Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice

Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land pursuing justice and challenging theologies that oppress.

An initiative of Bethlehem Bible College and host of Christ at the Checkpoint conference.

May 15 marks the Nakba — the catastrophe.In 1948, over 80% of Palestinians were displaced from their homes. 78 years lat...
12/05/2026

May 15 marks the Nakba — the catastrophe.

In 1948, over 80% of Palestinians were displaced from their homes. 78 years later, a third of Nakba refugees and their descendants still live in refugee camps.

Yet a 2017 LifeWay Research poll found that 80% of evangelical Christians believed the creation of Israel was a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. For much of the Western Church, 1948 was a miracle — even a sign of Christ's return.

Two completely different realities.

Anton Deik, a Palestinian Evangelical, puts it plainly: Israel "used British and American biological weapons to poison the water supply of my great-aunt's village. They killed her. And they named this military operation after a Bible verse."

This is what was erased from the narrative. And as Israeli historian Ilan Pappé writes, it is "the deep chasm between reality and representation that is most bewildering in the case of Palestine."

For Palestinian Christians, the Nakba is not history. It is lived reality, and it is unfolding still.

It's time Christians end their silence on Palestinian suffering.

Sign up for our newsletter to learn more from Palestinian Christians — link in bio.

11/05/2026

An emotional final Mass was held in Beit Sahour on Sunday as Father Louis Salman, a beloved figure among Palestinian Christian youth, was forced to leave the country.

Israeli authorities refused to renew the Jordanian-born priest's residency following an intensive security investigation.

Father Louis, known for his spiritual guidance and national presence—most notably leading a funeral prayer for slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in Jenin—was reportedly targeted due to his influential role among the youth and his vocal stance on the occupation.

His departure is seen by many Palestinians as a broader move to pressure the Palestinian Christian community and its leadership.

06/05/2026

Rev. Tif Ewins, Vicar of St. Michael's Wandsworth Common in London, shares how Pastor Munther's "Sermon to the West" impacted her congregation.

We are deeply moved by testimonials like this one, and grateful for the communities around the world who have responded to God's call for justice and peace.

Watch the full sermon for yourself — link at bipj.info/truth

Our director, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac will appear on Amanpour on CNN - UPDATE: The interview has been temporarily postpon...
05/05/2026

Our director, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac will appear on Amanpour on CNN - UPDATE: The interview has been temporarily postponed to be rescheduled soon.

We hope you'll tune in.

Our director, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac has written a new piece for Al Jazeera — and it cuts to the heart of what we should...
22/04/2026

Our director, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac has written a new piece for Al Jazeera — and it cuts to the heart of what we should truly be outraged by.

A video circulated this week of an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon knocking down and decapitating a statue of Jesus. It is offensive and painful. But as Munther argues, centering our response there risks narrowing the scope of what should truly trouble us.

Where is the sustained outrage over the targeting of civilians, the rubble of entire neighbourhoods, the permanence of displacement? The destruction of a statue is symbolic violence. The destruction of human lives is what demands our greatest moral urgency.

As Munther writes: "[Our faith] is not only desecrated when statues are destroyed, but when children are bombed, communities displaced and entire neighbourhoods flattened, often without accountability and sometimes even in the name of God. Outrage, if it is to be meaningful, must be rightly ordered."

Read the full article here: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/4/22/beyond-the-desecrated-statue-what-truly-demands-our-outrage

A reflection from our founding director, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac: "I saw a headline in a U.S. news outlet mocking Pete He...
18/04/2026

A reflection from our founding director, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac:

"I saw a headline in a U.S. news outlet mocking Pete Hegseth for misquoting Scripture—ironically, from the film Pulp Fiction. The headline suggests that the misquote made him, and by extension the United States, a "global laughingstock."

But I cannot help but think: what about how this rhetoric makes us in the Middle East look—and feel?

What of the deep embarrassment and grief we carry when Scripture is invoked so casually, and even dangerously, to frame war in sacred terms? What does it do to our witness when this war is portrayed as somehow divinely sanctioned?

For the sake of the credibility of our Christian faith—especially in a region already wounded by conflict and religious manipulation—I sincerely hope this kind of rhetoric comes to an end.

