An interfaith solidarity prayer vigil is planned for 29 September, part of an ongoing call to action to support dispossessed Christian Palestinians in the Holy Land.
A campaign called “Save Al-Makhrour” has issued the call, which is centered around a Palestinian area, Al-Makhrour, part of the wider zone encompassing the village of Battir, all of which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Israel has announced that a new illegal settlement called Heletz will be built. It will forcibly displace people of the entire area or restrict their movement.
Al-Makhrour holds significant cultural and historical significance for Palestinians, and a deep connection to heritage and identity. It has been a vital agricultural area for centuries. Palestinians have grown olives, grapes, and other crops central to the Palestinian diet. The terraced fields, a traditional method of farming, have been maintained by generations of Palestinian farmers, showcasing sustainable agriculture.
On 31 July, a Christian family, Kisiya, were thrown off their land by settlers, backed by Israeli soldiers. Ramzi and Michelle Kisiya, along with their adult children, Alice, Jihad, and Sandy, have now lost their 5,000-square-meter plot in the valley, which has been their home for several generations. The Kisiyas have the legal documents to prove it.
Alice Kisiya said: “We have been fighting for over 20 years. We are exhausted both financially and emotionally but we will not surrender. Our goal is to reclaim what is rightfully ours.”
The Save Al-Makhrour campaign is urging people to pray and act. “It is more than time for people of faith and goodwill around the world to act; those whose hearts are for justice must stand alongside those who are threatened and who may lose everything,” the call reads. “All religions are united in calling for the protection of the vulnerable and now the cry of the Kisiya family must be heard.”
The valley of Al-Makhrour and the neighboring Beit Jala, which his part of the greater Bethlehem area, are some of the few places where Christians are concentrated.
“All people of faith and people of goodwill around the world must stand together when vulnerable people are placed under threat,” the call reads.
People across the globe are invited to pray in public, in churches, and in community centers in solidarity with the Kisiya family and all people threatened by dispossession.
Religious leaders gather in early September 2024 to mobilize against land confiscation in the greater Bethlehem area. Photo: WCC
