WCC NEWS: Easter Initiative videos portray firsthand stories of life under occupation in Palestine

Four new videos, part of an Easter Initiative by the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, offer a firsthand glimpse into the lives of people living under military occupation. 01 April 2021 The videos, all about one minute long, feature: Nivin Sandouka: “Living here in the annexed part of East Jerusalem, on the Israeli side of the wall, we do not have an Israeli or a Palestinian passport…” Eid Jahhalin: “The Israeli authority is targeting the Bedouin communities in order to expand their settlements in the Palestinian land…” Atallah Jahalin: “We launched several advocacy campaigns and made a petition with a million signatures to protect the community…” Hania Kassicieh-Persekian: “The WCC has responded to a call from local churches in Palestine to come and witness what is happening here to Palestinians in general and to Christian Palestinians…” The series is part of a new collection of resources comprising the Easter Initiative, a walk through holy sites, including the road from Jericho to Jerusalem, Bethany, the Mount of Olives, and the Holy Sepulchre. WCC member churches and partners can witness the current realities of life under military occupation, as well as access concrete advocacy efforts to be made by individuals and communities around the globe. In addition to the videos, the new collection of materials also includes a set of Bible studies – one on each location – photos and stories and videos that give witness to current realities today. WCC-EAPPI Easter Initiative 2021 See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland