On June 25, 2006 Hamas captured the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in a cross border raid. The story of Shalit is a sad one. It reflects the tragedy of an Israeli family, the helplessness of individuals, the enmity between two nations, and the violence that dominates over our region. It also points out that prisoners might lose their basic human rights such as seeing their beloved ones. As a Palestinian Christian who is not for any form of violence whether it is state violence or terrorism, I wonder about God’s message to Gilad Shalit!

Yohanna Katanacho, Special For Come and See

Pontifical Mission director says number of faithful in the region has stabilized and may even be increasing.
Those that stay have a lot of pride in being Christians in the holy land

by DAVID KERR (EWTN NEWS)

"We are deeply troubled by your recent comments regarding the situation of Christians in the Middle East. You have managed, diplomatically –instead of being prophetic, as one would expect you to be, not to mention the Israeli occupation, the separation wall, Israel confiscation of Palestinian land, its policies that violate freedom of movement and worship in Palestine".

"We are no longer expecting support from Church leaders around the world. Our Hope, Faith and Love come from elsewhere"


Rifat Odeh Kassis, Kairos Palestine Coordinator, PNN, June 20, 2011,

“With Rabin I went to the theater in Haifa and we sat side by side,” Mansour said. During the break, they would run outside and share cigarettes and conversation, he added.


From:Neon Tommy University of Southern California,15th June 2011

He spoke of his hope for the emergence of democracy following the unrest of the last half year, saying that a participatory democracy would be in the interest of minorities because “good democracies look after minorities”.

Christian Today, June 16, 2011

Much ‘blood has been spilled’ over the outcry of the “all the [Israeli Jewish] people” to Pontius Pilate washing his hands wishing to be “innocent of the blood of this just man”: “His blood be on us and on our children!” (Mt 27:24-25)

Howard Bass, Special for Come and See

The Secretariat General of the Ecumenical Committee for Christian Education in Palestine decided to apply the Kairos – Palestine document in both the 9th and 10th grades, during its meeting held at the Dar El Kalimah School in Bethlehem.

From abouna.org

''Christian Presence in the Holy Land ''is a comprehensive, well documented book depicting the various features of Christian life in the Holy Land- past history, present circumstances and future prospects, Written by an authority in Christian affairs with a long record of over forty years of service as chairman of elected Orthodox communal councils in Israel, it is perhaps one of the few authentic records on the subject published by a native Palestinian Christian.

Special for Come and See

Yossi Sarid, ex-leader of the left wing Israeli party MERETZ who served as minister of education in the Israeli government mourns the Jewish Pentecost feast Shavuot the holiday he once "loved above all others for its graciousness and compassion" . Sarid wonders how the right wing leaders have hijacked even this feast in the name of the Torah and wonders how the Torah handed down at Sinai authorized us to dispossess, deport and seal houses; and why a Hebron market street stands empty.

Haaretz 7th June 2011