Easter Appeal

Easter Appeal 2025

Läs pdf – Klicka här!

A Turning Point to Protect Christianity in Palestine
An Urgent Call for Unity and Action

Christ is Risen!
Let Justice and Hope Rise with Him!

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark…”
John 20:1a

It is a dark moment for Palestinians. As we approach Easter, a time of renewal and resurrection, we Palestinian Christians stand at a crossroad—one that will determine whether our presence in the land where Christ was born, crucified, and resurrected will endure or fade into history. The threats facing us and all Palestinians—land confiscation, forced displacement, physical assaults and violent arrests, targeted killings, movement restrictions, economic strangulation, and political marginalization—have reached a critical point.

Still, we are told that while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away. We call you now—Christians and people of all faiths and good will—to help us roll away the stone of ethnic cleansing and genocide that, without strong and united vision and actions, could mark the beginning of the end for Christianity in the Holy Land. We cannot and should not allow this to happen.

Gratefully, this year all Christian denominations in Palestine will celebrate Easter together. This rare moment of unity in celebrating Easter must not be symbolic alone; it must become a turning point in our collective struggle to safeguard the Christian presence in historic Palestine.

For centuries, Palestinian Christians have been the living stones and the guardians of Christian faith in the Holy Land. Yet today, our communities are shrinking under cruel and relentless Israeli policies and practices aimed at erasing our presence. The expansion of settlements in Bethlehem, the attacks on Armenian Christian properties in Jerusalem, the takeover of Greek Orthodox Patriarchate land in Palestine and the broader annexation plans threaten to push Palestinian Christians out of their homeland.

Christians in Gaza, along with their Muslim neighbors, continue to face immense suffering during this genocidal war, enduring killings, maiming, and the destruction of their homes, while even their places of worship, like the historic Church of Saint Porphyrius, have been shelled and partly destroyed. Moreover, the destruction of civil infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, including the devastating attack on the Baptist Hospital, has all made life unbearable. The number of our brothers and sisters has dwindled to such an extent that the future of Christianity in Gaza is now in grave peril, raising fears that the community may soon disappear entirely.
At the same time, rightwing Christians and global Christian Zionist movements are enabling these policies by supporting Israel’s violations against Palestinian rights. Over 3,000 American Christian Zionist pastors have called on U.S. President Donald Trump to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, disregarding the suffering of all Palestinians and fueling our displacement. The church in the West, especially in the U.S., must expose and challenge this unholy alliance between faith and settler colonial occupation.

We do not exaggerate when we say: If we do not act now—locally, nationally, regionally and internationally—this could be one of the last Easter celebrations with a significant Christian presence in Palestine.

But on that first Easter morning, the stone was rolled away. Easter is a message of hope, victory over death, and the triumph of justice. This is our Gospel, the Good News: No oppressive power can silence the truth forever.

We call upon all Palestinian Christians, all Palestinians—Christian and Muslim alike—and our global allies to make this Easter a turning point:
To Local Churches in Palestine
Let this Easter be the moment where Christian unity translates into collective resistance. Our churches must stand together in defending our land, our people, and our future. We must support one another to prevent further emigration and ensure that our children and grandchildren can continue to celebrate Easter in the land of resurrection.

To Palestinian Political Leadership
Christianity in Palestine should be a national concern, not a sectarian issue. Protecting Christian presence is protecting Palestine itself. This Easter, Palestinian political leaders must reaffirm their commitment to national unity among all components of the Palestinian society, fully integrating them into the national struggle and securing their rights.

To the Palestinian Public
Palestinian Christians are an inseparable part of the Palestinian people. Our struggle is the national struggle. This Easter, let us commit to reinforcing our unity, ensuring that no Palestinian—Christian or Muslim—feels abandoned in the face of occupation, apartheid and displacement.

To Global Churches and Christian Organizations
This Easter, you will celebrate the resurrection of Christ. But how can you truly rejoice if Christianity is dying in the very land of the resurrection? We urge you to take a clear stand: reject racist theology; challenge Christian Zionism; denounce Israeli policies and practices that oppress Palestinians, including Palestinian Christians; insist on the enforcement of international laws and conventions on human rights; demand accountability for war criminals; and commit to concrete actions to protect Palestinian churches’ properties and communities.

To Churches in the United States
In word and deed, challenge the U.S. administration which provides weapons, intelligence, diplomatic cover and increasing support for the notion of forced displacement of Palestinians as Israel continues to kill Palestinians, and to support ideas of forcible transfer.

To Global Political Leadership
The erasure of Palestinian Christians from the Holy Land is not just a religious crisis. It is a matter of political justice. We demand that governments stop enabling Israel’s violations of international law, hold Israel accountable, and ensure that Israel’s racist policies against Palestinians stop. The right of Palestinians to self-determination must be respected.

To the Vatican, the World Council of Churches (WCC), and Other Global and regional Ecumenical Bodies
This Easter must be a season of prophetic leadership. The Vatican, the WCC, and all Christian institutions must move beyond statements into action. Pressure must be exerted on Israel to stop its violations, to end its settler colonial occupation, to end its apartheid regime. Serious efforts must be made to preserve Palestinian Christian communities.

