfligées au peuple palestinien, à commencer par l’injuste et illégale Déclaration Balfour, aggravée par la Nakba et l’affluxde réfugiés,suivie par l’occupation israélienne de la Cis jordanie, de Jérusalem-Estetde Gaza,par la fragmentation de notre peuple et de notre paysà travers des politiques d’isolationetde confiscationde terres,et par la construction decolonies réservées aux seuls Juifs, et du murd’Apartheid.

The year of painful memories

We, a group of Christian Palestinians, after prayer, reflection and an exchange of opinion, cry out from within the suffering in our country, under the Israeli occupation, with a cry of hope in the absence of all hope, a cry full of prayer and faith in a God ever vigilant, in God’s divine providence for all the inhabitants of this land (A Moment of Truth, introduction). “They say: 'Peace, peace' when there is no peace” (Jer. 6:14). These days, everyone is speaking about peace in the Middle East and the peace process. So far, however, these are simply words; the reality is one of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, deprivation of our freedom, and all that results from this situation.” (1-1).

NCCOP Open Letter to the WCC

As we meet this month in Bethlehem in occupied Palestine, we are still suffering from 100 years of injustice and oppression that were inflicted on the Palestinian people beginning with the unjust and unlawful Balfour declaration, intensified through the Nakba and the influx of refugees, followed by the Israeli occupation of the West Bank including East Jerusalem and Gaza and the fragmentation of our people and our land through policies of isolation and confiscation of land, and the building of Jewish-only settlements and the Apartheid Wall.

Kairos Palestine Statement on prisoners' Hunger Strike

The voice of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails is being heard since April 17 when they announced an all-out hunger strike; around 1,500 prisoners have joined in this hunger strike.

The hunger strike is an appeal to humanity in Israel and worldwide to draw attention to the torture, deprivation and human rights violations faced by prisoners in Israeli political prisons.

Kairos Palestine writes on the General strike oft he Palestinian Prisoners

On 17 April , 1500 Palestinian political prisoners announced a general strike, fasting until their rights and demands are met. Their demands are mainly an end to administrative detention that is totally illegal under international law. They demand adequate visiting time and conditions.

Kairos Easter Message 2017

Christ is risen, he is risen indeed.

Our Easter message is a message of victory over death, a message of joy and hope, against all hopelessness.

Our land is the land of the resurrection for the whole world, yet it is still a land of death, prisons, tortures, demolition of houses, a people under occupation claiming their freedom and dignity, two peoples unable to see their proper place in the land of God.

The Future of Christians in Palestine: Presence rather than Existence

By Rifat Kassis

The title of this article may provoke some readers since it suggests, unintentionally, that Christians are a sector of society on the verge of extinction due to a variety of pressures and oppression. It reminds me of a statement by His Beatitude Patriarch Michel Sabbah during one of his many lectures. He said: “We as Christians do not face a special kind of threat; we face a threat and danger that covers everyone in our society. This threat is instability, and the absence of peace and justice.”

Dismantle ‘Dividing walls’: The Struggle for Justice and Peace in Palestine Continues

Dismantle ‘Dividing walls’:  The Struggle for Justice and Peace in Palestine Continues

Reflections on the occasion of the World Week for Peace, 18-24 Sept. 2016

Hind Khoury, Kairos Palestine

15 September 2016

Kairos Palestine Response to ELCA

THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH STANDS BY JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS

17 August, 2016

Kairos Palestine (KP), the voice of Palestinian Christians www.kairospalestine.ps welcomes the recent resolution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) calling on the US government to end aid to Israel until the latter freezes the construction of settlements on occupied Palestinian land and respects international law and human rights.

Pax Christi Metro DC Baltimore response to Kairos

Pax Christi is the international Catholic peace movement. The regional chapter of Pax Christi Metro DC and Baltimore has just endorsed the Kairos Palestine Call and support of the BDS global movement!

Kairos Palestine welcomes this initiative with the following statement:

Bethlehem in Danger!

Bethlehem, April 22th 2016: In the Cremisan Valley, which neighbors the towns of Beit Jala and Bethlehem in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Israeli Ministry for “Defense” has started the construction of the Annexation Wall on the lands owned by 58 Palestinian Christian families, close to a monestary and its sister convent.

A Letter to our Muslim Brethren

1. Shared History, Present, and Destiny

1.1 When we, Christian Palestinians, engage with our Muslim brethren, we are engaging with our people, our neighbors and colleagues at work, and our partners at all domains of life, whether social, economic, political, or cultural. We are one people, one country, one language,

with the same traditions, anxieties, suffering, and aspirations. This is how we forged our history as one society and one indivisible being.

1.2 If history wanted for us to be as such, then the Almighty God, the Lord of history, wanted that for us as well. Our shared lives are not a coincidence of history, a blind destiny, or a passing situation. Instead, it is God’swill for us, and we commit ourselves to him and follow His

in gladness. This is precisely what we emphasized in our Kairos Document: “Our presence in this land, at Christian and Muslim Palestinians, is not accidental but rather deeply rooted in the history and geography of this land, resonant with the connectedness of any other people to the land it lives in.”1

Catholic Church: a New Vision for Justice and Peace!

The assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries has issued a statement on the current situation in Palestine and Israel. Like Kairos Palestine and many civil society organizations call for an end to the violence, also the Commission for Justice and Peace clearly states that the recent uprising is the cry of Palestinian youth who lost their belief and hope in achieving a just and peaceful solution to the Occupation of Palestine. Justice and peace will come when the occupation ends, the wall falls and everybody is granted a life with dignity!

