United Methodists are responding to Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth ,a statement of faith and urgent call to action from Christians in Palestine. UMKR seeks, through nonviolent means and in partnership with Palestinian Christians, freedom, justice and equality for all Palestinians and Israelis.
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Learn and teach others about current "facts on the ground" in Israel/Palestine, the history of the conflict, the harsh realities of the Israeli occupation, and the Kairos Palestine call to action for the global church.
On this page, find foundational education about Israel/Palestine that can empower peacemakers who want to advocate for a lasting, secure peace – grounded in justice – for all the people of the Holy Land.
See also ourResources sectionfor many educational materials in diverse mediums.
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Kairos Palestine Document & Study Guides
The document that has launched a worldwide movement and mobilized United Methodists to action. Use study guides for a church group to learn about Kairos Palestine and urgency of this call from the Christians of Palestine.
See more
It is Apartheid
Justice advocates in Israel and around the world have long known that apartheid is being practiced today by Israel in the occupied territories. See this collection of authoritative reports and studies, from the one commissioned by the South African governement in 2009 to the landmark reports of 2021 and 2022.
See the reports and resources
PalestinePortal.org
This website covers a lot of what is happening in Christian and other faith-based advocacy for the Palestinian people, and includes helpful educational pages and resources. See The Basics, Key Issues, Theology, Interfaith Issues, and Curricula, all found in the section Learn & Teach
Working for a Just and Lasting Peace
in Israel and Palestine
From 2017: This comprehensive resource on Israel-Palestine from the UMC General Boards of Global Ministries and Church & Society is packed with information and resources for learning and action.
Download the full booklet, 36 pages
Steadfast Hope course
A course on Israel/Palestine from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
An excellent course for study groups that has been used in many United Methodist congregations. It comes with a 48-page perfect-bound booklet and free companion DVD. This class corrects common myths and misperceptions about the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, presents a compelling snapshot of the present situation on the ground, and offers a guide to the challenges that lie ahead in the quest for peace. Steadfast Hope also offers an inspiring view of the activities currently being undertaken by Muslim, Jewish, and Christian peacemakers working for justice and reconciliation.
Learn more and order the materials here
Watch all the class videos online - see all the video clips from Steadfast Hope in high resolution on Vimeo here.
Download the Fact Sheets that can be used to supplement the booklet - click here..
Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict – A Primer by Phyllis Bennis
A great way to get started on the subject of Israel/Palestine, from a leading political analyst and author. Presented in an easy to read question and answer format. Available in printed and digital versions:
At Amazon
At Barnes & Noble
BOOKS: UMKR list of recommended books
in several categories See them here
For even more books, see the collections at PalestinePortal.org
Books
Books: About/By Palestinian Christians
Books: Religion; The Bible; Christian Zionism
Books: History
Books: Personal Histories – Memoirs, Autobiographies, Novels
Books: Political Analysis; Diplomatic History
Books: The Current Situation
Books: About Palestinians inside Israel
Books: Zionism; Jewish Identity
Books: Faith Relations; Anti-Semitism
Books: Art; Illustration; Poetry
Books: Tourism; The Politics of Tourism
Education Home Page
Understanding the Nakba
Nakba is the arabic word for "catastrophe" and the Palestinians' Nakba is the ethnic cleansing of Palestine carried out for the creation of the Israeli state, an ongoing colonialist practice that continues today.
The year of 2023 marked the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, or the most prominent starting point of the Nakba, the war that brought about the State of Israel in 1948-49. But the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Palestinians from their homeland actually started well before that war, and it has never ended. Ever since that war, it has been the continuing and current policy of Israel to remove as many Palestinians as possible from all of what was historic Palestine. Here we have a collection of resources about the Nakba.
UMKR Webinar in 2023
Knowing the Nakba: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine to Create the State of Israel
with renowned Israeli historian Ilan Pappe and Palestinian Christian leader and Nakba survivor Samia Khoury
See it on our website
IMEU Fact Sheets:
• The Palestinian Nakba
• The Nakba, 65 Years of Dispossession and Apartheid
• Plan Dalet
• Israeli Independence and the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
• FAQs: the Nakba and Palestinian Refugees Today
Jewish Voice for Peace:
Facing the Nakba - a collection of resources
Nakba 70 Action: https://nakba70action.org/
Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy Network: MARKING THE NAKBA: From Betrayals and Warnings to Future Visions (For the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, a collection of essays and policy papers from Al-Shabaka's publications)
BDS Movement: Palestinians say “Their Independence, Our Nakba”
United Church of Christ, Global Ministries: "70 Years On: Seeking a Hopeful Future in a Time of Yearning"
Haaretz Editorial Board: We must deal with the Nakba
Jonathan Cook:At 70, Israel more than ever deserves a cultural and academic boycott
Middle East Monitor: Remembering the massacre at Deir Yassin