BETHLEHEM: WHAT YOU CAN DO

What can you do to support peace in the Middle East and advocate for the rights of Palestinians?

Peace Not Walls—The campaign of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to “stand for justice in the Holy Land.” The 2005 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted this strategy to promote a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to call for a halt to construction of the separation barrier and its removal from Palestinian land: www.elca.org/peacenotwalls

Bright Stars of Bethlehem supports work of the Lutheran Christmas Church and the International Center of Bethlehem. Bright Stars of Bethlehem, NFP (BSB) is a Lutheran-based, ecumenically-oriented institution. Located in the Washington, DC, it was founded in 2003 to support the ministry of Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem through fundraising, awareness-building, and education. Donations to the work of the Lutheran Christmas Church may be made online on their web site: www.brightstarsbethlehem.org/

Purchase gifts and liturgical art from The Cave, the store where artisans and artists affiliated with the International Center of Bethlehem, sell their work. Browse their catalog of Christmas crafts, stained glass, ceramics, mosaics, Palestinian embroidery, paintings, CDs and books, jewelry, silver and olive wood: www.annadwa.org/cave/giftshop.htm

Israeli Peace Groups

Along with Palenstinians working for peace in the region, there are many Israeli Peace Groups, including:

Rabbis for Human Rights—
the rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel, giving voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights. We promote justice and freedom, while campaigning against discrimination and inhumane conduct: www.rhr.israel.net

Gush Shalom—The primary aim of Gush Shalom is to influence Israeli public opinion and lead it towards peace and conciliation with the Palestinian people: www.gush-shalom.org

Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions—a non-violent, direct-action group originally established to oppose and resist Israeli demolition of Palestinian homes in the Occupied Territories: www.icahd.org/eng/

New Profile—"We, a group of feminist women and men, are convinced that we need not live in a soldiers' state. Today, Israel is capable of a determined peace politics. It need not be a militarized society:" www.newprofile.org/english

Bat Shalom is an Israeli national feminist grassroots organization of Jewish and Palestinian Israeli women working together for a genuine peace grounded in a just resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict, respect for human rights, and an equal voice for Jewish and Arab women within Israeli society. www.batshalom.org