General Conference
NY Times: Celebrated civil rights leader & author of The New Jim Crow goes on the record: she can't stay silent about Palestinian rights. See the op-ed
News & Views
Israeli Annexation:
Who Supports BDS?
So many Christian denominations, Israeli & Jewish organizations, businesses, labor unions, and more support boycott and divestment for Palestinian rights. See this list
"The Dire Consequences of Israel’s Coalition Government" April 2020 – Palestinian Christians' statement on dangerous political developments in Israel See it here
Connect with UMKR
One of the most hotly debated questions today!HINT: South Africa is NOT the standard under international law. So what is? See the answers
Jonathan Kuttab and Dalit Baum
Our latest posts
RECENT NEWS ◆ FEATURED ITEMS
GC 2020 has been
postponed until
2021. But our justice
legislation for
Palestinian rights is
still vital and needs your support!
Opportunities to: CONNECT with Palestinians
under occupation during this pandemic, take ACTION for justice, and provide AID. See also: resources for spiritual and personal SUPPORT. SEE THEM ALL.
Israeli Detention of Children
One of the biggest issues in the Palestinian rights movement, the subject of a groundbreaking bill in Congress. Learn more, find top resources, and opportunities for action. Visit this page
Follow us on Twitter
See the weekly alerts and news that activists are talking about.
An Appeal from UMKR
During the period of Covid-19 quarantine that is happening in so many parts of the world, you can find digital events and justice campaigns of interest to Palestinian rights activists at our Solidarity in the time of Covid-19 page
For the in-person events listed below, they remain listed until we hear word they have been cancelled. You should check at the websites of the events to see if they will be held.
Find descriptions of each of the following events at our Events Page. Or visit the websites of each one with the links below.
PALESTINE
Sabeel Young Adult International Gathering
17-25 June 2020 • Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth
Learn more: sabeel.org/2020/02/05/sabeel-1st-young-adult-gathering
UNITED STATES
Friends of Sabeel North America - FOSNA
Counter CUFI 2020; protest at annual gathering of
Christians United for Israeli (CUFI)
28-29 June 2020 • Washington DC
Learn more: www.fosna.org/countercufi
PCAP's Letter to Church Leaders, endorsed
by UMKR, calls for urgent actions due to COVID-19, especially for Gaza. See the letter
The Right to Boycott
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FEATURED RESOURCES
General Conference
Coming Events
UMKR has important church legislation that will be considered at GENERAL CONFERENCE:
• protecting Palestinian children,
• defending the right to boycott,
• divesting from occupation governments' bonds, and other timely justice issues.
UMKR AREAS OF ACTION
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UMKR is part of the Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC) and joins LYNC's call for justice in the church in this time of COVID-19.
June 10th, MFSA & UMKR present
Our latest tweets
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Our posts feature important current
news and action for justice advocates.
IN THE TIME OF COVID-19
Legalizing Apartheid?
UMKR Mailing Addresses
Michelle Alexander breaks her silence
General Conference has been post-poned, but our justice legislation
is still vital and needs your support.
LEARN more about it:
Coming Events
▶︎ For General Inquiries:
United Methodists for Kairos Response
c/o Rev. John Wagner
120 South Broad Street
Middletown, OH 45044
COVID-19 IN ISRAEL/ PALESTINE:
News & Views
SOLIDARITY & SUPPORT
Our latest tweets
Our latest posts
Type your paragraph here.
2020
LYNC Open Letter to the Church
In an open letter to The United Methodist Church, the Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC) calls for people of faith to "pick up the mantle of justice and speak out against oppression in all forms but especially the oppression of the most marginalized and at-risk in our world." UMKR is a member of LYNC. See the letter
2019
UMKR Sept-Dec Newsletter:
Black Church Call, Trump's EO, 🎄This Season, South African Methodists,
Church Leaders and members are "all in" for HR 2407, 2020 Trips, and more...See our news & action
Dual Palestine Conferences:
Kairos Palestine's 10th
Anniversary and Sabeel's
International Gathering
The experiences and reflections of
United Methodists who attended these
back-to-back events in Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
December 2019 – See their reports
United Methodist Church: Opposing Israeli Settlements since 1976
United Methodist leaders, members appalled by Trump administration’s disregard for international law and human rights, acceptance of crime of colonialism.
November 2019 – See the press release
Kairos Palestine Statement on House Demolitions
Palestinian Christians speak to "hard hearts" as Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes rise; remind Israel it is God's law that truly protects
September 2019 – Read the statement
Jerusalem from the Lens of a Native Son
– Ghettoization and Pauperization
UMKR activist Philip Farah visits his homeland and reports on the dismal transformation he sees in Jerusalem
August 2019 – Read the article
UMC Regional Bodies Adopt 8 Resolutions
Addressing Palestinian Rights
Ethical investing, particularly
regarding government bonds, and the
plight of Palestinian children were the
primary focus of eight resolutions related
to Palestinian rights that United Methodist
annual conferences (regional bodies) in the
United States adopted in May and June 2019.
July 2019 – Read the report
UMKR Responds to GC2019 and Judicial Council Rulings of April 2019
UMKR grieves over exclusionary legislation of GC2019, renews commitment to LYNC Vision, and invites all United Methodists to work for a just peace in the Holy Land.
April 2019 – Read the statement
African Americans Show How Palestinian
Solidarity Is Done
M. Theresa Basile
Reviewing Michelle Alexander's NY Times Op-Ed "Time to Break the Silence on Palestine in the contexts of Black-Palestinian solidarity in recent years and of the praise and denunciations it has received.
January 2019 – Read the article
Time to Break the Silence on Palestine
Michelle Alexander, The NY Times
January 2019 – Author of the
"The New Jim Crow" compares
Martin Luther King's controversial
opposition to the Vietnam War to
the current issues surrounding
support for Palestinian rights,
especially when African Americans take a stand. Describing the changes and challenges in the U.S. public debate - with a mention of the United Methodist Church's divestment from Israeli banks – Alexander identifies Palestinian rights as a cause she cannot ignore in 2019.
January 2019 – See the editorial
Unite to Protect Americans' Right to Boycott
Fifteen faith organizations have issued a statement condemning the current bill in the Senate that would support state legislation penalizing those who support a boycott targeting Israeli human rights abuses. They call on all Americans to contact legislators and urge them to oppose such legislation.
January 2019 – See the statement
2018 Year in Review: UMKR & Partners' News
Our annual "mega edition" of The Response includes
a full review of UMKR activities in the previous year, a selection of the
biggest news from faith communities and other partners, and our top picks of 2018 resources.
Read this newsletter in your browser
Download a pdf file of this newsletter (15 MB)
From the Christian community of Palestine, this profound statement of faith and call to action has mobilized Christians worldwide. Learn more
United Methodists are responding to the urgent call from Palestinian Christians in
Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth, to end the Israeli occupation and achieve a just peace in the Holy Land.. UMKR seeks – through nonviolent action and in partnership with Christians in Palestine – freedom, justice, and equality for all Palestinians and Israelis.
UMKR needs your support for our work to continue
Use the
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in each feed
to see more.
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What is happening in Israel/Palestine during the Covid-19 global crisis? For our roundup of news and commentary, CLICK HERE.
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General Conference is always our BEST OPPORTUNITY to make an impact for Palestinian rights throughout our church, on four continents.
Every gift make a difference, no matter the size.
An Appeal from UMKR
The Right to Boycott
Our new page presents why and how this basic right of free speech is under attack acroos the US, Europe and beyond, and how we can take action to protect democratic freedoms. See it now
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