Empty tomb, empty homes?
This Easter, Churches across the globe must immediately use their leverage strategically, amongst their own institutions and with their own governments, before there is no meaningful Palestinian Christian presence left to celebrate the resurrection in the land where it happened. The tomb is empty. We fear that soon, so too will be our homes, if the world still fails to act. – Dalia Qumsieh of Balasan Initiative for Human Rights, in the Kairos Palestine Easter Alert.
Closure of holy sites in Jerusalem
For Christians and Muslims, this Bulletin issue appears at a profoundly important time of worship and renewal. For Christians, Holy Week and Easter mark the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. For Muslims, Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the 40 days of Ramadan.
Exploiting the distraction of the Israeli/US attack on Iran, and for alleged reasons of security, Israeli authorities closed both the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem --"the consequence of modern virulent ideologies rooted in domination, dispossession and inequality." More from Religion News Service on the significance and devastating consequences of this measure here. "Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem are being met with locked gates and armed forces."
Kairos Palestine Easter Alert
Don’t miss the Kairos Palestine Easter Alert 2026! This year’s Alert focuses on the very real existential threat to Christianity in Palestine. It is an eloquent and wide-ranging compilation of reflections, prayers and on-the-ground observations from journalists and civic and Christian leaders in Taybeh, Beit Sahour, and Gaza City -- voices lifting up appeals that “bear witness to the lived reality of our communities. It is both a cry of pain and a call to hope.”
The Alert ends with the calls to action of the Kairos Palestine II document:
advocacy with churches, press, and governments to hold Israel accountable under international law,
boycotts, divestment, sanctions,
public rejection of theologies that justify oppression,
creative strategies of non-violent resistance.
Read and download the entire Alert here.
Winnipeg conference: “In the Shadows of Genocide”
For an Easter-season act of practical solidarity, devotion and faith, plan to attend "In the Shadows of Genocide,” a three-day gathering for reflection, dialogue, and action in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine and the role of Western churches and global faith communities. It comes in response to the recent Kairos Palestine II: A Moment of Truth – Faith in a Time of Genocide (2025).
The conference takes place May 14–16, 2026 at Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg (Treaty One Territory). This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from Palestinian, South African and Indigenous keynote speakers, and to network with long-time and newer activists. More info and registration here.
Sabeel denounces war on Iran
Sabeel Jerusalem has issued a bold and prophetic statement condemning the Israeli/US attack on Iran. The statement cites several reasons for its opposition to the war: illegality under international law, wanton disregard for civilian life including women and children, continuance of a long history of Western interference in countries of the Middle East, greed and the arms-for-profit motive. continuance of a long history of Western interference in countries of the Middle East, greed and the arms-for-profit motive.
"This war reveals a clash at the deepest level between a theology of domination modeled after colonial power and a Palestinian liberation theology that is rooted in the Suffering Servant and modeled on a Christ executed by empire." Read the entire statement here.
News you may have missed
On March 30, the Israeli Knesset passed a law that imposes the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks, deemed terrorism, against Jews. More information here.
On March 23, Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, released a report entitled, “Torture and Genocide.” She documents the dramatic increase in the use of torture of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, but also demonstrates how Israel has made the entire occupied Palestinian territory “a space of collective punishment, where the destruction of the conditions of life turns genocidal violence into a tool of collective torture…” Summary and full report here.
In just one week in late March, Israeli authorities evicted another 15 families from their homes in the Silwan neighbourhood of East Jerusalem and handed over the homes to Israeli settlers. According to the UN, this marks a dangerous escalation in unlawful forced evictions. More information here.
“The Bible is Anti-Zionist”
We draw your attention to a new resource, "The Bible is Anti-Zionist," prepared by FOSNA's Associate Executive Director Jesse Stephen Wheeler, with an Introduction by Jonathan Kuttab. This gathers forty devotional reflections and close readings of specific Biblical passages and their meaning in the context of a specific aspect of the Palestinian reality. More on the FOSNA website 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.