On this Freedom Day in South Africa, a day that commemorates the end of apartheid and the birth of a democratic nation, we, representatives of the Reformed Church in America (RCA), Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and the South African Council of Churches (SACC), together with our ecumenical partners, the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA) and the Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), offer this joint statement in a spirit of solidarity, truth-telling, and faithful witness.

On this solemn 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) joins with communities around the world in remembrance of the 1.5 million Armenians who were systematically killed and displaced beginning in 1915. We honor the memory of those who perished, stand with their descendants, and reaffirm our commitment to truth, justice, and the dignity of all people.

At Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), we recognize that the violence unfolding across the Middle East is not isolated from the rest of the world. The grief, fear, and trauma felt in Gaza and the West Bank, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, and across the region are also experienced by diaspora communities around the globe, including here in the United States. Many Americans have family members, loved ones, and deep ties to the Middle East. As they watch tragedy and destruction unfold from afar, they too suffer.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) expresses alarm and condemnation of recent statements by President Trump threatening catastrophic violence against Iran, including rhetoric suggesting that “a whole civilization will die tonight.” Such language, evoking the destruction of an entire people, stands in direct opposition to the core tenets of the Christian faith, which call us to uphold the sanctity of life, pursue peace, and recognize the inherent dignity of every human being.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) expresses its appreciation and solidarity with the Easter Message of the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem (2026), issued by the historic Christian leadership of the Holy Land. In a time marked by devastating violence, regional instability, and profound human suffering, we are grateful for the moral clarity, spiritual depth, and pastoral care embodied in this message. The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches offer a powerful witness rooted in the hope of the Resurrection, proclaiming that even amid destruction and despair, death does not have the final word.

From Jerusalem, Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad proclaims the enduring hope of Easter amid war and suffering, affirming that life, dignity, and love will prevail over death and injustice. Even in the face of violence, restrictions, and loss, he calls on all people to live out the resurrection by standing with the oppressed and holding fast to the promise: Christ is risen.

Churches for Middle East Peace is encouraging churches, faith leaders, and individuals across the United States and around the world to read, reflect on, and wrestle with the newly released “Kairos Palestine Easter Alert 2026” from Kairos Palestine. As Christians prepare to enter Holy Week, the Easter Alert offers a sobering and deeply theological reflection on what it means to live in a prolonged “Holy Saturday”, a time of suffering, uncertainty, and waiting, in the context of ongoing violence and displacement in Palestine.  

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem reaffirms its steadfast commitment to preserving the Christian presence in the Holy Land, safeguarding freedom of worship, and upholding the historic Status Quo amid ongoing violence and suffering. While mourning the devastation in Gaza and rising attacks in the West Bank, it calls for faith, dignity, and peace, limiting Holy Week celebrations to solemn religious rites in honor of those enduring hardship.

Churches for Middle East Peace condemns the decision by Israeli authorities to bar Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from leading Palm Sunday services at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, calling it an unacceptable violation of religious freedom. While the reversal of the decision is welcome, CMEP warns that such incidents reflect a troubling pattern of increasing restrictions on worship in Jerusalem.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is gravely alarmed by the rapidly escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli state-sponsored violence and settler attacks against Palestinian communities are spiraling out of control. As international attention has shifted to the expanding regional war following Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran, extremist settlers have taken advantage of the global distraction to intensify terror against Palestinian civilians. Palestinian villages across the West Bank are facing a wave of attacks, including arson, shootings, and intimidation, which are often carried out in broad daylight and frequently under the watch or protection of Israeli forces.

CMEP is proud to have joined dozens of other faith-based organizations in signing a letter to Congress urging opposition to additional funding for the war on Iran. Grounded in our commitment to peace, we reject further investment in a dangerous and unauthorized conflict that puts countless lives at risk. Instead, we call on Congress to prioritize diplomacy, humanitarian assistance, and policies that uphold human dignity and pursue a just and lasting peace.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is gravely concerned by Israel’s planned ground invasion of Lebanon and the escalating regional war that continues to engulf the Middle East. The ongoing expansion of the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran has set the region on fire. Nowhere is this more evident than in Lebanon. Reports that Israeli troops are amassing at the Lebanese border raise the grave likelihood of a ground invasion. Such an invasion would have catastrophic consequences for a country that has already endured economic collapse, political paralysis, and the trauma of repeated wars. It would not bring peace or security to the people of Lebanon or Israel. Instead, it would entrench political division, fuel radicalization, and result in devastating civilian casualties.

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) condemns in the strongest terms the military strikes carried out on Iran by the U.S. and Israel. We urge all parties toward immediate de-escalation to avoid catastrophic loss of life, expanded violence, and war. This is an unnecessary war that will have profound and destabilizing consequences for the entire region and for all who inhabit it. The Middle East has endured decades of armed conflict, occupation, displacement, and political upheaval. Another large-scale war will not bring security or peace; it will deepen instability and compound the suffering of civilians who have already borne far too much.

Nasrallah Abu Siyam is the first Palestinian killed by settlers this year, and at least the sixth American citizen to be killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since October 2023. His death underscores a deeply troubling and repeated pattern: the persistent lack of justice in Israeli investigations and court proceedings related to violence against Palestinians, alongside the failure of the United States government to pursue meaningful accountability for the killing of its own citizens abroad.

Thirty-seven international aid organisations have been ordered by Israeli authorities to cease operations in the occupied Palestinian territory by the end of February under revised Israeli registration rules. With efforts to force closures imminent, a group of leading humanitarian Organizations, including Churches for Middle East Peace, have taken the unprecedented step of jointly petitioning the Israeli High Court to suspend the measures before irreparable harm is done to civilians who rely on their assistance.

“Today the human family is ensnared in armed conflicts that engender despair, anxiety, and the unending slaughter of innocents. We are a group of religious leaders from the United States and Iran. With profound sympathy for all victims of war and oppression, we together implore our governmental leaders and those of other countries to take concrete steps towards reconciliation before even greater catastrophes befall us.”

The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in the Holy Land affirm before the faithful and before the world that the flock of Christ in this land is entrusted to the Apostolic Churches, which have borne their sacred ministry across centuries with steadfast devotion. Recent activities undertaken by local individuals who advance damaging ideologies, such as Christian Zionism, mislead the public, sow confusion, and harm the unity of our flock. These undertakings have found favor among certain political actors in Israel and beyond who seek to push a political agenda which may harm the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the wider Middle East.

Churches for Middle East Peace join international humanitarian organizations in warning that Israel’s recent registration measures threaten to shut down life-saving aid operations across Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. If allowed to proceed, these measures would force dozens of INGOs to cease operations, cutting off food, healthcare, shelter, and nutrition assistance to millions of civilians facing extreme need. Humanitarian access is not political or optional; it is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law that must be protected.