PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE’S WEST BANK

TULKARM, PALESTINE - 2026/03/30: Long queues of vehicles are seen gathering at a checkpoint in the West Bank. Israeli forces closed the Anab military checkpoint east of Tulkarm in the West Bank after soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian policeman. The army accused him of attempting to run over a group of soldiers at the checkpoint. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

LET CHILDREN LIVE. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE’S WEST BANK

Please pray that families of West Bank children are able to manage financially.

Pray that our merciful and gracious God protects and sustains the children and youth of the West Bank. Pray that the children’s parents may find work and that the children have food to sustain their bodies. Pray that our omniscient and omnipotent God address the systems of oppression and exploitation that are undermining viability of life in the West Bank; pray that the economic stranglehold on the West Bank is broken. Pray that West Bank youth are given a hopeful future rather than disappointment and disillusionment.

Context: Economic Situation in the West Bank of Palestine

The West Bank economy is teetering toward collapse, facing its deepest crisis in decades. The severe economic crisis has dramatically increased poverty, caused widespread food insecurity, forced children into labor and severely disrupted their education and daily life.

What are the causes of the economic collapse?

• Unemployment Surge: Work permits for nearly 200,000 Palestinians previously employed in Israel were revoked after late 2023, depriving the local economy of roughly $400 million monthly.

• Movement Restrictions: Hundreds of military checkpoints, closures, and roadblocks inside the territory restrict the transit of goods and labor, spiking consumer prices and strangling small businesses.

• Banking and Cash Crisis: Palestinian banks are overwhelmed with physical Israeli shekels because the Bank of Israel refuses to accept excess paper currency back, blocking electronic transfers and supplier payments. Furthermore, major Israeli banks are threatening to sever ties with West Bank correspondent banks.

• Fiscal Paralysis: The Palestinian Authority faces bankruptcy due to withheld customs clearance revenues and exhausted borrowing limits, leaving public servants and healthcare workers only partially paid.

Additional information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fde4VHf_kE

https://jstreet.org/the-post-october-7-status-of-the-west-bank-economy/

https://reliefweb.int/attachments/edbedc27-7817-493a-a18f-b3c68b223016/The%20Unseen%20Crisis_02072025.pdf

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE’S WEST BANK

LET CHILDREN LIVE.

HEBRON, WEST BANK, PALESTINE - APRIL 19: Palestinian students and protesters stage a demonstration for Palestinian students who have been unable to attend school for a week due to Israeli settlers, blocking a road in the village of Umm al-Kheir in the Masafer Yatta region of Hebron, West Bank, Palestine on April 19, 2026. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Please pray for West Bank school children struggling to continue their education:

Please ask our almighty God and loving Father to protect the children at military checkpoints, road closures, and community clashes as they travel to and from school. Pray that schools remain safe sanctuaries of learning, free from fear, disruption, and trauma- from attack and demolition. Pray God may provide His comfort, peace and resilience for children who experience displacement, home demolitions, or the loss of loved ones. Lift up teachers, school staff, and aid workers who provide stability and care under stressful difficult circumstances. Pray for a just and lasting peace in the region so that this generation of children experience hope and recovery and the next generation can grow up without the shadow of war.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Context: Impact of settler violence in the West Bank on children’s education

Settler violence in the West Bank disrupts children's education by threatening safe travel to classes, damaging school buildings, causing mass displacement, and creating severe psychological trauma that impairs learning.

• Dangerous commutes: Children face regular harassment, stone-throwing, physical assaults, and blocked roads enforced by settlers or military escorts while walking to school. The placement of physical obstacles, razor wire, and checkpoints cuts off entire rural and Bedouin communities from reaching their classrooms

• School infrastructure damage: Educational facilities near outposts or settlements experience direct vandalism, arson, and demolition.

• Forced migration: Coercive environments and ramped-up attacks force families to flee their villages, abruptly ending children's enrollment in local schools.

• Pervasive fear: Constant exposure to military raids, settler aggression, and community violence induces high levels of anxiety and post-traumatic stress.