Let us pray—not only for an end to this war, but to all wars. And let us pray that faith leaders will continue to rise with courage and challenge such discourse, and to proclaim instead a vision of peace rooted in justice and truth—not the fragile “peace” of empire, imposed by force, but the just peace revealed in the way of Christ."

14/04/2026

Our founding director, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac responds to the image Donald Trump posted and removed — of himself in the likeness of Jesus.

This is not simply about one post. As Munther makes clear, this is the fruit of a theological ecosystem built over years — one in which court prophets, televangelists, and political preachers have surrounded a political figure, declared him anointed by God, and confused the kingdom of God with the kingdom of empire.

The result? A theology that has become a tool of power rather than a witness to truth, justice, and righteousness.

What we are witnessing today is not simply a political divide — it is the emergence of two versions of Christianity. One rooted in the ethics of Jesus: humility, mercy, justice, and love. The other rooted in the ethics of empire: power, control, nationalism, and the glorification of strength.

The Church must decide. Will it continue to produce and protect such distortions of faith? Or will it return to the crucified Christ — who rejected power, emptied himself, and was crucified by the very logic of empire that is now being celebrated?

At the end of the day, this is not simply about political ideology. It is idolatry. It is the misuse of the name of Christ. And it should concern every Christian.

Over the past weeks, the Christ at the Checkpoint team has been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Bethle...
10/04/2026

Over the past weeks, the Christ at the Checkpoint team has been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Bethlehem and across the region as we've considered whether to proceed with our plans for the conference in May.

Two priorities have remained clear throughout: the safety of our participants in their travels, and the integrity of the gathering itself. Christ at the Checkpoint is not just a conference—it is a tangible encounter with life behind the checkpoint in the West Bank as we seek to find Jesus together.

At this time, we do not believe we can hold the May conference in a way that fully honors those commitments.

We are sorry to announce that we will not meet for Christ at the Checkpoint in May.
However, we have a new idea. Instead of meeting in May, we are inviting you into something different and, we believe, something special.

For the first time, we are delighted to invite you to join us for Christ at the Checkpoint during Christmastime in Bethlehem. The conference will be held December 27–31. Christmas is not a single day in Bethlehem it is a season, and these dates will put you into the middle of it.

To be in Bethlehem during the Christmas season is to step into a living story. The city is filled with worship, music, and celebration. Ancient liturgies are practiced in the very place where Jesus broke into history. The rhythms of joy and resilience are on full display in ways that are difficult to describe until you experience them firsthand.

For many, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—to celebrate Christmas not just symbolically, but physically, in the place of Christ’s birth, alongside the community that continues to bear witness to the deepest meaning of Christmas today.

We believe this will be a powerful and meaningful gathering. And we hope you will join us.

➡ Head to our website (christatthecheckpoint.bethbc.edu/) to register! More details about the conference will be offered as they are available.

Pray for Lebanon."The failure to hold Israel accountable for its crimes in Gaza has only emboldened further violence—now...
09/04/2026

Pray for Lebanon.

"The failure to hold Israel accountable for its crimes in Gaza has only emboldened further violence—now spilling into Lebanon with devastating consequences. Impunity fuels escalation. Lord, have mercy." -BIPJ Founder, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac

07/04/2026

Our director, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac speaks on Democracy Now! from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank during Holy Week.

"Resurrection is about the victory of life." Yet the siege continues. Aid is not entering. People are still suffering.

In this interview, Munther reminds us that Jesus himself became a victim of empire and religious extremism — and that even in the darkest moments, we cannot lose faith that justice will ultimately prevail.

Now more than ever, the Church needs courageous voices that stand with the victims, the poor, and the marginalized — voices of peace, sanity, and human dignity.

01/04/2026

Our director, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac speaks on Democracy Now! about what is unfolding in Jerusalem and why it matters for the global Church.

On Palm Sunday, Israel blocked pastor's access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, raising urgent questions about religious freedom, dignity, and the future of Christian presence in the Holy Land.

In this interview, Munther offers a clear and grounded perspective from Palestine, calling the Church to pay attention.

This is exactly why the Bethlehem Institute for Peace and Justice exists: to ensure that the voices of Palestinian Christians are heard, understood, and taken seriously.

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