CMEP’s executive director traveled to the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem for Holy Week from April 11 to 20, after leading a multi-faith delegation in Jordan and Egypt. Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), visited numerous local church leaders to stand in solidarity with the Christian community in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel during Holy Week. Her visits included high-level meetings with Christian, Muslim, and Jewish community leaders and focused on ending the devastation and destruction in Gaza.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) emphasizes the recent statement from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, which affirms their deep commitment to solidarity with Christian partners in the Holy Land. During this historic Holy Week delegation, Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director of CMEP, was honored to meet with Bishop Dr. Sani-Ibrahim Azar of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL). Their time together included meaningful dialogue about the ongoing witness of the Christian church in the region and how our respective ministries might deepen partnership in our shared mission to embody the love of Christ and pursue a just and lasting peace for all people in the Holy Land.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) calls for the preservation of the Armenian Christian community in Jerusalem, Nagorno/Karabakh, and around the world, as today marks 110 years since the beginning of the Armenian Genocide, during which 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed by the Ottoman Empire. In addition, leaders of the Turkish Empire killed Greek, Assyrian, and other Christian minorities living under the Ottoman Empire during the early 20th century. On this solemn anniversary, CMEP joins the global Armenian community and Christians worldwide in remembrance and mourning. We honor the victims and their enduring legacy, remembering not only the lives lost but also the resilience of survivors and their descendants. More than a century later, the Armenian people are still awaiting full acknowledgment and accountability from the perpetrators of this crime against humanity.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) joins millions of people around the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. We grieve the profound loss of a stalwart leader of the Christian faith—one whose moral clarity, deep compassion, and unrelenting pursuit of justice marked a generation.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Executive Director Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon reports from her experience at the Holy Fire Service in Jerusalem on Saturday, April 19, 2025 in which Israeli authorities denied thousands of Christian pilgrims the right to worship. CMEP stands in solidarity with Christians in the Holy Land, condemning the egregious violations of religious freedom and amplifying the statement by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem on the assaults against worshippers during Holy Fire Saturday.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) joins 26 humanitarian aid and advocacy groups to shed light on the besieged state of Gaza and the West Bank. No aid has been allowed to enter Gaza in over six weeks. Increased military operations in the West Bank have displaced over 40,000 people, destroyed countless homes and businesses, and disrupted the flow of aid. The UN Secretary General referred to Gaza as an “endless death loop”. Along with a report detailing the conditions in Gaza and the West Bank, this snapshot calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.

CMEP condemns in the strongest possible terms the bombing of Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. Al-Ahli is an Anglican institution and one of the oldest, continuously operating hospitals in Gaza. It is Gaza’s only Christian hospital and its only cancer treatment center. The bombing of the Anglican Al-Ahli Arab Hospital is a violation of the sacredness of life and it is especially abhorrent during this sacred time for Christians.

CMEP condemns the tragic killing of 14-year-old American Palestinian Amir Rabee by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on April 6 and calls for an investigation into his death. The loss of this young life is an unspeakable tragedy and a devastating reminder of the human cost of ongoing violence and occupation. Such actions must never be accepted or normalized. The killing of children must stir moral outrage, not silence.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) stands in solidarity with the Patriarchs in Syria as they raise their voices against the horrific escalation of violence that has swept across portions of the country in recent days. CMEP unequivocally condemns these acts of violence and calls for an immediate end to the bloodshed.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) raises the alarm alongside 42 other humanitarian aid and advocacy organizations about the escalating violence and restrictions in the occupied West Bank and the unprecedented obstruction as Israeli forces and settlers intensify violence and movement restrictions. Since the pause in hostilities in Gaza on January 19, 2025, aid workers have encountered direct threats, while aid deliveries are routinely delayed or blocked by newly established checkpoints.

In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) highlights the ongoing challenges faced by Christian communities in Jerusalem, particularly the renewed pressures surrounding the Arnona tax dispute and the breaking of the historic status quo. CMEP also affirms the concerns raised by the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem regarding the foreclosure threats against the Armenian Patriarchate. CMEP warns that these actions threaten the Christian presence in the Holy Land and urges U.S. and international intervention to protect religious freedom and the sacred nature of Jerusalem for all faiths.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is deeply alarmed by the ongoing Israeli military operations in the West Bank, including the recent large-scale offensive, the most extensive since the Second Intifada. According to the United Nations, these operations have displaced over 40,000 Palestinians. Additionally, the destruction of 11 buildings in Masafer Yatta is part of a continued effort to forcibly remove Palestinian communities from their land, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) vehemently opposes President Donald Trump’s recent comments advocating for the forced removal of the Palestinian population from Gaza. This is an open call for ethnic cleansing and a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law, as well as a fundamental affront to the sanctity of human life. Additionally, such language further undermines the current ceasefire, which the Trump Administration worked hard to secure and is directly responsible for ensuring all parties continue to adhere to its tenants through the completion of phase three of the deal.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), along with dozens of international humanitarian organizations, urgently calls upon the international community to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This comes as findings reveal the failure to implement critical provisional measures outlined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a year ago, resulting in unprecedented suffering among Palestinians.

The inauguration of President Trump marked the beginning of his administration, with promises of peace and unity in his inaugural speech. However, his initial actions, such as lifting sanctions on Israeli settlers and reintroducing heavy weaponry to conflict zones, contradict these commitments, prioritizing militarization over diplomacy. CMEP urges the Trump Administration to uphold the Gaza ceasefire, promote justice, and address the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through non-violent means. CMEP also highlights ongoing violence in the West Bank, Gaza, and Lebanon, calling for accountability and the protection of innocent lives amid escalating tensions and violations of ceasefire agreements.

After more than 15 months of devastating violence in Gaza and throughout the region, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomes with cautious optimism the recent announcement of a hostage and ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. This long-overdue agreement brings a glimmer of hope that might end the suffering that has plagued Gaza for far too long, including the deaths of over 46,000 people and the devastation of famine and lack of humanitarian access. The Palestinian people of Gaza and all impacted by this ongoing violence deserve relief and the chance to rebuild their lives.