Additional Reading: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/22/middleeast/west-bank-settler-attack-school-intl

A Prayer for the Children of Palestine's West Bank

NABLUS, PALESTINE - 2026/07/21: A Palestinian child holds a portrait of his brothers detained in Israeli jails during a sit-in protest. Demonstrators held up portraits of their imprisoned sons during a sit-in protest at the entrance to the commercial market in downtown Nablus in the West Bank, demanding their release. They explained that their sons are living in deplorable conditions, suffering from severe shortage of food and medicine, and that they have not been able to visit them since October 7, 2023. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

LET CHILDREN LIVE. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE’S WEST BANK

Please pray for West Bank children imprisoned in Israeli detention centers:

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who releases the captive. We pray for the children of Hagar and Abraham who are currently enduring the privations of human bondage. Look upon these young souls with overwhelming grace and kindness. Grant them the strength and fortitude to face the indignities forced upon them, and let hope remain a fierce fire within their hearts. Hasten their release, O Lord, so that they may live lives of health, joy, and peace in the homeland of their ancestors.

A Judeo-Christian Prayer for Releasing the Captive

Context: Impact of imprisonment of Palestinian children in Israeli detention centers

Over 350 to 450 Palestinian children from the West Bank remain inside Israeli detention facilities. More than half of these detained minors are held under administrative detention. This allows authorities to imprison children without charge or trial based on secret evidence for renewable terms. The most frequent accusations involve stone-throwing or participating in demonstrations, which can carry long detention terms. Data shows a sharp increase in minors held for over a year without formal judicial proceedings.

• Night Raids: Arrests often happen during predawn or nighttime military incursions into West Bank towns and refugee camps, where armed soldiers enter homes and remove minors.

• Military Courts: Israel remains the primary jurisdiction that systematically prosecutes children through a military court system.

• Reports of Abuse: Detained children routinely report physical violence, beatings, strip-searches, and psychological intimidation during apprehension and interrogation without parents or lawyers present.

• Harsh Environments: Human rights groups and prisoner commissions cite severe overcrowding, lack of adequate food or clean water, and the spread of skin diseases like scabies due to poor hygiene.

• Isolation: Families and independent monitors, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, have faced severe restrictions or bans regarding visits and verification of prisoner well-being.

Additional reading: https://afsc.org/news/protecting-palestinian-childrens-lives-and-rights

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE’S WEST BANK

Israeli-Demolition-Operation-West-Bank

Palestinian boys sit on the rubble of a demolished house in the Khirbet Khallat Al-Fara area near Yatta, in the occupied West Bank, on August 10, 2026. The Israeli army demolished the home of Palestinian Ahmed Ibrahim Abu Alian, which housed six people, on the grounds that it was built without a permit. Local Palestinians report an increase in demolition notices and land confiscations following the expansion of the nearby Otniel settlement. (Photo by Mosab Shawer / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

For our “Let Children Live” focus this week, please pray for children of the West Bank whose homes have been demolished. Pray that our God of Compassion and Justice will protect children from the cold, danger, and trauma of displacement. Pray that God heal their broken spirits and ease the deep confusion they feel. Pray that the children know they are not forgotten. Pray that God strengthen the aid workers and neighbors providing food, tents, and care. Pray that the hearts of those in power be softened to choose justice over destruction. Pray that the children are able to experience lasting peace in the land and a future free from fear.

Context: Impact of home demolition on West Bank children

In 2026, home demolitions and related displacement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have surged to record levels. According to tracking by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), total displacement in the West Bank surpassed 3,000 Palestinians by mid-year. Reports by organizations like Save the Children’s Resource Centre and UNICEF show that losing a home strips children of their fundamental sense of safety and takes a severe psychological and emotional toll. Children whose homes are demolished experience the following:

• High rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe anxiety, and depression.

• Frequent nightmares, bedwetting, and sleep problems.

• Behavioral shifts including social withdrawal, regression, and unexplained aggression.

• Feelings of profound powerlessness and a loss of faith in adults or authorities to protect them.

• Declining academic performance and an inability to concentrate on studies.

