by Tarek Abuata
“Ahlan wa Sahlan! Welcome back!” The words rang sweetly in the ears of CPT-Palestine team members who returned in May to launch a restructured project in al-Khalil (Hebron) after eight months of suspended work. (Al-Khalil, the Arabic word for the city, is an alternate name for Father Ibrahim.)
During a period of research and refocusing, CPT received strong affirmations and invitations to re-establish an international presence in al-Khalil, where Israeli settlers occupy the heart of the city.
The revised mission of the CPT-Palestine team (al-Khalil and at-Tuwani) reads: “We are a faith-based organization that supports Palestinian-led, nonviolent, grassroots resistance to the Israeli occupation and the unjust structures that uphold it. By getting in the way of violence and educating in our home communities, we help create a space for justice and peace.”
Inshallah (God willing), with your backing and the Palestinian community’s guidance, we will continue to support local nonviolent efforts for change in Palestine/Israel.
![A painting on the separation wall that reads "Make [heart] not walls"](https://cpt.org/wp-content/uploads/231128-CPT-intl-poem-768x512.jpg)