Sabeel Wave of Prayer: Week of Nov. 2, 2020

Hallel Rabin, a 19-year-old Israeli woman from Kibbutz Harduf in northern Israel, was given a 25 day prison sentence on Wednesday, the 28th of October. She was imprisoned for the third time for refusing to be conscripted in the Israeli military. She stated,  ‘I will not take part in a system which is based on inequality and fear.’

Thank you, Lord, for the courage and integrity of this young Israeli woman, who is ready to pay the price of imprisonment to follow her conscience. Lord, in your mercy..

This week’s Kumi Now initiative focuses on the work of the Jahalin Solidarity organization. This group protects the rights of the Bedouin and other Palestinians living under the occupation. It continues to support the Bedouin village of Al Khan al Ahmar where the residents have lived under constant threat of forcible eviction by the Israeli authorities since 2012.

Dear Lord, we thank you for those who care for the human rights of the poor and the persecuted. We are thankful for those working in the Jahalin organization who listen to the Bedouin and work to support their legal rights. Lord, in your mercy…

Friends of Sabeel North America is inviting church congregations around the world to pray and worship in communion with Palestinians on the first Sunday in Advent, on the 29th of November.

Help us Lord Jesus,  to keep awake and aware of the injustice and oppression suffered by our brothers and sisters in Palestine who live under occupation. Lord, in your mercy..

A new documentary film, entitled ‘Cycling Under Siege in Gaza’ by Flavia Cappellini focuses on the life of the Palestinian athlete, Alaa al-Dali. He is 23-years-old and was one of the fastest cyclists in Palestine. In 2018 he went to watch the Great March of Return, east of Rafah and was shot in the right leg by an Israeli sniper. His leg had to be amputated. Despite this trauma he has fought back to become a paracyclist.

Lord, we are inspired by the fortitude of the human spirit as shown by Alaa in his struggle back to the sport he loves. We pray for an end to the oppressive Israeli blockade of Gaza and for hope for the young Palestinians who live there. Lord, in your mercy..

Amer Abdul-Rahim Snobar is an 18-year-old  from the village of Yatma near Nablus. He was driving south near Turmas-Ayya on Sunday, the 25th of October when he was chased by the Israeli military. A group of soldiers caught him and assaulted him so severely that he died of his injuries.

Lord, we pray for the family of Amer as they grieve over his death. We pray that this violent assault will be thoroughly investigated by the Israeli authorities and that those who have  committed crimes will be prosecuted. Lord, in your mercy…

The United Nation’s Office in the occupied Palestinian Territories reported that the Palestinian olive harvest has been badly affected by settler attacks. During the period between the 6th and the 19th of October, nineteen serious incidents have been reported.

Large amounts of the olive crop have been stolen, twenty three Palestinian farmers were attacked and injured and more than a thousand olive trees were burnt or damaged.

Lord, we cry out to you, trusting in your steadfast love, your grace and your mercy. We pray for an end to the ever increasing levels of settler violence, targeting Palestinian farmers. Lord, in your mercy….

There have been a series of violent attacks and shootings in the Arab Israeli community during the last week of October. On Wednesday alone there were four deaths, including a woman and a teenager in the northern town of Baqa al-Gharbiya. Many in the Arab community are speaking out about the escalation in gun violence and organized crime. They are asking the Israeli authorities to investigate these incidents more thoroughly.

Lord, we pray for all the relatives of those who have died in the recent attacks in the Arab- Israeli community.  Such violence only leads to more devastation and destruction. We pray for peace and justice to be re-established where it is under threat. Lord, in your mercy…

We join with the World Council of Churches in their prayers for the countries of Fiji, Melanesia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Polynesia and the Solomon Islands. Lord, in your mercy…