A word of gratitude to the many churches, faith-related institutions and secular organizations that have stood up and spoken out. We know of and are strengthened by your demonstrations, protests, contacts with elected officials and other efforts of advocacy and solidarity.
We all face, today, a way that is blocked and a future that promises only woe. Our word to all our Christian brothers and sisters is a word of hope, patience, steadfastness and new action for a better future. Our word is that we, as Christians we carry a message, and we will continue to carry it despite the thorns, despite blood and daily difficulties. We place our hope in God, who will grant us relief in His own time. At the same time, we continue to act in concord with God and God’s will, building, resisting evil and bringing closer the day of justice and peace. Kairos Palestine document, § 5.1

Easter is not only about Christ’s victory over death. It is about the triumph of truth over oppression, of justice over injustice. Let us ensure that this Easter is not one of mourning but of mobilization. Let it be the moment when Palestinian Christians and Muslims, together with our global allies, declare that we will not allow our history, our faith, and our land to be stolen from us.
This Easter, let us commit to ensuring that it is not the last
Easter with a vibrant Palestinian Christian presence.

Christ is Risen! Palestine Will Rise!

A Prayer for Maundy Thursday

Please pray with us. [One/All]
God, we bring you our praise and our petitions, trusting still in the darkness and in our despair that you bring new life out of the old—in this life and the next.
Lord…
…hear our prayer

We celebrate the life, the words and deeds, the death and the resurrection of your Son, Our Savior Jesus, through whom you reveal yourself—your steadfast love, your will for us and for the world.
Lord…
…hear our prayer.

Ever-Present God, we depend upon your Holy Spirit, who reminds and teaches and comforts, who stirs in us the gifts of faith, hope and love, and nurtures in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Lord…
…hear our prayer.

Give us the mind of Christ, God, who on the eve of his crucifixion, knowing that he had come from you and was returning to you, knelt to serve, the redeeming example for us all.
Lord…
…hear our prayer.

Grant your Church, O God, the strength, the courage and the will to do justice, to embrace
mercy and to walk humbly with you and our neighbors.
Lord…
…hear our prayer.

God of Righteousness and Justice, we pray for those in power that you will turn their hearts and minds toward the hopes and needs of their people, that in ever increasing ways your kingdom will come on earth as it is in heaven.
Lord…
…hear our prayer.

For the people of Palestine, for our siblings in the faith and their neighbors—Muslims and Jews alike—we pray for an end to the oppression, for the will to seek a just peace, and for a path of reconciliation through which all peoples of the Holy Land can live as equals.
Lord…
…hear our prayer.

A Prayer for Good Friday
Fr. Dr. Fadi Diab
Rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ramallah
and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Birzeit

Heavenly Father,
On this sacred Friday, as we remember the agony and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we reflect on His willingness to suffer and give His life for the salvation of the world. In the face of oppressive and hegemonic powers, He remained faithful to Your vision, proclaiming a kingdom of truth, peace, freedom, and justice.

Loving Father, as we witness the agony of the Palestinian people, may they feel Your solidarity. May the power of Your Cross bring healing to the wounded, comfort to the grieving, peace to the troubled, and security to the vulnerable. Grant us the courage to carry our cross and resist the temptation to conform to injustice. Lead us on a path of humility and sacrificial love, embodying His love and mercy.

Help us to stand firm against the oppressive powers that exploit the weak and the poor. Inspire us to speak out for those whose voices are silenced, and to be a source of strength and hope for those who are suffering.
We ask for Your guidance and strength to walk in the footsteps of Christ, living out His love and justice in a world in need of healing.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Prayer for Holy Saturday
Archbishop Atallah Hanna
Archbishop of Sebastia, Greek Orthodox Church

We lift our prayers before the Holy Sepulcher on this glorious Feast of the Resurrection, asking that the divine light shining from the Tomb of Salvation may enlighten the minds and consciences of the rulers and mighty ones of this world so that they may become more just, fair, and supportive of the oppressed, the suffering, and the afflicted.
Our world today is in dire need of political leaders who embody noble human, moral, and spiritual values. The presence of such leaders could lead to an end to wars and the realization of justice in Palestine, the Holy Land, so that our Palestinian people may finally have our long-awaited freedom. Yet, our prayers and pleas in these days remain focused on the urgent plea to stop the genocide in Gaza—a tragedy caused by human hands where, to our deep sorrow, innocent people are being killed in cold blood without any moral or human restraint.
On this glorious Feast of the Resurrection, as on every day and in every hour, we ask God to have mercy on our oppressed people, whose only fault is their desire to live in freedom and peace in this sacred land.
As Christians, we are the children of the One who triumphed over death, who did not remain hanging on the cross but rose victorious on the third day after His burial. We pray that this world may also rise above death by embracing the values and message of the glorious Resurrection, a message that we hope will reach every corner of the earth.
We wholeheartedly pray for an end to this war. But stopping the war requires leaders in this world who speak the truth and possess the courage and integrity to uphold righteous and just humanitarian positions.
Lord, on the day of Your Resurrection, we implore You to transform this world, where we increasingly witness cruelty and injustice in so many places. As many rulers and mighty figures continue to ignore the oppression faced by our Palestinian people.
O Lord, grant us peace and justice. Be a support to our oppressed people, and grant them the freedom, dignity, and peace they long for. Be a source of comfort to the grieving, the suffering, and the sorrowful in Gaza and throughout all of Palestine—for they are many.
On the Feast of Your Resurrection, we ask for peace for the land of birth, incarnation, redemption, and resurrection. Our land has been sanctified by Your presence in this world and in this sacred part of the universe. Yet, this land thirsts for justice and peace. You are the God of peace, mercy, and compassion. Grant us Your peace. Make the future of the children of this land brighter, for You are the defender of the weak, the suffering, and the afflicted.
Christ is risen! Indeed, he is risen!
We pray that this Resurrection may be a new resurrection for our land and for our oppressed people.
Lord, have mercy.

