Jerusalem and the Holy Sites
Today, Jerusalem sits at the center of much of the conflict in Israel/Palestine. As Jerusalem resident and expert Daniel Seidemann says, “What happens in Jerusalem doesn’t stay in Jerusalem.”
What we’re seeing in the region has the potential to escalate dramatically, should tensions move into Jerusalem, a “holy city” for the three Abrahamic faiths.
...Read MoreListening to Understand | Ethnic Cleansing
This briefing was compiled by our team in January 2024. Because of the ever-changing nature of the conflict, some of this information (specifically numbers of displaced, killed, and injured people) may not reflect the most current figures.
Since October 7th we’ve all been watching what has unfolded in Israel/Palestine with horror.
...Read MoreThe West Bank | History, Context, and the Current Crisis
This briefing was compiled by our team in November 2023. Because of the ever-changing nature of the conflict, some of this information (specifically numbers of displaced, killed, and injured people) may not reflect the most current figures.
Since October 7th, the eyes of the world have been focused on Gaza and Israel.
...Read MoreGaza | Before and After October 7, 2023
This briefing was compiled by our team in November 2023 to provide context for what Gaza was like before the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas, what conditions in Gaza have been like since, and what it means for us as peacemakers to speak out to promote the security, dignity, freedom, and human rights of ALL people.
...Read MoreOur Voices Matter | An Open Letter From a Christian Palestinian Citizen of Israel
By Layan
For over two months, a heavy air of pain has enveloped both Israelis and Palestinians, leaving innocent lives in turmoil and communities in despair. In this frightful time, the often-unheard voices are those of Palestinian Christians, not just in the West Bank and Gaza but also within Israel. As a Christian Palestinian born and raised in Israel,
...Read MoreA Reflection on Kenneth Roth & Harvard
By Sarah Sturm
Last week the news broke that Kenneth Roth, the former head of Human Rights Watch, was denied a fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School. Dean Douglas Elmendorf refused to approve the fellowship because of the alleged “anti-Israel bias” Human Rights Watch has in their reports.
While this might seem like an ivory tower issue to some,
...Read MoreBreakfast with Issa
By Greg Khalil
Telos President and Co-Founder
Almost every day someone will ask me why I bother “wasting” my life on a “hopeless” issue. “Those people [Israelis and Palestinians] have been fighting for thousands of years and they’ll be fighting until the end of days,” the exchange begins.
...Read MoreBiden and the Real World
Todd Deatherage Executive Director
By now, we’ve all seen the Biden-MBS fist bump, a simple gesture of realpolitik, a Covid-era way of saying that “while human dignity may be important, we have real issues to sort out, interests to pursue.” You don’t have to be a purist in believing there should be some coherent connection between U.S.
...Read MoreTent of Nations Attacked: What You Can Do
Every Telos trip to Israel/Palestine has spent time at Tent of Nations, the remarkable sustainable farm in western Bethlehem that organizes under the banner “We Refuse to Be Enemies.” As you may have heard, Daoud and Daher Nassar were brutally attacked last week and hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
Details are still emerging about the nature of the attack and the motivation behind it.
...Read MoreBeyond the ceasefire: Our next steps
We’re relieved that the Israel–Hamas ceasefire seems to be holding.
But now’s the time for us to tune in, not turn away.
As we move beyond the ceasefire, we invite you to consider these 3 Lessons, and to take these 3 Actions.
We cannot bring back the lives lost or erase the deep traumas suffered.
...Read More