Dear friends in the Australia Sabeel community:
We are about to send out print copies of the CORNERSTONE magazine from Sabeel in Jerusalem, but we also want to take this opportunity to review some of the activities and developments during the past six months. In the meantime, if you have not already done so, you can download your copy of Cornerstone from the Sabeel site here:
https://sabeel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Cornerstone-84-WEB-VERSION-1.pdf
May & June are the time of year when we renew our membership of Sabeel Australia, or even make an additional gift to assist with Sabeel’s work: 2022 membership renewal form
You will see that we have added an option for people to make a gift towards PROJECT 2022. The funds raised will be used to promote the mission of Sabeel. If we raise sufficient funds, one option under consideration by the Management Committee is to assist with the travel costs for a volunteer travelling to Jerusalem to spend a period of time at the Sabeel Centre.
Speaking of the Management Committee, let me remind everyone of those who serve on this small group:
President – Greg Jenks (Brisbane)
Secretary: Ken Sparks (Brisbane)
Treasurer: Susan Wahhab (Sydney, originally Palestine)
Committee Member: Mark Battison (Sydney, formerly Sabeel-Kairos UK)
Grace and peace,
Greg Jenks
President, Sabeel Australia
SABEEL AUSTRALIA ONLINE
During the past six months we have been quite active online, including joint events with our partners at Palestinian Christians in Australia and PIEN (Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network) as well as participation in online events hosted by Sabeel Jerusalem. Greg Jenks has also continued to serve on the Executive of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN).
Key links
www.sabeel.org
www.australia.sabeel.org
www.youtube.com/channel/UCncdqlYh_isefCpW5VdMkIg
www.palestinianchristians.org.au/
www.pien.org.au
www.apan.org.au
Video links from the last six months
29 Nov – International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
https://youtu.be/wigdf_YEX5o
2 Dec – Annual General Meeting talk by Susan Wahhab
https://youtu.be/FdeDhgSvMr4
15 Jan – Bishop Munib Younan – Palestinian Christians
https://youtu.be/20FIllIlhlQ
29 Jan – Desmond Tutu Memorial
https://youtu.be/z1eo0VG5pO8
12 Mar – Launch of PCIA welcome message from Sabeel
https://youtu.be/GCvgytZYCVo
19 Mar – Violette Khoury – Nazareth Today
https://youtu.be/cwd3mAQb_iU
Lent Program – Hear our Voices with PIEN & PCIA
March 16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWrTeqJax6A
March 23 https://youtu.be/xzmLo4H1U4U
March 30 https://youtu.be/f0ws4NFPZBw
9 April – Eve of Palm Sunday – Voices of Hope
https://youtu.be/6x0reJDZsA8
16 April – Holy Saturday Sabeel International Easter Event
https://youtu.be/jNZ5g-O5ep0
Upcoming events
21 May – Walled-Off Hotel, Bethlehem (Wisam Salsaa)
JOIN US at 5.00pm then switch across to watch Anthony Green on ABC TV!
16 July – Kairos Palestine (Nora Armenian-Carmi)
17 Sep – Palestinian Food (Vivien Sansour)
19 Nov – Bethlehem Today (Vera Baboun)
Register now to receive the link for each webinar closer to the time of the event:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuceuvqDIvHdeCm6GqXDpdUSmKo0uH8Skz
Advocacy
Amnesty International Report – you can read this milestone report on Israel’s apartheid practices throughout all of the territory it dominates and not just inside the Green Line
https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/MDE1551412022ENGLISH.pdf
Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security has invited submissions in relation to the proposed listing of all of Hamas (in its entirety) as a terrorist organization. The committee will review this decision after the new Parliament convenes and may overturn the decision by the Morrison Government. Sabeel Australia has made a written submission, highlighting the possible unintended consequences on charitable support to Christian NGOs such as the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza operated by the Episcopal (Anglican) Church in Jerusalem. Numerous other Australia NGOs are expected to make their own submissions, and individuals can also do so. More details here:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Intelligence_and_Security/8Listings2022
Opinion Polls show Majority Support for Palestine
APAN has published results from opinion polling recently undertaken to monitor changes in Australian attitudes towards Israel and Palestine. You can see the results here:
https://apan.org.au/opinion-polls/
I Vote Palestine
Colourful Palestine voter stickers can be ordered direct from APAN:
https://apan.org.au/stickers/