In perspective... the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms..

A gold cup at the National Museum of Iran, from the first half of the 1st millennium BC

 

1776 Declaration of Independence USA National Archives

 

Cedar Tree of Lebanon

1920 With the end of World War I and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Allies give France a mandate over Greater Syria... France divides Greater Syria into Syria and Lebanon 

1948 End of the Nazi Holocaust & the emergence of The United Nations, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international law...

United Nations 

Preamble

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms... READ MORE https://www.unonline.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights.html

 

 Golden Rule Thinking 

 FREEDOM OF & FROM RELIGION

 

Jesus Christ in Palestine AD 28-29 ancient mosaic from Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire

Palestine - A crossroads for religion, culture, commerce, and politics, Palestine was among the earliest regions to see human habitation, agricultural communities and civilization.

Iran 559 BC 

America 1776 AD

Lebanon 1920 AD

Israel 1948 AD

Hezboullah 1982 AD

"Church leaders argue that invoking Christian identity while directing military actions that have killed thousands amounted to a political use of the faith, reducing Christianity to a public‑relations tool rather than a moral framework. It is this stark contrast between rhetoric and lived reality that fueled widespread anger among Christian leaders in Jerusalem and beyond."

International Middle East Media Center IMEMC Editorial Remark: Netanyahu’s statement that “Jesus was a Jew, and Christianity is part of our heritage” was framed as an outreach message to Western Christian audiences, yet it was received by Palestinian Christians as deeply provocative.

The concern was not the historical accuracy of the phrase itself, but the context in which it was delivered—during a devastating war in Gaza and amid ongoing Israeli policies that continue to harm Palestinian Christian and Muslim communities.

Church leaders argue that invoking Christian identity while directing military actions that have killed thousands amounted to a political use of the faith, reducing Christianity to a public‑relations tool rather than a moral framework.

It is this stark contrast between rhetoric and lived reality that fueled widespread anger among Christian leaders in Jerusalem and beyond. 

Jerusalem Archbishop Rebukes Netanyahu’s Statements on Christianity

Archbishop Atallah Hanna, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia, Jerusalem; March 21, 2026:  

They want a Jesus shaped by their own agendas and desires, while Jesus Christ came into this world to spread love, compassion, and fraternity among human beings.

Netanyahu’s offensive remarks about Christianity have angered Christians everywhere, as well as every reasonable and wise person in this region and across the world.

His statements are insulting and wholly unacceptable, yet they are not surprising. They stem from a Zionist ideology that excludes and marginalizes anyone who is not Jewish, viewing followers of other faiths as lesser beings.

Netanyahu is a product of this racist school of thought. But what concerns us most is not only what he says, but what his government continues to do to our Palestinian people, who are targeted in every aspect of their lives.

At the very moment he insults Christianity and Christians everywhere, he persists in his aggressive policies against our people.

The genocidal war in Gaza stands as the clearest testimony to the crimes committed against a people who seek nothing more than to live freely and with dignity in their homeland and on their sacred soil.

This Zionist current to which Netanyahu belongs seeks a Jesus of a different kind—one molded to their whims and political needs.

They want a Jesus who tells the killer to remain a killer, the criminal to remain a criminal, and the butcher to continue his brutality.

Jesus Christ came into this world to correct false concepts, including some recorded in the Old Testament. He came to straighten what had gone crooked, and to call every human being to live with integrity, mercy, and humanity.... READ MORE https://imemc.org/article/jerusalem-archbishop-rebukes-netanyahus-statements-on-christianity/

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"There is a reason Jesus spoke Aramaic rather than Sacred Hebrew. Hebrew was the language of the Temple and of the High Priest; it carried prestige and authority. Greek was the language of administration and of the empire. But He chose to speak Aramaic, the language of ordinary men." Camila Rocha

 

Camila Rocha

 

@Camila_Rocha

 

There is a reason Jesus spoke Aramaic rather than Sacred Hebrew. Hebrew was the language of the Temple and of the High Priest; it carried prestige and authority. Greek was the language of administration and of the empire. But He chose to speak Aramaic, the language of ordinary men.

