Mission Yearbook: Minute for Mission Palestinian Nakba Remembrance Day

This April 3, 2025, letter from Abuna Elias Chacour, Greek Catholic Archbishop of Galilee, was written to Douglas Dicks, Global Ecumenical Liaison, Interim Unified Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Ecumenical Associate — St. Andrew's Scots Memorial Church, Jerusalem.

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Dear Douglas Dicks,

I thank you for your visit with the other brothers and sisters that reminded me that what unites us is much more important than what separates us.

I always appreciated the position that the Presbyterian church expressed in their yearbook about the “Nakba.” Not many churches have the courage to say the truth concerning the Palestinian plight; for that we are very grateful.

For the coming 2026, may the Presbyterian church have the courage to relate what happened as a continued policy of exterminating the Palestinian people. What happens in Gaza and in the West Bank are continued atrocities, a mass murder aiming to destroy the Palestinian dream to come back home, and they would say very clearly coming back home does not mean in practice an end of Israel. What was done in 1948 was the dismantling of a nation of people who lived peacefully in their country, in their homes and on their land.

The “Nakba” was an illustration of might is right, but with that a nightmare started for the Israeli citizens; they did and are doing their utmost to destroy what remains of Palestine, to destroy in mass murder operation. Children and women besides men are hoping they would uproot the reasons of the nightmare, but the Palestinians are alive; they remember their home and villages. Not only my village, but many others showed welcome to the arrival of Jewish soldiers. They thought it would be possible to live together and to share the land that God has promised to the Palestinians, as well as to the Jews. Yes, this is what I affirm: The land of Palestine does not belong to the Jews; neither to the Palestinians; but both are sojourners on the land.

That is why the right attitude would be for both nations to say that we belong to the land. We are entrusted to live on that land; if not together, at least as neighbors. All other explanations, Zionist political explanation or Christian evangelical attitude pushed to their ultimate can become an offense to God, as well to his children, the Jews and the Palestinians.

I think the Presbyterian church adopted the behavior of prophet Alajah, who did not fear King Ahab. He blamed him for killing Nabout, the Palestinian. We do not want the curse of prophet Alajah to fall on the Jewish people; we want them to live and to tolerate the ongoing attempt to ignore the other side, who also belong to the land, but who continue suffering and persecution with deprivation of their rights to live and to survive on the same land called Palestine.

I pray to God to look upon these two nations and give them the courage of recognizing that the other nation has also right to belong and to live in Palestine. May God extend his arm and stop the unhuman atrocities in Gaza that are committed in the name of God who does not kill.

Yours Sincerely,

Abuna Elias Chacour

Greek Catholic Archbishop em. of Galilee

Let us join in prayer for:

Jessica Maudlin, Mission Associate II, Sustainable Living & Earth Care Concerns, Presbyterian Hunger Program, Interim Unified Agency
David Maxwell, VP/Geneva Press & Church Relations, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation 

Let us pray:

God of the repressed and the refugee, we ask your abundant mercy on those who have lost the security of hearth and home. Make us ever mindful of those who live with the fear of uprootedness. Be with those who suffer from being downtrodden by others. Grant them the security of the knowledge that you will never leave us nor forsake us, even when the world does. We ask your forgiveness to those who know not what they do. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.