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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"Living Stones" Solidarity Tour
Indiana Center for Middle East Peace (ICMEP)
4-16 May 2025
Led by Michael Spath, DMin, PhD
Executive Director of ICMEP
Dr. Michael Spath is Executive Director, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace; Fulbright Scholar (1998-99), Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies, Amman, Jordan (under patronage of HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal); led 260+ travelers in 17 “Solidarity Tours”. Dr. Spath is also presently board co-chair of ICAHD- USA; former FOSNA board co-chair; member UCC-PIN and Global Kairos for Justice Coalition.
Pre-trip preparatory meetings discussing the people and places we’ll visit and the political, cultural, moral, and theological issues in the region
Meetings with internationally known Jewish, Christian, Muslim religious and NGO leaders, peacemakers, and human rights advocates (see below)
We visit major Holy Land religious & historical sites, including, pending approval, a guided tour of Dome of the Rock & Al-Aqsa Mosque
Gloria Hotel is in Jerusalem Old City's Christian Quarter, walking distance to Jerusalem holy sites
Manger Square Hotel in Bethlehem is a 2-minute walk from Manger Square and Church of the Nativity.
Leonardo Club is on the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias, Israel
Sea of Galilee Boat ride – after dark on the last night in the Galilee
Sunday worship at Christmas Lutheran Church, Bethlehem, and Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, Jerusalem Old City; Devotions shared by tour participants; Communion Service on Mount of the Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee
Optional Pre-Tour – arrive Saturday, May 3; Sunday, May 4 worship, Bethlehem day-tour with Michael Optional one-hour Debriefing Sessions throughout, to process travelers’ experiences, insights, questions
Free time scheduled throughout the tour, for personal exploration, shopping, rest, etc.
PEOPLE & ORGANIZATIONS
(tentative until confirmed)
Abdelfattah Abusrour, Arrowwad Cultural & Theater Training Center, Aida Refugee Camp; “beautiful resistance” – Bethlehem
Issa Amro, Friends of Hebron, "Palestinian Gandhi" (NY Times Magazine) – Hebron Sam Bahour, Palestinian-American businessman/entrepreneur – Ramallah
Fadwa Barghouti, Palestinian rights activist, wife of “Palestinian Mandela,” imprisoned Marwan Barghouti – Ramallah
Iyad Burnat, Bil’in Resistance leader; Five Broken Cameras film; Sustainability Farm – Bil’in
Elias Chacour, Archbishop of Galilee, Mar Elias Educational Institutions, 3-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Blood Brothers author – Ibillin
Sahar Francis, Addameer Prisoner Support – Ramallah
Jeff Halper, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Israel Committee Against House Demolitions; One Democratic State Campaign – Jerusalem
Munther Isaac, Christmas Lutheran Church – Bethlehem
Eid Jahalin, Al Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin village – Jerusalem E-1 Daoud Nassar, Tent of Nations environmental peace and sustainability farm – Bethlehem
Dalia Qumsieh, Balasan Initiative for Human Rights – Beit Sahour
Mazin Qumsiyeh, Palestine Museum of Natural History, Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability – Bethlehem
George & Najwa Sa’adeh, Rami Elhanan, Bereaved Parents Circle – Bethlehem Sabeel Palestinian Liberation Theology Center – Jerusalem
Ayman Shaka’a, Aroub Jamleh, Center for Community Resource Development – Nablus Old City
Zoughbi Zoughbi, 2011 World Vision “Peacemaker of Year”; Wi’am Conflict Resolution & Transformation Center – Bethlehem
SITES
Bethlehem – Manger Square, Nativity Church; Milk Grotto; Apartheid Wall (surrounding Bethlehem); Banksy “Walled Off” Hotel and Museum
Jerusalem – Holy Sepulchre; Western Wall; Mount of Olives; Dominus Flevit; Garden of Gethsemane; Church of All Nations; Al Aqsa Mosque & Dome of the Rock (pending)
Ramallah – Nelson Mandela Freedom Square
Nablus – Jacob’s Well
Judean Desert – Jericho ‘tel’; Hisham’s Palace; Qumran; Jordan River
Hebron – Ibrahimi Mosque, Old Town souq, Shuhadah Street, Checkpoint 56
Galilee – Nazareth’s Annunciation Basilica ; Sea of Galilee; Capernaum; Tabgha; Mount of Beatitudes
COST
$3595 (10-14 travelers) $2995 (15-19 travelers) $2595 (20+) ADD AIRFARE – You book your own flight to/from Tel Aviv (TLV)
The Tour Price DOES include:
Entrance fees to listed sites Hotels – Gloria, Old City, Jerusalem; Manger
Square, Bethlehem; Leonard Club, Tiberias; all rooms double occupancy
Two meals average/day (breakfast every day; 25 meals in all)
All tips and gratuities Deluxe air-conditioned motor coach Guide (Jericho, Qumran; Hebron; Al-Aqsa)
The Tour Price DOES NOT include:
* Airfare to/from Tel Aviv (TLV)
Travel Insurance Travel to/from airport – Dr. Spath will arrange
for transport (pay directly) One meal daily; drinks with all meals; 12 meals
on your own with group Souvenirs; personal items Single room supplement, $1130
Optional early arrival, Sa, May 3 (Double room, $95/person; Single Room, $145)
Contact ICMEP for more information: mail@networkforgood.com
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