• Long-term family instability, deepening poverty, and overcrowded temporary housing or tents.

• Loss of access to basic municipal infrastructure, clean water, and community support systems.

Additional reading:

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/demolition-homes-schools-and-childhood

https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/hope-under-rubble-impact-israels-home-demolition-policy-palestinian-children-and-their

Hiring: Director of Worship Arts

Southminster Presbyterian Church, a warm, open & affirming congregation in Tulsa's Brookside neighborhood, is seeking a Director of Worship Arts to provide visionary and musical leadership for our congregation's worshipping life.

We're looking for a musician/conductor who understands worship as a communal act of faith, someone who brings both artistic excellence and genuine collaborative skills to a dynamic team, and who wants to help shape a program where volunteer and scholarship musicians alike feel invited, mentored, and valued.

What You'll Do

• Collaborate with the Pastor/Head of Staff to weave music thoughtfully into weekly worship, the lectionary, and the liturgical calendar

• Lead weekly rehearsals and select repertoire for the Chancel Choir

• Recruit, mentor, and place scholarship singers, and cultivate real relationships between them and the wider congregation

• Recruit and support volunteer instrumentalists, vocalists, and other worship leaders

• Plan special seasonal music for Advent, Christmas, Holy Week, Easter, and other holy days

• Coordinate musicians for weddings and memorial services (with additional compensation for these services)

• Serve on the Worship and Music Committee and help shape the annual music budget and program goals

What You'll Bring

Required

• Formal training in music, church music, or a related field (degree preferred)

• Demonstrated experience directing a choir or vocal ensemble

• Familiarity with the Reformed liturgical tradition and the Glory to God hymnal

• Strong collaborative, relational, and communication skills

• Keyboard proficiency (piano and/or organ)

Preferred

• Experience working across a multi-disciplinary staff

• Willingness to mentor or support a Children's music director, and integrate handbells into worship rotation

• Familiarity with Presbyterian polity and worship practice

Why Southminster

You'll join a collegial, collaborative staff and a congregation that values musical excellence as a form of genuine pastoral care. This role works closely with clergy and lay leadership, with real trust and creative latitude to shape the program's direction, all within a congregation that is committed to being open, affirming, and welcoming to all.

Four Sundays off annually. Formal review at one year.

Southminster Presbyterian Church is an affirming congregation and an equal opportunity employer.

A Prayer for the Children of Palestine's West Bank

LET CHILDREN LIVE. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE’S WEST BANK

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK - NOVEMBER 08: A view of a damaged house of a Palestinian family burned by Israeli settlers in the village of Abu Falah near Ramallah, West Bank on November 08, 2025. A group of illegal settlers stormed the outskirts of the village and torched the one-story home, causing parts of the house to burn, local sources told.

God of peace and justice,

We lift before you the children of Palestine, a third generation that is growing up with the trauma of military occupation.

We pray for all who have directly experienced violence and intimidation, or who have witnessed family and friends being attacked;

For all who are experiencing trauma, fear, anxiety and tension.

Be near to them that they may know your healing and comforting presence.

We pray for partners who strive to bring hope and light to dark situations. Bless their work to provide emergency and long-term mental health support to young Palestinians.

We pray for those in power – may you lead them in the way of peace, justice and reconciliation.

We pray for a future where peace will prevail in the Holy Land.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

From Embrace the Middle East Facebook Post July 24, 2023

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Context: Settler Violence in the West Bank, Palestine

Settler violence in the West Bank severely harms children by causing physical injuries, massive displacement, severe psychological trauma, and disruptions to their education.

• Casualties: Children face physical assaults, including being shot, stabbed, beaten, or pepper-sprayed during attacks on their communities. Dozens of children have been killed or injured in West Bank violence involving both armed settlers and military operations.

• Forced Displacement: Surging attacks have driven mass displacement, with over 1,000 children forced from their homes by mid-2026, destroying rural and herding communities in areas like the Jordan Valley. Families often flee with no belongings, losing their homes and livelihoods.