Kairos Statement on the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

Sunday, 29th of November 2015, is the first day of Advent as well as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People initiated by the United Nations. Tragically in Palestine, this time of Advent is beginning at a very dark time. In Bethlehem, clashes erupt almost daily, Israeli forces have closed down Hebron completely and Palestinian Jerusalemites are facing another round of harsh discrimination and house demolitions. In fact, instead of preparing for Christmas, Palestinians are struggling with the consequences of the past weeks.

Statement on Land Confiscation in Cremisan

Kairos Palestine, representing the voice of Palestinian Christians suffering under Israeli occupation, strongly condemns the pursuit of the colonial settlement expansion in the West Bank and the ongoing construction of the Apartheid Wall. Contrary to Israeli propaganda, the Wall is not a security precaution, especially since 85% of it separates Palestinian Christians and Muslims from their land, and water resources and destroys the socio-economic fabric of Palestinian society. According to international law, these same lands are designated for an independent Palestinian state, a state whose creation will bring about a just and durable peace.

A Candle in the Dark: Personal Reflections on the Situation of Syrian Refugees, by Rifat Kassis

Global and local statistics confirm that around 80 percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in northern cities, while the remaining 20 percent live in four camps: Za’atari, Marjeeb al-Fahood, Cyber City, and Al-Azraq.

Since the start of the Syrian crisis in March 2011, northern Jordan has exploded with Syrian refugees fleeing the war. The Jordanian residents of this area – already poor themselves – responded with their natural hospitality, willingly hosting their Syrian brothers and sisters. Jordanian and Syrians alike thought that their problems would last for days or weeks at most.

Statement from Palestinian Christian Leaders: Europe Must Recognize the State of Palestine

October 10, 2014

In a Middle East region that continues to suffer from the consequences of violence, the people of Palestine continue to live under occupation and in exile. Palestinian Christians, the descendants of the first Christians, are an integral part of the Palestinian people, continue to suffer, just like our Palestinian Muslim and Samaritan brothers and sisters, we have been denied of our national and human rights for almost a century. From Jerusalem, our occupied capital, we send our urgent message to the whole world and particularly to Europe: We are yearning for justice and peace. Recognizing Palestine and defining Israel’s borders is a first step towards that goal.

"Hope for Gaza? Only if justice prevails." Statement by Kairos Britain

August 06, 2014

The war in Gaza may be over for now, but unless a long term agreement based on justice and human rights for all in Palestine/Israel is agreed, the cycle of violence will continue. We call on all Christians to act NOW to ensure that this tragedy cannot happen again. Read the statement here.

Diplomatic pressure for Peace: A call for Sanctions - Statement by NCCOP and Kairos Palestine

What is going on these days in Gaza is not war. It is a massacre of civilians, men, women and children. More than 650 people killed and over 4000 injured, the majority being civilians; this cannot be justified as an act of self-defense!

“Towards humanity with a Kairos consciousness”, Statement by Kairos Southern Africa

PRESS RELEASE: Response to Gaza violence
Friday, 11 July 2014 11:00, Cape Town
Kairos Southern Africa believes that all lives have the same value, and that all violence is destructive. The current and ongoing situation between Israel and Palestine poses a critical test for the international community’s commitment to international law and human dignity.

A Word to the PC(USA) and the Course of Justice, by Rifat Odeh Kassis

June 20, 2014

In October 2012, Rifat Odeh Kassis, the General Coordinator of Kairos Palestine, wrote "A Word to the PC(USA) and the Course of Justice - On Divestment at the Presbyterian Church PC (U.S.A.) 220th General Assembly". As the PC (USA) 221st General Assembly is voting again on the same issue of divestment today, Mr. Kassis's letter is still spot on:

"People’s interpretations vary enormously in response to the recent decision made by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), during its General Assembly in Pittsburgh, not to divest from specific companies profiting from the illegal Israeli occupation. Some view the vote as a defeat for the pro-justice camp within the church. Others view it as a win-win for both parties: the vote was 333 to 331, after all, with such a thin margin that both sides could claim victory." Read the document here

Joint Statement with Badil "66 years of ongoing Nakba"

BADIL issues a joint statement with more than 60 Palestinian (amongst others with Kairos Palestine) and international organizations and networks:
"66 years of ongoing Nakba – Back to Basics: The Right of Return is a national and inalienable right"

Kairos Palestine Statement on Syria

September 02, 2013
Bethlehem – Once again, the drums of war are sounding in our region. Once again, the US is leading the campaign for this war, this time on Syria. And once again, the US and some European and Arab countries are justifying it in the name of democracy, human rights, and humanity itself. We have heard all this before… Many American and European-led wars have been waged in these lands, and are still being waged, under the same pretexts. All of these wars have failed to bring about peace, security, and democracy. On the contrary: they have sowed political and social instability and encouraged more extreme movements to flourish and expand their reach.

Kairos Palestine Strongly Condemns 'Price Tag' Attack on Jerusalem's Dormition Abbey

June 19, 2013
On Tuesday 4th June, Kairos Palestine expressed in a press statement, its deep concerns about the 'price tag' - attack on Jerusalem's Dormition Abbey last Friday.

Overnight Friday, vandals attacked the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem by spraying graffiti on its walls with anti-Christian slogans saying "Christians are monkeys", "Christians are slaves" and "Havat Maon", referring to a settler outpost in the West Bank. Two days before this attack, Palestinian cars in Jerusalem were 'price tagged' with graffiti as well.

GET IN TOUCH

Kairos Palestine: A moment of truth
East Jerusalem
P.O.Box 19023

Phone: +970 (2) 277 0047
Fax: +970 (2) 277 0048

Email: kairos@kairospalestine.ps