 

The Jews expected an earthly king from the High Priest’s line. Jesus was from the line of David, a Judahite, not from the line of the High Priest. But God had reserved a most humble and generous coming for His Son.

 

Jesus was born a Nazarene, born in a manger. He also spoke the low vernacular, because He came for all, for the just and for the poor. And the measure of someone’s value was not in status or in what he possessed, but in what his heart carried: love for the Most High.

 

That is the essence of God’s most beloved souls: poor in spirit, independent of whatever their status might be.

 

For before Him all stand as children, and God alone is the true Father.

 

https://x.com/Camila_Rocha/status/2032967019461808306

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This Christmas remember Palestine- Madonna and Child featuring the Palestinian flag and star of Bethlehem- painted by Irish artist and human rights activist Freda Hughes

 Madonna and Child featuring the Palestinian flag and star of Bethlehem- painted by Irish artist and human rights activist Freda Hughes 

Painted by a Christian girl in Gaza.

Painted by a Christian girl in Gaza.

chunguskitten

@chunguskitten

 

 https://x.com/chunguskitten/status/1999700561986298267/photo/1

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A Prayer for The Holy Land- The Most Reverend Dr Hosam E. Naoum, Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem 2025

A Prayer for the Holy Land

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: In your mercy, provide for all those in Gaza and beyond who suffer from hunger and starvation, that they may be given both physical bread to nourish their bodies and heavenly bread to sustain their souls. By the power of your Spirit, bring a speedy end to this cruel war, the release of all captives, care for the sick and wounded, comfort for those who have lost loved-ones, and the opening of a pathway for a just and lasting peace here in the very homeland where your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ministered during his earthly life; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

The Most Reverend Dr Hosam E. Naoum, Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem
August, 2025

 https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/churches-unite-prayer-peace-middle-east

A coalition of Christian charities and aid agencies, working in partnership with ecumenical church leaders, has organised a dedicated Day of Prayer for Peace on Sunday, 21 September. The initiative coincides with the UN International Day of Peace and aims to unite communities in a shared call for reconciliation and healing.

The Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun, the Lead Bishop for the Holy Land said: "In the face of all that is happening in Gaza, I appeal for the full recognition of our common humanity and for respect for the value and dignity of every human life. Christians cannot remain silent – we must speak out for the rights and freedoms of both Israelis and Palestinians and we must be diligent in prayer for the peoples of the Holy Land."

Supporting this effort, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Dr Hosam Naoum, has written a prayer, available for use in churches. It prays for an immediate end to the war, the release of all hostages, help for those suffering hunger and starvation in Gaza and beyond, and the resumption of negotiations for a just and lasting peace (full text below).

Prayer resources and other information is available on the websites of the ecumenical groups Churches Together in England and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Churches are encouraged to share their prayers with #PrayforPeace on social media channels.

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Yusuf / Cat Stevens #Peace #Gaza #Palestine #Jesus

Photo: A two-year old child in Al-Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip by Ali Jadallah

Yusuf / Cat Stevens

@YusufCatStevens

Child tormentors are damned by the tongue of Jesus (peace be upon him) Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matthew 18:2) Photo: A two-year old child in Al-Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza Strip by Ali Jadallah #Peace #Gaza #Palestine #Jesus

 

https://x.com/YusufCatStevens/status/1950812007231541345

 

It should't have got this bad to alert the world to what’s been going on #Peace #Gaza #Palestine #Children    https://x.com/YusufCatStevens/status/1949863843351458277

 

What 60,000+ people looks like - it’s mind blowing... now consider the number killed in Gaza. #Peace #Gaza #Perspective   https://x.com/YusufCatStevens/status/1946188107755253990 

 

 

DO SOMETHING 

Yusuf / Cat Stevens

@YusufCatStevens

 #Peace #Gaza #Compassion #Humanity

https://x.com/YusufCatStevens/status/1939974830192726057/photo/1

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Exclusive Part 1: After the latest Israeli settler attacks, Christians in the Holy Land ask American Catholics for help: “Soldiers are usually with the settlers. They’re protecting the settlers, and they’re not doing anything” to protect those [the Palestinians] under attack. There’s nothing we can do. It’s a peaceful village, very quiet. I have a family tree of 600 years in Taybeh. I’m not gonna leave.”

