At the heart of this campaign is a desire to see real and sustained political change. We believe this is strengthened when we collectively raise our voices together, and speak out against injustice.
Together we urge our political authorities to take concrete steps to protect the lives, rights, and dignity of Palestinians. It is in this spirit that we call on the UK Government to take the following actions to end its support for Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine:
- Ban trade with and investment in illegal settlements, and suspend the UK–Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement until Israel ends its illegal occupation and respects Palestinian human rights.
- Suspend all arm sales to Israel until it complies with international law.
- Impose sanctions on Israeli ministers and political leaders who are inciting or are responsible for severe human rights violations against Palestinians.
- Cooperate with and support the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to ensure accountability for all parties. Accountability includes prosecuting UK citizens who have committed war crimes abroad.
Take Action: Write to your Church Leader – Stop the illegal settlements in Beit Sahour
On 19 June 2026, the Mayor of Beit Sahour, Laith Hazim Qumsiyeh, issued a formal and urgent appeal to international partners regarding the imminent establishment of an illegal Israeli settlement outpost named “Shadma Yitziv” (also referred to as Yatziv).
This outpost is being rapidly constructed in the Ush Ghurab area on the eastern border of Beit Sahour—a predominantly Christian municipality located just 1 mile east of Bethlehem’s historic Church of the Nativity. This area is known as the Shepherds Fields where the angels announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds.
We are pleased to share with you this fantastic, informative video on the situation in Beit Sahour produced by Protecting Ancient Christians. Please watch and share this widely.
Campaigning Resources
We have created a campaign briefing pack on the situation in Beit Sahour which gives more background information and details about the devastating impact this settlement could have on the Palestinian Christians in Beit Sahour. You can download that here:
Beit Sahour settlements briefing
We have also produced a template letter which we would ask you to send to your Church Leader. There are 3 main asks in this letter:
- Issue a Public Statement of Solidarity: Join the World Council of Churches in publicly condemning the expropriation of land in Ush Ghurab and calling for the “Shadma Yitziv” settlement project to be halted immediately.
- Raise a Prophetic Political Voice: Write to the Foreign Secretary, urging the UK government to uphold international law and demand accountability regarding settlement expansion in the West Bank.
- Amplify Palestinian Christian Voices: Incorporate prayers and educational updates regarding the situation in Beit Sahour into our upcoming services or host a dedicated briefing using resources from UK-based organisations like Sabeel-Kairos UK or the wider Just Peace Coalition.
You can download the template letter here: