ACTION ALERT: Tell Congress to Protect Palestinian Lives
Illegal Israeli settlements continue to expand across the West Bank, violating international law and our values as people of faith. We need immediate U.S. pressure on Israel to stop approving settlements and demand accountability for settler violence against Palestinians.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli settlements in the West Bank have expanded, and settler violence in the West Bank has only increased. This campaign of violent exclusion has only escalated with time, emboldened by the Israeli government’s material support for settler expansion.
The last six months have seen this violence against Palestinians reach new heights. An average of three Palestinians have been injured each day in settler attacks so far in 2026.
In Beit Sahour, a new Israeli settlement will further isolate Palestinian residents, restrict access to their land and threaten the town’s long-standing Christian community. Settlements like these in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law.
The Israeli government refuses to block settlements or prosecute violence against Palestinians. Settlers have threatened, harassed and attacked Palestinians on land they want to settle, with Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers also participating in much of this violence.
More than 4,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes since 2023, with tens of thousands more facing restrictions on development and infrastructure because of settlement expansion.
Similar settlement projects in other major Palestinian areas like East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Hebron have divided neighborhoods into a maze of security checkpoints and walls.
What the Church Says
The United Methodist Church Book of Resolutions states, “The continuing confiscation of Palestinian land for construction of settlements and the building of a separation wall on Palestinian lands violates human rights, subverts the peace process, destroys the hope of both Israelis and Palestinians who are working for and longing for peace, and fosters a sense of desperation that can only lead to further violence” (2020/2024 Book of Resolutions #4108: Opposition to Israeli Settlements in Palestinian Land).
As Christians, we follow the word of the prophet Isaiah who cautioned against coveting the lands and homes of one’s neighbors: “Doom to those who acquire house after house, who annex field to field until there is no more space left and only you live alone in the land” (Isaiah 5:8).
Take Action
Take action today by contacting your senators and representatives. Ask them to press the State Department to protect Palestinians of all faiths in the West Bank.
