The King’s Speech

A Letter from Doug Dicks, serving in Israel and Palestine

Fall 2022

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Dear family and friends,

As the year winds down, there are many places in our world that make us anxious about the future. While there is also much to be thankful for and much to be hopeful for, still, there is certainly much to keep working towards.  

Banner commemorating the life of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh

In July, following many weeks of accusations and multiple investigations, Israel admitted that most likely one of its soldiers shot and killed Palestinian American journalist and Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. 

The bullet, which struck and killed Abu Akleh, was handed over by the Palestinians to the Americans, who in turn, handed it over to the Israelis, for ballistics tests. 

On September 5, Israel stated that there is a “high possibility” that Abu Akleh was “accidentally hit” by Israeli army fire. However, it would not be launching a criminal investigation into the matter, and no one would be held accountable. 

Al Jazeera reported that, in a background briefing for journalists, and just prior to the release of the results of the investigation, senior Israeli army officials said they had met the soldier, and that, “if he did it, he did it by mistake.” 

Painting of Al Jezeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh on the border wall

Al Jazeera had demanded that “an independent international body investigate the assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh to achieve justice for her, her family, and fellow journalists around the world.”

In late September, it was reported that, to date, 100 Palestinians had been shot dead in the West Bank and/or East Jerusalem, either by Israeli forces or by armed Israeli civilians. That means that this year is on course to become the deadliest year for Palestinians since 2015. 

At the United Nations in late September, His Majesty King Abdallah II of Jordan raised concerns over Jerusalem and the Status Quo, and in particular the situation for the Christian community of the holy city. “The future of Jerusalem is an urgent concern” stated the king. He went on to say that “the city is home to billions of Muslims, Christians and Jews around the world. Undermining Jerusalem’s legal and historical status quo triggers global tensions and deepens religious divides.” 

He added, “the holy city must not be a place for hatred and divisions and as custodians of Jerusalem’s Muslim holy sites, we are committed to protecting the historical and legal status quo and to their safety and future.”

His Majesty went on to say that “as a Muslim leader, let me say clearly that we are committed to defending the rights, the precious heritage of the Christian people for our region. Nowhere is that more important than in Jerusalem. Today, Christianity in the holy city is under fire. The rights of churches in Jerusalem are threatened. This cannot continue,” he said. 

“Peace continues to be elusive. Neither war nor diplomacy has held the answer to this historic tragedy. It is the people themselves, not politics and politicians who will have to come together and push their leaders to resolve this,” he said. “What would our world look like now if the conflict had been settled long ago? If walls had never gone up and people had been allowed to build bridges of cooperation instead?” Without “the injustices of occupation, how many generations of youth could have grown up in the optimism of peace and progress?” 

Jerusalem Patriarchs and Heads of Church Statement re HM King Abdullah’s UN Speech

The Heads of Churches in Jerusalem released their own statement, in which they praised Jordan’s King for shining a spotlight on what they say is “the deteriorating situation of Christian basic human rights” in the city of Jerusalem, and throughout the Holy Land. 

Interestingly enough, Israel’s current prime minister, Yair Lapid, in his own speech at the United Nations, called for a two-state solution to decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “An agreement with the Palestinians, based on two states for two people, is the right thing for Israel’s security, for Israel’s economy, and for the future of our children,” Mr. Lapid said. 

However, opposition leader and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Mr. Lapid’s speech, saying that it “endangers our future and our existence, both on the Palestinian issue and on the Iranian issue.”    

In November, Israelis will go to the polls for an unprecedented fifth time in three years, in order to elect a new prime minister. Netanyahu is posturing to run again, in the hopes of making a comeback and once again serving as Israel’s prime minister. 

But while calls for a two-state solution continue to be touted by a few of the world’s leaders, most everyone who works in the region and remains close to the realities on the ground tends to believe that the window of opportunity for a negotiated settlement based on the 1967 border has long since closed.

 Israeli land grabs – both in and around Jerusalem – as well as throughout the West Bank, have made that reality all but impossible. And in August, it was revealed that the Israeli education ministry has removed from its educational materials for schools, the location and mention of the “green line” – the 1949 armistice line that later became known as the 1967 border between Israel and Jordan. Erasure of this border proves de facto that Israel not only does not recognize the 1967 borderline but that it behaves in a manner that all of the territories to the east of this line, are neither Jordanian, Palestinian nor up for negotiation.   

As always, I want to thank you for your correspondence, prayers and support. All are most appreciated, and without them, it would be difficult to fulfill my role and mission in this part of the world. 

In appreciation, 

Doug 

Please read the following letter from Rev. Mienda Uriarte, acting director of World Mission:

Dear Partners in God’s Mission,

What an amazing journey we’re on together! Our call to be a Matthew 25 denomination has challenged us in so many ways to lean into new ways of reaching out. As we take on the responsibilities of dismantling systemic racism, eradicating the root causes of poverty and engaging in congregational vitality, we find that the Spirit of God is indeed moving throughout World Mission. Of course, the past two years have also been hard for so many as we’ve ventured through another year of the pandemic, been confronted with racism, wars and the heart wrenching toll of natural disasters. And yet, rather than succumb to the darkness, we are called to shine the light of Christ by doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God.

We are so grateful that you are on this journey as well. Your commitment enables mission co-workers around the world to accompany partners and share in so many expressions of the transformative work being done in Christ’s name. Thank you for your partnership, prayers and contributions to their ministries.

We hope you will continue to support World Mission in all the ways you are able:

Give – Consider making a year-end financial contribution for the sending and support of our mission personnel (E132192). This unified fund supports the work of all our mission co-workers as they accompany global partners in their life-giving work. Gifts can also be made “in honor of” a specific mission co-worker – just include their name on the memo line.

Pray – Include PC(USA) mission personnel and global partners in your daily prayers. If you would like to order prayer cards as a visual reminder of those for whom you are praying, please contact Cindy Rubin (cynthia.rubin@pcusa.org; 800-728-7228, ext. 5065).

Act – Invite a mission co-worker to visit your congregation either virtually or in person. Contact mission.live@pcusa.org to make a request or email the mission co-worker directly. Email addresses are listed on Mission Connections profile pages. Visit pcusa.org/missionconnections to search by last name.

Thank you for your consideration! We appreciate your faithfulness to God’s mission through the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Prayerfully,

Rev. Mienda Uriarte, Acting Director
World Mission
Presbyterian Mission Agency
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

To give, please visit https://bit.ly/22MC-YE.

For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6