Stephen Herreid on June 30, 2025  https://catholicvote.org/exclusive-israeli-settler-attacks-christians-holy-land-ask-american-catholics-for-help/

Adobe stock

Exclusive Part 1: After the latest Israeli settler attacks, Christians in the Holy Land ask American Catholics for help

Christians in the Holy Land expressed hope and quiet defiance last week after a string of internationally reported attacks by Israeli settlers, one of which left three Palestinians dead.

One of the villages reportedly attacked was Taybeh, about 10 miles north of Jerusalem. Taybeh is “100% Christian,” Nadim Khoury told CatholicVote via phone on Friday. A resident of Taybeh, Khoury is the founder of Taybeh Brewery, colloquially known as Taybeh Beer.

This week’s attack in his town was far from an isolated incident, according to Khoury. He fluently listed from memory a number of similar instances of violence and intimidation against local Christians by alleged Israeli settlers. 

“Last month, they went inside 14 homes and they broke the doors while people were sleeping,” he said. “Last harvest … they didn’t allow the people to go into their groves to harvest their olive oil.” Last week, he went on, settlers brought sheep to graze on the crops of hardworking locals, ruining their business. They “ate all the wheat and barley that the farmers were growing on the mountains of Taybeh,” Khoury said. 

Wednesday night, he went on, they broke into people’s homes to “kick them out,” and when the residents resisted, the attackers “burned the homes.”

Footage of some of the violence was widespread on social media this week.

Asked about Israeli soldiers arriving to police the violence, Khoury expressed a sentiment that several other local Christians who spoke with CatholicVote also volunteered: “Soldiers are usually with the settlers.” 

“They’re protecting the settlers, and they’re not doing anything” to protect those under attack, he explained. “There’s nothing we can do. It’s a peaceful village, very quiet. I have a family tree of 600 years in Taybeh. I’m not gonna leave.”

Asked what his hopes are for the future, Khoury answered simply: “Nothing is left for us except hopes. We pray so hard for peace and prosperity in this area. We have deep roots in this area. We cannot give it up. We must keep fighting for it.” 

Khoury’s friend and pastor, Father Bashar Fawadleh, spoke along similar lines. In a phone call with CatholicVote Friday, Father Fawadleh expanded on his parishioner’s allusion to settlers aiming to get locals to leave their hometowns.

The priest said he knew of “more than 140 families” who have left their cities in the West Bank. “In Taybeh we are also bleeding from emigration,” he said, with 10 families having left since October 7, 2023. 

“We have to stop this bleeding,” he said, and asked that CatholicVote spread the word to American Catholics that “we need support.”  What is needed, he said, is the creation of good jobs, and — ultimately — a peaceful end to the violence and intimidation.

Father Fawadleh expressed gratitude to American Catholics who stand in solidarity with the Christians of the Holy Land. But the hope he encourages in his flock, he said, “is very deep for our side – because it’s built on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the now-empty tomb in Jerusalem.”

“We are still awaiting the third day,” he went on, “to have the new life, to have liberty and freedom for our society, our country, and our population. And we hope that one day we have justice, and from justice we can have the fruit of justice, [which] is peace.”

The pastor is confident, however, that Christians are not alone in that hope. 

“That is the dream that we are all dreaming here in the Holy Land,” he said, both “the Jews and the Palestinians. We are all dreaming that we can live together without any problems, without any occupation, without any killing, so that we can all live together in this very important and very holy place — the homeland of Jesus.”....   READ MORE    https://catholicvote.org/exclusive-israeli-settler-attacks-christians-holy-land-ask-american-catholics-for-help/

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