• Trauma and Fear: Continuous exposure to intimidation at gunpoint, home invasions, and nighttime raids leads to high rates of anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among children. Children experience a profound loss of safety and normalcy, frequently expressing confusion and fear about their future rather than normal youthful hopes.

• Disrupted Schooling: Fear of violence, blocked roads, and community displacement severely interrupt children's schooling, impairing both their learning and long-term development.

A PRAYER FOR PALESTINE

LET CHILDREN LIVE. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE’S WEST BANK

A Palestinian child looks out from behind a gate as an Israeli soldier stands guard in the Old City of Hebron, West Bank, on September 20, 2025. The army reinforced security in the area during a settler raid that triggered clashes and the arrest of a foreign activist. (Photo by Mosab Shawer / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by MOSAB SHAWER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Let us pray:

In a world that God made good

let us pray for people seeing things no human being should see

for people seized by terror no human being should experience

for people whose depths of suffering no human being should know.

God of unquenchable hope confirm our belief that this is not how things should be;

Affirm our belief that things can and will be different;

Strengthen our belief in Jesus who opens the way from death to resurrection,

And help us, as his disciples, to be your agents for change in our broken world. Amen

https://www.methodist.org.uk/faith/prayer/israel-palestine/prayers-for-israel-palestine/

Context: A brief comparison of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank

For the past 9- 10 months we have been praying for 9-year-old Khalid and his family in Gaza. We have learned of the horrors and destruction of life there- the thousands of people killed, the shattered homes, the destroyed hospitals and schools, the lack of security, lack of medical care, lack of education, lack of food, lack of sanitation, lack of hope.

Now we are turning our attention to the children of the West Bank.

Both the West Bank and Gaza are territories occupied by Israel since 1967, but they differ significantly in geography, internal governance, current crisis conditions, and their day-to-day realities. 

Gaza, a narrow, coastal enclave bordering the Mediterranean Sea and Egypt, has been subjected to a strict blockade by Israel and Egypt since 2007. The Gaza Strip, with an area of about 365 sq km and a population of somewhat over 2 million, governed by Hamas, is an active conflict zone experiencing widespread devastation, high civilian casualties, and restricted aid.

The much larger West Bank (2,270 sq km) is a landlocked territory located east of Israel with a population of approximately 3.3 million Palestinians and over 700,000 Israeli settlers. Under the Oslo framework, the Israeli military retains overriding security control across the entire West Bank and full administrative control over Area C, which contains all Israeli settlements. The Palestinian Authority (PA) manages civic, educational, and medical services for the local population. The West Bank is largely defined by Israeli military control, accelerating settlement expansion, and frequent settler violence. It is fragmented by over 800 Israeli checkpoints, roadblocks, and expanding settlements.

Why 'Presbyterian' Will Never Be A Political Party

A Resource Worth Your Time: "Why 'Presbyterian' Will Never Be a Political Party"

The Moderators of the 227th General Assembly including committee moderators, moderator support team, and the Revs. Tony Larson and CeCe Armstrong.

As we mark our nation's 250th anniversary this year, our denomination has offered us a timely gift: a short, accessible resource drawing on "God Alone is Lord of the Conscience," the PC(USA)'s 1988 social witness policy on religious liberty and church-state relations. Prepared by the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), it distills nearly four decades of careful theological reflection into five clear convictions, among them that faith cannot be coerced by human authority, that civil government is a genuine gift from God for the sake of peace and justice, and that our obedience to that government is always conditioned by our first allegiance to God.

At the heart of the piece is a claim our tradition has held for almost two hundred years: no political party or system can embody God's will. We advocate for justice as vigorously as we can, but we do not form a Presbyterian Party, and we do not seek to wield the power of the state to enforce our own vision of faith on others.

This is the same theological ground from which the 227th General Assembly, meeting this summer, spoke clearly against White Christian nationalism by naming it a distortion incompatible with the gospel and calling the church to public witness against it. Read together, the two resources show a tradition that has thought hard, and long, about the difference between prophetic witness and political capture.

We commend both to you for your own reading and reflection. Read the full resource here: pcusa.org/resource/why-will-never-be-political-party