A Prayer for Easter Sunday
On the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of the Lord
Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah

Christ is risen! Indeed, he is risen!

You accepted death, O Lord, to grant us life.
Here in our land, You redeemed the world
and reconciled us to yourself.
Here, You made all people one community.

But this land which You, O Lord, have sanctified,
has become a land of sin, a land of war, and a land of blood.
Here, You gave Your life for us all so that we have life,
yet the people and the rulers of this world,
near and far, impose death upon us.
Here, homes are destroyed,
people are driven out of their houses, are left homeless…
And yet some of the powerful oppressors claim
to believe in You, O Lord.
But in Your name, they kill, destroy, and commit evil.

O Lord, they seek to drive us out of our homes,
our fields, our vineyards, and our olive groves.
O God, to You we turn!
You are the Savior of the oppressed who cry out to You.

O Jesus Christ, risen in glory from the dead,
our land is the land of Your glorious resurrection,
the land of the new humanity,
the land of reconciliation between human beings and God.
Here, You conquered death!

O Lord, renew our land and all its people.
O Jesus, risen in glory, reveal Your glory
in our land today and upon all its inhabitants.
Send forth Your Spirit
and renew our hearts
and the face of our land. Amen.

Christ is risen! Indeed, he is risen!

Come and see!

In this spirit of unity and commitment, Kairos Palestine and all Christians in Palestine extend an open invitation to all churches, Christian institutions and Christians worldwide to show your solidarity with the Palestinian Christians by visiting Palestine and expressing your solidarity with all Palestinians struggling to remain steadfast on their land. Being with Christians, churches and Christian organizations sends a clear message: we do not condone Israel’s policies and practices of oppression, land theft, ethnic cleansing and genocide. This gathering is also a chance for Israelis to recognize that their future cannot be built on occupation and hegemony, but on reconciliation based on justice.

Furthermore, we invite churches and Christian institutions worldwide to attend the Kairos Palestine International Conference this November 10th-15th as a powerful act of solidarity with the oppressed Christian community. The conference will include solidarity trips to various cities including a day in Jerusalem hosted by Sabeel Center. In these critical times, your presence will not only amplify the voices of Palestinian Christians facing existential threats but also reaffirm the global Church’s commitment to justice, peace, and the preservation of Christianity in the land of its birth.

“This is a call for decisive action on a matter that we believe relates to the integrity of our Christian faith.” Cry for Hope: a Call to Decisive Action

Kairos Palestine urges you, please do the following:
Distribute this appeal in your churches on Palm Sunday or Easter to educate your community about the situation of your Palestinian brothers and sisters living under Israeli apartheid and occupation.
Share this appeal with congregations and dioceses across your country.
Send letters of solidarity and support for justice in Palestine to the Israeli embassies in your own country. See https://www.allembassies.com/israeli_embassies.htm.
“Come and see.” We will fulfill our role to make it known to you the truth of our reality, receiving you as pilgrims—sisters and brothers–coming to us to pray, carrying a message of peace, love and reconciliation. Thus, you will know the facts and the people of this land, Palestinians and Israelis alike.
Take tangible actions. Support Palestinian rights by supporting Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with International Law and UN resolutions. Support the right of corporations, states and nations to boycott Israel as an expression of the freedom of speech.
Expand community-led advocacy work that intensifies public pressure toward Israel’s accountability to international law. Churches, church-related organizations and civil society, particularly human rights organizations and legal experts, please continue efforts toward investigating and prosecuting Israeli perpetrators of international crimes and other complicit individuals/institutions. Promote the application of universal legal principles and best practices to foster robust mechanisms that will bring Israel into compliance with international law.
Promote accountability of Israelis suspected of international crimes in domestic courts. State parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention have a legal obligation to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of war crimes in the territory under their jurisdiction.
Inform us please about the ways you have been involved with this Easter Appeal by writing us at this email address: kairos@kairospalestine.ps. Contact us for any other reason, too. Our strength and courage are emboldened by our contacts with you.