A Nighttime of our History
“This is a nighttime of our history; it is the dark journey of our time. These difficult hours that our land is passing through seem like an endless night–until the sun of the transfiguration becomes daylight, inspiring hope in the Christian people and lighting up our path. Let us follow it faithfully.” – Oscar Romero, "Transfiguration Homily”
REGISTER: An Evening of Witness: Sailing for Gaza
Canadian Friends of Sabeel and Friends of Sabeel North America invite you to An Evening of Witness: Sailing for Gaza, taking place Thursday, August 20th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM (doors open at 6:30). This evening brings together courageous voices who have taken part in the movement to break the siege of Gaza, including participants in the Global Sumud Flotilla. We will hear from Huwaida Arraf, Palestinian-American human rights attorney and co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement; and Sebastian Tow, a Vancouver activist and one of twelve Canadians who attempted to sail to Gaza with the flotilla this past April.
Their testimonies offer a rare, firsthand window into the ongoing effort to challenge the blockade and stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza. CFOS Board Member, Monica Lambton, will bring greetings and news on behalf of CFOS. We hope you will join us for what promises to be a moving and important gathering.
Register for the free event here.
READ: Archbishop of Canterbury hears voices of Palestinian Christians
On Monday, July 13 the General Synod voted in York to recognize Kairos Palestine II: A Moment of Truth–Faith in a Time of Genocide alongside other statements as testimony of Palestinian Christians’ lived experiences, as reported in our previous bulletin. This important vote followed sustained advocacy by CFOS’s sister organization Sabeel-Kairos UK, which has worked to bring Palestinian Christian voices to the Church of England’s attention.
In an address to Synod, the Archbishop of Canterbury emphasized the need for “prayer and active solidarity with Palestinian Christians” and advocated for a just peace in Palestine and Israel. The Archbishop’s full address to Synod can be read here. We hope that this recognition leads the Church of England towards sustained, concrete, and costly solidarity with Palestinian Christians.
READ: Palestinian Christian leaders call on Evangelicals to see the reality of the West Bank
In an interview published by CNN on August 1, Rev. Munther Isaac and Father Bashar Faladeweh of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem call on American evangelicals to listen to and support Palestinian Christian testimony. Detailing continued arsons, blockades, and intimidation, Rev. Isaac and Father Faladeweh decry the abetting of settler violence by American evangelicals and the weaponization of theology by Christian Zionists. Importantly, both priests call on Christians worldwide to visit Palestine to “see the walls, see the settlements, meet with families struggling just to survive in their land,” citing such moments of encounter as those when “eyes are opened.” Read the entire article here.
Learn how to join a CFOS encounter trip to Palestine here.
ACTION: End Canadian complicity – Elbit out of Canada Now!
Arms Embargo Now (AEN) Canada has recently launched its “Elbit Out of Canada” campaign, which calls on the Canadian government to sanction Israel’s largest arms supplier Elbit Systems. Canadian companies continue to send weapons to Elbit factories, while the Canadian government routinely purchases Elbit weapons. Across Canada, dozens of companies have ties to Elbit systems.
Elbit out of Canada is a national campaign pressuring Canada to abide by international law by cutting ties with Elbit systems and to impose a two-way arms embargo immediately. Visit the campaign website to learn more about the campaign, consult a list of Elbit suppliers, and to send an email to your MP to demand nationwide sanctions on Elbit systems.
ACTION: Protect Taybeh Christians from Settler Violence
Palestinian Christians continue to suffer Israel’s genocidal attacks alongside displacement, land confiscation, restricted access to Holy Sites, and escalating settler violence. In June 2026, Israeli settlers set fire to Taybeh, the only remaining Christian settlement in the West Bank and impeded firefighter access to the area. Christian residents of Taybeh have endured repeated assaults, intimidation, property damage, and attacks on their land.
In light of recent escalations, we call upon faith and other communities to support and amplify the demands issued by the Christian community of Taybeh in July 2025. The demands call on local and international actors—especially consuls, ambassadors, and church representatives around the world—to take the following actions:
Launch an immediate and transparent investigation into the incidents of arson and the ongoing assaults on property, agricultural land, and holy sites.
Apply diplomatic pressure on the occupying authorities to halt settler actions and prevent them from entering or grazing in Taybeh's lands.
Dispatch international and church delegations to conduct field visits, document the damages, and bear witness to the deteriorating reality on the ground.
Support the people of Taybeh through economic and agricultural initiatives, and strengthen their resilience with effective legal accompaniment.
Act now by calling or writing your MP, urging them to pressure Prime Minister Mark Carney and Minister Anita Anand to uphold the human rights of Palestinians in Taybeh. Demand that Canada take immediate and decisive action to protect the Palestinian community of Taybeh against settler violence. FOSNA offers a draft to elected representatives about the need to protect Palestinian Christians against settler violence of Taybeh, which can be consulted here to be adapted to the Canadian context.
SIGN: Canada Stand up for Children’s Rights – Petition e-7580
A report recently published by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has found that Israel deliberately targets Palestinian children. Srinivasan Muralidhar, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem writes that “Palestinian children have been deliberately targeted and killed by the Israeli security forces... Even after the October 2025 ceasefire, children continue to be killed and seriously injured, with continued disregard by Israel for the ceasefire and for the protection owed to Palestinian children under international law."
Meanwhile, a report issued by UNICEF in May described the price being paid by Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem amid escalating Israeli military operations and settler attacks as “intolerable.” The report notes that from January 2025 to May 2026, at least one Palestinian child was killed each week on average. Moreover, the number of Palestinian children held in Israeli military detention for alleged security offences reached its highest level in eight years, while children throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem were routinely cut off from schools, hospitals, and other essential services.
Canada Stand up for Palestinian Children's Rights (CSUFCHR), a nationwide ecumenical coalition of concerned Canadians, has recently launched Petition e-7580, which calls on the Government of Canada to protect the lives, dignity, and rights of Palestinian children by:
1. banning all direct and indirect arms trade with Israel;
2. suspending the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement;
3. sanctioning Israeli officials who promote violence against Palestinians or the seizure of Palestinian land; and
4. prohibiting Canadian residents and corporations from bidding on contracts for work within illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
CFOS is engaging with CSUFCHR on a short term project to raise awareness on this topic and the petition through our social media. Take action for Palestinian children by signing the petition here.
SAVE THE DATE: 2026 James Graft Memorial Lecture - October 7
CFOS is pleased to announce that its annual James Graft Memorial Lecture will be taking place on October 7, 2026. This year’s hybrid lecture will focus on the topic of BDS, and will feature a performance by Palestinian musician Samia Odeh. We encourage you to save the date and to stay tuned for more updates.
Our annual James Graft Memorial lectures honour James Allen Graff (1931-2005), who was a passionate advocate for Palestinian rights, speaking and writing widely to raise public awareness of the plight of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. In 1984 he established the Near East Cultural and Education Foundation (Necef), which joined with CFOS in 2012. CFOS hosts an annual lectureship in honour of Professor Graff. Consult recordings of past lectures here.
Information from Sabeel
Sabeel’s weekly topical Wave of Prayer email draws on specific experiences from the preceding week; you can find each week’s prayer posted on Sabeel’s fresh new website.
And don’t forget Sabeel’s weekly English online worship service on Thursdays at 11:00 AM ET. These services gather folks from around the world to read scripture, and to reflect, discuss and pray how these readings apply to life today, especially in Palestine/ Israel. Register here to participate.