On May 12, we arrived at Al Fakheit School where we were met by “Al Jazeera” journalists filming a documentary about the difficulty that children face in getting to school in Occupied Palestine. They told us about one school near East Jerusalem where children have to pass through a sewer pipe to reach their school. As we were describing similar difficulties faced by children in the South Hebron Hills, and the dangers of living in a live firing zone, the headmaster approached us looking crestfallen.

Checkpoints and land seizures are hurting chances of making communion.

Israeli soldiers and border police used a backhoe to uproot
200 young olive trees in the Palestinian village of Susya in
the South Hebron Hills on 23 April. 

Steadfastness in approaching
prayer is spiritual discipline, 
dignity protection and
nonviolent resistance.

Israeli soldiers in Hebron arrested a thirteen-year-old
boy from his house on 14 April.  Settlers and soldiers
physically prevented internationals from accompanying
the blindfolded child. 

God, grant that those persecuting you in your people in Palestine -- demolishing homes, cisterns and houses of prayer, and justifying the pillage by the need to practice war -- will turn from their vanity and practice love and peacemaking instead.

Settlement expansion, mass arrest of children on their way to school, torturous fear, gunfire
through the night close to home: through it all grace, love, hospitality and dreams give hope
a place to thrive.

Every Saturday, Israeli settlers come to Hebron for an Israeli military-escorted tour of the Old City. Taking a page from the settlers' book, the Palestinian Youth Independence Forum (PYIF) decided several weeks ago to organize Palestinian tours of areas in and around Hebron's Old City not often visited by those who live outside that ancient part of Hebron.

Soldiers and border police disrupted a peaceful solidarity march
in the South Hebron Hills today. The soldiers attempted to arrest
two Palestinians and arrested one international. One international
and one Palestinian were injured.

Three children under the age of 15 remain in military
custody after the 20 March arrest of 27 Palestinian
children, age seven to 15, on their way to school in
the West Bank city of Hebron.