RECOMMENDED PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

WORKING FOR PEACE WITH JUSTICE IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

The organizations listed below are recommended by the ELCA Consultative Panel on Lutheran-Jewish Relations as sharing the goals of this church for peace with justice in the Holy Land. They are independent organizations with no formal affiliation to the ELCA. The list is provided for the information and consideration of ELCA members, congregations, pastors, and agencies in conjunction with the April 2005 document, “Divestment or Constructive Investment? Alternative Approaches to the Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”

Rabbis for Human Rights is an Israeli organization that advocates on behalf of human rights from a religious perspective. Founded by a group of 15 rabbis – Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform – it has since grown in both membership and prominence. It received an award from the Speaker of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) for its work in advocating human rights, nurturing interfaith understanding and supporting the peace process. Its primary focus has been the violation of the human rights of West Bank Palestinians and Israeli Arabs.

Website: www.rhr.israel.net

Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHR) joins health professionals from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza who work against abuses of human and medical rights. Its activities include protecting the right of individuals to receive medical care in Israel when services in Palestinian Authority areas are unavailable; coordinating free diagnostic and therapeutic services at clinics operated by PHR members; securing entry permits from Israeli authorities to ensure freedom of movement for Palestinian patients and medical professionals, and defending the medical rights of detainees and prisoners.

Website: www.phrusa.org/healthrights/phr_israel.html

Seeds of Peace, founded in 1993 by an American author and journalist, brings Arab and Israeli teenagers together at a summer camp in Maine for a month-long program that combines sports and arts activities with daily conflict-resolution sessions led by professional American, Arab and Israeli facilitators. The project aims to reach young people before their fear, mistrust, and prejudices have permanently shaped their vision of the "enemy." The Seeds of Peace Center for Coexistence in Jerusalem offers year-round activities for alumni of the program to sustain their friendships and commitment to coexistence, as well as reaching out to many other Israeli and Palestinian young people.

Website: www.seedsofpeace.org

International Center of Bethlehem. This is a Lutheran-based, ecumenically-oriented institution serving the Palestinian community, with an emphasis on children, youth, and women. Through empowering local leaders, developing human resources, cultivating artistic talents, and facilitating intercultural encounters, the ICB promotes the building of Palestinian civil society. Its Addar Cultural & Conference Center is the site of numerous performances, conferences, and consultations. Also connected with the ICB is an alternative school for grades K-12 and a college-level academy.

Website: www.annadwa.org

Palestinian Center for Rapprochement between People. This community center in Beit Sahour, in addition to its service to the local community, sponsors dialogues aimed at developing mutual understanding, activating participants to work for peace and justice, educating and training for peace and reconciliation, and increasing the public role in building a just and lasting peace in the region.

Website: www.rapprochement.org

B’tselem, which takes its Hebrew name from the biblical affirmation that all people are created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27), is the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. Its maps of the “facts on the ground” have become a standard for assessing the progress toward peace and mutual dignity. Its legal team has developed cases against abuses by Israeli police and soldiers and its staff has testified in the Knesset regarding policies and procedures that impinge on the lives of Palestinians on a day to day basis.

Website: www.btselem.org

Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel. Founded in 1991, the ICCI is an umbrella organization for more than 70 institutions and grassroots religious programs that work for multicultural, interreligious understanding and co-existence. Throughout the conflict of recent years, member organizations of the ICCI have continued to engage thousands of Palestinians and Israelis, both Jews and Arabs, in working toward a peaceful multicultural society with religious diversity.