Settler Colonialism and Stolen Land
“If Jesus were in Gaza today, and I believe he is, he would be building a tent for the twentieth time… And he would be on a sand dune, looking out over Gaza, and he would say what he has always said: blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the land.” – Shadia Qubti, Christ at the Checkpoint Conversations
More on conference: “Palestine, Settler Colonialism and An Ecumenical Call to Action”
In our last e-bulletin, we provided a brief report on the recent Winnipeg conference that took place May 14-16. Held at Canadian Mennonite University Palestine, Settler Colonialism, and an Ecumenical Call to Action brought together approximately 130 participants from across Canada, including scholars, students, clergy, Indigenous leaders, artists, activists, human rights advocates, and members of diverse faith communities.
Since our earlier report, we have posted video recordings of the keynote sessions on our YouTube channel, including lectures by John and Samuel Munayer, Dr. Sarojini Nadar and Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, as well as a panel discussion on the Kairos Palestine II document: “A Moment of Truth: Faith in a Time of Genocide.”
Read the excerpts of a Jerusalem Day sermon about the conference by CFOS volunteer Elizabeth Raymer.
Read a story about the conference in Broadview magazine by Josiah Neufeld.
Free the prisoners and detainees!
In a post on his Facebook page Mitri Raheb, Palestinian Lutheran pastor in Bethlehem, described the June 2 seizure by Israeli Occupation Forces of Natalie Abudayyeh, a member of the Palestinian Women’s National Football Team, and three fellow university student colleagues in or near Birzeit University in the West Bank. Natalie is studying Journalism and Media at Birzeit University. Her arrest typifies Israeli strategy of targeting potentially influential Palestinian journalists and other activists.
A letter posted on Facebook and on the ELCJHL here by Dr. Imad Haddad, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, of which Natalie is a member, calls “on our friends, partners, and siblings in Christ around the world to advocate for Natalie’s freedom using whatever channels are available to them, and to demand an end to this unjust and unequal system of detainment and detention that paralyzes and destroys Palestinian communities.”
Another prominent Layan Nasir, another prominent young Palestinian Christian woman, was freed on May 15 after eight months in Israeli prison without charge. It is believed that sustained international lobbying played a role in her release.
Read CFOS’s advocacy letter on behalf of Natalie, her colleagues and all Palestinian detainees.
Upcoming information night on “Come and See, Go and Tell” initiative
In partnership with the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem, we at CFOS invite artists, writers, musicians, Indigenous leaders, clergy, seminarians, and other public voices to an online information webinar for our "Come and See. Go and Tell." initiative on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at 7:00 PM ET.
Participants recently returned from Palestine/Israel will share firsthand reflections on the devastating realities facing Palestinians today and the importance of international witness. The session will introduce upcoming delegation opportunities and explore how Canadians can engage ethically through education, accompaniment, and advocacy grounded in peace with justice and international law.
To register or learn more, contact Rana Atie at cfosinfluencer@gmail.com.
CFOS has joined a network of national organizations that strongly oppose this new financial institution. We believe that the new bank will accelerate a global arms race, redirect public money away from urgent social and environmental needs and ultimately foster greater global insecurity. Financing war and its weapons will not bring peace. We say NO to Canada hosting this war bank and to Toronto becoming the site of its headquarters.
More information available here.
Canada opposes E1 settlement extension
On May 22, together with Australia, New Zealand, Norway, the UK, and 4 EU countries, Canada issued a statement via the Prime Minister’s Office, opposing Israel’s proposed E1 settlement extension which “would divide the West Bank in two and mark a serious breach of international law.” The signing countries “strongly oppose those, including members of the Israeli government, who argue for annexation and forcible displacement of the Palestinian population.” They reaffirm “our unwavering commitment to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on a negotiated two-state solution in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolution.”
The E1 settlement area is an area of about 12 square kilometers adjacent to and northeast of East Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, and just west of the illegal Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. It is the site of about 18 Bedouin communities which have existed there for decades. Israel has proposed 3400 new homes there. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared last August that its intent is “burying the two-state solution.” The statement by Canada and others proposes no additional sanctions or other practical measures to pressure Israel to change its plan. Read the entire anodyne statement here.
Call on Canada to put words into action
Please urge the Canadian government to do more to oppose Israel’s E1 settlement expansion and join the campaign of our colleagues at Justice For All Canada. On their website here is a letter of opposition and a form to fill out to send your message to your MP. It cites in part the most recent report (March 2026) of the UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, detailing illegal Israeli settlement activity during the year 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025. Justice For All Canada has existed since 2017 and has campaigned vigorously for human rights in Burma, Kashmir, Sri Lanka, and Uyghur China as well as Palestine.
CJPME reports Israeli interference in Canadian public affairs
A comprehensive May report by Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) details Israeli covert interventions in Canadian public affairs and recommends measures to counter these malicious activities. The actions include funding of opinion polls to manipulate Canadian public opinion, propaganda junkets to Israel for Canadian politicians, propagation of racist anti-Muslin disinformation, and surveillance and doxing of Canadians in the Palestine solidarity movement. The report urges that Canada acknowledge Israel as “a noteworthy threat actor in relation to foreign interference and transnational repression” in Canada. Counter-measures include expulsion and sanctions on people and organizations including diplomats responsible for spreading disinformation in support of the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Read more here.
American Orthodox nun speaks out again
Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos is a Greek-American, Russian Orthodox nun who has spent much of her adult life in Palestine. She has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinian Christians for many years. An interview with Tucker Carlson a year ago has garnered millions of views. In a recent Youtube video, Canadian lawyer Dimitri Lascaris interviews Mother Agapia about Israel's persecution of Christians, the moral degeneracy of Christian Zionists, and her struggle to persuade the leadership of the U.S. Orthodox Church to defend the human rights of the Palestinian people.
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.