for our work to continue.
General Conference
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.
UMKR needs your support
General Conference 2020 has been
scheduled for Aug-Sept 2021. Our justice legislation is still vital & needs
YOUR support! LEARN MORE:
🔶 See New Items 🔴 New on our site
Coming Events
▶︎ For General Inquiries:
United Methodists for Kairos Response
c/o Rev. John Wagner
120 South Broad Street
Middletown, OH 45044
Webinar • 9 September 2020
10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm London / 8pm Palestine
Register here: UMKR-MFSA.events/9Sept2020
While antisemitism is a real and enduring evil that needs to be eradicated, the charge of antisemitism can also be a highly potent weapon against the movement for Palestinian rights. Today that weapon is being used throughout the US and in many other countries to destroy personal reputations, bring legal charges against certain individuals and rob others of valuable opportunities, intimidate private and governmental institutions, and shut down free speech on campuses.
Our speakers will take a close look at this controversial question as it impacts the church, and discuss how we can appropriately respond.
Hosted by Bridget Cabrera, Executive Director, MFSA
Moderated by Rev. John Wagner, Co-Chair of UMKR
News & Views
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Bethlehem, Palestine: 1st July 2020—
Kairos Palestine and Global Kairos for Justice -- a broad coalition including Palestinian Christians and international church leaders and networks -- have issued "Cry for Hope," an urgent call to end the oppression of the Palestinian people. Already, thousands of Christian leaders and church members around the world have endorsed it.
See it yourself and endorse it! Go to "Cry for Hope"
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
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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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UMKR, a member of the Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC), joins LYNC's call for justice in the church in this time of COVID-19. See the letter
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2020
Open Letter from Christian Clergy in Bethlehem
"Bethlehem, surrounded by walls and settlements, already feels like an open prison. Annexation means the prison becomes even smaller, with no hopes for a better future." See their full letter
We can’t breathe until we’re free! Palestinians stand in
solidarity with Black Americans
From the Palestinian BDS National Committee
See this eloquent and very powerful statement
27 Religious Leaders write to Congress, Oppose Israel Annexation of Palestinian Land
Signers include the President of the UMC Council of Bishops
"We share the grave concern expressed by the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of the Holy Land Churches who in a statement dated May 7, called upon Israel to refrain from annexation, making clear that such a unilateral move “would bring about the loss of any remaining hope for the success of the peace process.” Formal annexation is an act of aggression, not a step for peace." See the full letter; learn more about annexation
Dire Consequences of Israel’s “Coalition Government”
The board of Kairos Palestine raises an alarm regarding the consequences of the third failed Israeli election in less than a year. The resulting coalition established on April 20, 2020 combines two of the most right-wing parties—Bennie Gantz’s Blue and White and Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud—in a deal that directly threatens Palestinians’ freedom, health and human rights. See the full statement, plus background info from UMKR
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
The Year So Far: September 2019
This newsletter is packed with action opportunities and reports of UMKR activities, as well as action among our church partners and many allies. Sections include: Take Action (HR2407, WWPPI 2019); UMKR and Co. (Response to GC2019, Annual Conference 2019 successes, MFSA says No, GBCS' ecumenical action); Partners News (Kairos Palestine, Sabeel, FOSNA, PCAP, ELCA, UCC, UUA, CMEP, AMP, and JVP); In Focus: Black-Palestinian Solidarity; the Holy Land Beckons; and Cool Tools. September 2019 – See the newsletter
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)
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FEATURED RESOURCES
General Conference
Take Action
SeeUMKR's Statementand the outpouring of solidarity from Palestinians and Palestine advocacy groups, & in the United Methodist Church. Find the most discussed currentCAMPAIGNSand excellent RESOURCES for learning and action. See this section
An Appeal from UMKR
TIME OF COVID-19
Take Action
UMKR ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Coming Events
UMKR Mailing Addresses
Michelle Alexander breaks her silence
UMKR has important church legislation that will be considered at GENERAL CONFERENCE:
• protecting Palestinian children,
• defending the right to boycott,
• divesting from occupation government bonds, and other timely justice issues.
General Conference is always our BEST OPPORTUNITY to make an impact for Palestinian rights throughout our church, on four continents.
OUR SPEAKERS:
Bishop Hope Morgan Ward
is the Resident Bishop for the North Carolina Conference in the United Methodist Church; she also serves on the General Board of Church & Society. Previous positions include President of Global Ministries and President of JustPeace, the UMC's Center for Mediation and Conflict Transformation. Bishop Ward has visited Israel/ Palestine more than once and was the Chair of the UMC's Israel/Palestine Task Force established by General Conference 2016.
Dr. Mark Braverman
is a celebrated Jewish American author with deep ties to Israel, he has visited the region many times. He serves as the Executive Director of Kairos USA, an ecumenical U.S. response to the Kairos Palestine Document and movement of Palestinian Christians; Mark has been a leader in the international church movement for Palestinian rights. His books include "Fatal Embrace: Christians, Jews, and the Search for Peace in the Holy Land," and "A Wall in Jerusalem: Hope, Healing, and the Struggle for Justice in Israel and Palestine."
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
▶︎ Letter from Palestinian clergy:"Bethlehem...already feels like an open prison. Annexation means the prison becomes even smaller..." See it
▶︎ Pres. of United Methodist Bishops, 26 other religious leaders write to Congress, opposing Israeli annexation of Palestinian land. See it
▶︎ Israeli annexation: WHAT is annexation all about, WHY it is feared, and HOW we can take action to oppose it? See our Annexation Watch
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
Our latest posts
RECENT NEWS ◆ FEATURED ITEMS
GC 2020 has been
postponed until
2021. Our justice
resolutions for
Palestinian rights are
still vital and need your support!
DIGITAL EVENTS across the the US and
the world that keep us connected with Palestinians & global activists,
CAMPAIGNSwe can support, NEWSon COVID-19 in Israel/Palestine, and PERSONAL SUPPORT to help us get
through this difficult time. See our Covid-19 section
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
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See the weekly alerts and news that activists are talking about.
An Appeal from UMKR