UMs Holy Land Task Force

United Methodists' Holy Land Task Force is a task force of the California-Pacific Conference of The United Methodist Church, and a member of the Cal-Pac Justice and Compassion Essential Ministries Team (JCEMT).

UMHLTF is a member organization in US Campaign for Palestinian Rights.

Our Vision: United Methodists' Holy Land Task Force envisions the day when Palestine and Israel will become a land that reflects the highest ideals of the three Abrahamic faiths, a place where Muslims, Jews, and Christians achieve reconciliation and live side by side in security and freedom, an example for the world of peaceful coexistence grounded in justice and compassion. Read our Mission Statement. Our task force focuses on education about the history and current facts on the ground in the Holy Land, in order to mobilize United Methodists to join in effective action for a just peace.

We are part of a denomination-wide movement, United Methodists for Kairos Response. UMKR is an international peace movement in our church, responding to the urgent call from Palestinian Christians - in "Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth" - for effective action to help end the Israeli occupation and support a just peace in Israel/Palestine. See UMKR advocacy at kairosresponse.org

Sign up for news!

Get news, action and resources, especially useful for laity & clergy in the California-Pacific conference. Once a month, no spam and we never share your information with others!

Click to Subscribe

The Essentials

Begin learning - or learn more - about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, see the menu under "Background." Here are a few featured items we recommend to help you get started.

Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth
Also known as the "Kairos Palestine Document," this is the Palestinian Christians' profound statement of faith and urgent call to action for the global church. It has generated responding movements in over 20 countries. See key excerpts and the full document: Read it »

Introduction to the Israeli Occupation
A resource from UMHLTF, four pages that introduce the Kairos Palestine message, a very brief history and some of the current realities of the Israeli occupation. View, download in color

MERIP Primer
Get a good basic overview of the history of the conflict and the issues today. Read an eleven-page history from the Middle East Research & Information Project (MERIP)
read it »

Occupation 101
Rather than reading you can watch an excellent video that will introduce you to the history and current issues in Palestine/Israel: "Occupation 101, Voices of the Silenced Majority." There is no other movie like it. Still the best 90 minutes you could spend to find out what is happening today and the history behind it.
Watch Occupation 101 online in High Definition >
Read about it and order the dvd »

Why are Israeli Settlements such an important issue?
Watch a very helpful short video from the Presbyterian Church: click here

Steadfast Hope Church Course
An excellent resource for study groups in any denomination, from the Presbyterian Church USA. Use the Steadfast Hope videos and booklet at your church. Learn more, watch videos, order the booklet »

Opportunities

Ways to take action for a just peace in the Holy Land: action alerts you can support and priority campaigns from UMHLTF and our partners.

Bring an understanding of current events in the Holy Land to your congregation

Our task force can help you plan an event or a class, select a great movie for a screening and discussion, find a knowledgeable speaker, get materials you need and much more. Email us, we would love to hear from you! info@umhltf.org

Plan your own Holy Land event or class using our guides and resources Learn more

The time is always right to

do what is right.

Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Justice Campaigns

No Way To Treat A Child
This campaign seeks to challenge Israel's prolonged military occupation of Palestinians by exposing widespread and systemic ill-treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system. It is a project of Defense for Children International-Palestine and American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).
Learn more about this campaign

The HP Boycott
A global campaign for justice in Israel/Palestine that addresses the many ways that HP technology, services and products are essential elements of the Israeli occupation and calls for HP to end their involvement in the occupation regime. UMKR is part of the international coalition leading this campaign. Learn more about the HP boycott

Our Partners

United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR) is an international peace movement in the UMC, responding to the urgent call from Palestinian Christians (in Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth) for effective action supporting a just peace in Israel/Palestine. Read their news »

Palestine Portal is a website that focuses on the church-based movement for a just peace in the Holy Land. See the latest news, events and more on their home page.

US Campaign for Palestinian Rights is a coalition of over 300 organizations including two General Boards of the UMC, Jewish Voice for Peace, UMKR, our own task force, and many other faith and secular groups across the US. read their press releases »
see their major campaigns »

Jewish Voice for Peace is a leading grassroots organization in the US that many United Methodists are working with, including our task force. Read their press releases »

Noteworthy

An American Rabbi speaks out on Israel-Palestine, support for boycotts and divestment and more! Read an excerpt of his book »

Apartheid today?
The South African government funded an investigation by an international team of legal analysts. Their report provides a vivid look at what the 48-year-old Israeli occupation has become. read the summary from ICAHD-USA »

Why Divestment? And Why Now?
by David Wildman of the UMC General Board of Global Ministries. From 2006 and every part of it is as relevant today. The history of divestment advocacy, the moral imperative for churches to participate - and the top ten arguments against it! read it »

Letters and Statements of Support for Divestment
See what many Israelis and Americans in the Jewish community had to say when Berkeley students advocated for divestment read it »

More support for United Methodist divestment efforts read it »

Archbishop Desmond Tutu's op-ed on the same subject read it »

UMHLTF Supports the Letter to Congress
from Fifteen Christian Leaders

October 2012 – Fifteen leaders of Christian churches and organizations - including Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, President of the UMC Council of Bishops - have sent a ground-breaking letter to the US Congress, questioning the wisdom and legality of unconditional US military aid to Israel. They are asking for Congressional hearings, to investigate if that aid is being used in ways that violate US laws and policies, such as human rights violations against the Palestinian people.

       Responses to this courageous peacemaking action have been heard around the world: over 30,000 signed letters of support and thanks to these leaders.
The Letter of Support and Thanks »

- Read many powerful responses - both pro and con - to the 15 Leaders' Letter to Congress, including the article "Interfaith bullying" by Mark Braverman, Program Director of Kairos USA

- Read the letter from thirteen churches and organizations RESPONDING to those Jewish groups who recently cancelled interfaith dialogue sessions with their Christian colleagues, because of the Letter to Congress.

- Read the statement from Bishop Rosemarie Wenner, regarding objections to her co-signing the Letter to Congress.   Clarifies that the letter to Congress reflects long-held positions of the United Methodist Church.

- INTERFAITH PRESS CONFERENCE ON CAPITOL HILL AT THE METHODIST BUILDING:
"30,000 Signatures Gathered In Support of Churches’ Call to Investigate Unconditional Military Support of Israel"
Read the press release »

Main Navigation