Canadian Friends of Sabeel

23/06/2026

Israeli occupation forces arrested Palestinian physician Dr. Mazen Al-Rantisi in his home in Ramallah. Israeli authorities have not announced the reasons for Al-Rantisi’s arrest or disclosed where he is being held. Al-Rantisi is widely known throughout Palestinian cities, towns and villages as“Doctor of the Poor” because of his long-standing commitment to treating low-income patients and providing them with free affordable care. Israel has arrested approximately 360 doctors and healthcare workers since 2023, the majority from Gaza. Roughly 82 remain in Israeli prisons.

God of justice, help us move our righteous anger into disruptive witness for Dr. Al-Rantisi and all healthcare workers who are imprisoned. Be with them in their pain and suffering. We pray for the safety of healthcare workers still serving their community in Gaza and the West Bank.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

23/06/2026

On June 2, 2026, Israeli Occupation Forces abducted 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.

We are deeply concerned that Natalie and three other Palestinian students are joining thousands of Palestinians in Israeli detention and are likely experiencing severe mistreatment.

We are asking PM Carney to demand protection and release for Natalie. We are urging him to speak out for Palestinian detainees, in the same way he has spoken out for Canadians mistreated by Israel for participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla.

To read our letter, go to our website:
https://www.friendsofsabeel.ca/our-work/

23/06/2026

The United States and Iran have officially signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war in Iran. The 14-point agreement includes an immediate end to fighting on all fronts including Lebanon, an end to the U.S. naval blockade on Iran and the full resumption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Holy God, we are grateful for a potential end to violence and death, especially in Lebanon. We pray that this peace will be extended to the whole region and for the people of Gaza who are still suffering from violence and deprivation of basic needs by the Israeli occupation. May your peace and justice, which surpasses all human understanding, prevail and liberate us.

Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

22/06/2026

22/06/2026

Khalidi invites us to see Palestine not as an abstract “conflict,” but as a sustained colonial project targeting an indigenous people and their land. Naming this reality is a first step toward honest Justice And Peacemaking. How does this lens challenge the way the global church prays, teaches, and advocates for Palestine today?

19/06/2026

The Israeli military plans to establish a permanent military base in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. It would be the first permanent military base since the Oslo Accords and will be built in Area A, territory that, under the Oslo framework, falls under Palestinian civil and security jurisdiction. Israeli occupation authorities claim the new site is intended to replace the military’s current practice of operating from Palestinian homes and to facilitate what they described as a long-term operational presence in the area. Since the beginning of Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes.
Divine Creator, we come to you afraid and broken. We ask you to make your presence known to the 33,000 Palestinians who have been stripped of their homes. We ask you to protect the most vulnerable among us who suffer from daily military assaults, airstrikes, and violence. As we bring our deep fears and anxieties to you, we ask the Spirit to fill us with resolute faith and steadfastness so that we may be seekers of your goodness, justice, and liberation at all times.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer

18/06/2026

Here is a great opportunity to learn about and get involved in the Apartheid Free Communities initiative.

The Pacific Mountain Region became an Apartheid-Free Community in 2025, and now we must live out that pledge. What does this mean for us? For our Communities of Faith? For our theology and tradition? Join us online on June 27 9:00am- 3:00pm PT for a day of learning, organizing and action, as we come together to envision Apartheid-Free paths forward for the United Church of Canada. Learn from Palestinian Theologians, Shadia Qubti, Sam Munayer and John Munayer as they explore and reflect on their work in bringing Palestinian experience and perspectives into the theological foundations of why the Apartheid-Free Communities Movement is so important. Connect with Jeeda Musleh, AFC BC's coordinator, for practical and achievable strategies and actions that we can do to live out this pledge. Sign up https://united-church.zoom.us/meeting/register/do3_nwKqT02lGk3I7XootQ #/registration.
Please share widely within your communities of faith and network. Perhaps bring a team of two or three people.

18/06/2026

Clash Point host Isaac Eshetu sits with Rifat Odeh Kassis, co-autho...

14/06/2026

Read our latest bulletin to learn about:

** Winnipeg conference on "Palestine, Settler Colonialism and an Ecumenical Call to Action"
** our advocacy letter calling for freedom for Natalie Abuddayeh and three other Palestinian university student
** an upcoming Information Night on our "Come and See" initiative
** Canada's condemnation of Israel's E1 settlement extension, and how to press for more concrete action.

Go to our website---friendsofsabeel.ca---and scroll down to Bulletins.

14/06/2026