Mercy Aiken

I grew up in a North American evangelical-charismatic setting which emphasized that we should support Israel and the Jewish people. Around the time of the Second Uprising, I remember responding to an altar call at a revival service, where I committed to be a “watchman on the wall” for Jerusalem. At that time, I had no knowledge whatsoever about Palestinians, least of all Palestinian Christians. Nevertheless, I think that my interest in Israel and my commitment to pray for Jerusalem led me to discover another side to the story.

Naim Ateek

Naim Stifan Ateek (born in the Palestinian village of Beisan in 1937) is a Palestinian priest in the Anglican Communion and founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem.He has been an active leader in the shaping of the Palestinian liberation theology. He was the first to articulate a Palestinian theology of liberation in his book, Justice, and only Justice, a Palestinian Theology of Liberation, published by Orbis in 1989, and based on his dissertation for his degree in theology.The book laid the foundation of a theology that addresses the conflict over Palestine and explores the political as well as the religious, biblical, and theological dimensions. A former Canon of St. George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem, he lectures widely both at home and abroad. His book, A Palestinian Christian Cry for Reconciliation, was published by Orbis in 2008, followed by A Palestinian Theology of Liberation, 2017.

Gary Burge

Gary M. Burge (born 1952) is an American author and professor. He is a New Testament scholar at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.He is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Rifat Kasis

Rifat Odeh Kassis is a Palestinian human rights and political and community activist. He is an author and speaker. He has been arrested and imprisoned several times by Israel.
Born in Beit Sahour to a Palestinian Christian family, he founded in 1991 the Palestinian section of the international child rights organization,[1] Defence for Children International (DCI) and in 2005 he was elected President of the international movement. In October 2008, he was re-elected President for another term. In 2014, he concluded his work as General Director of Defense for Children International Palestine and moved temporarily to Jordan to lead the Lutheran World Federation program there.

Mitri Raheb

Founder and President of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem. The most widely published Palestinian theologian to date, Dr. Raheb is the author and editor of 50 books including: Decolonizing Palestine: The Land, The People, The Bible; In the Eye of the Storm: Middle Eastern Christians in an Age of Empire; Politics of Persecution: Middle Eastern Christians in an Age of Empire; The Cross in Contexts: Suffering and Redemption in Palestine; Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible through Palestinian Eyes; His books and numerous articles have been translated so far into thirteen languages.

Grace Said

Grace Said is a long-time advocate of Palestinian human rights. She is a member of the Steering Committee of Friends of Sabeel, North America and treasurer of the Washington Interfaith Alliance for Middle East Peace. She has in the past served on the boards of Trans-Arab Research Institute and the Arab-American University Graduates. In 2009 she was a co-founder of Al-Shabaka and also organized a major Sabeel conference in Washington, DC.

Zoughbi Zoughbi

Zoughbi Zoughbi is the founder and director of the Palestinian Conflict Transformation Centre in Palestine. Known by the name “Wi’am,” the Arabic word meaning “cordial relationships,” the center offers mediation, training, and psycho -social counseling to help resolve community disputes and alleviate the suffering of the people. It includes a trauma-coping program for children, leadership training for women, ending community violence, trying to eliminate violence against women and children, and nonviolence education programs.