Episcopal Press and News

Bulletin: The Diocese of Jerusalem

Episcopal News Service. January 18, 2002 [2002-014]

Urgent Call for Prayer: The Arab Evangelical School, Ramallah

January 18, 2002

Early this morning the Israeli military broke through the doors from the playground to the school and forced their way into the Arab Evangelical School in Ramallah, one of the service institutions of the Diocese of Jerusalem. The School building was entered under threat of harm by the soldiers, and each classroom and office searched. Samira Nasser, the School's director arrived and was told by the Israel soldiers to return to her home, and that if she stayed she would be in danger.

Soldiers are now stationed at the main entrance to the school and have prevented The Rev. George Al Kopti, rector to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Ramallah, and Sister Najah Rantisi, of the Evangelical Home, from leaving the premises. At any attempt to leave, they have been threatened by the military, both verbally and with weapons. There are also nineteen children, aged three to seventeen, currently boarding at the Evangelical Home, adjacent to the school.

The Arab Evangelical School and Home are under the ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, and as such are on church property. It is very serious indeed, when military forces forcibly enter church property.

The school was founded in 1954 with 20 pupils. It now has 568 students from kindergarten through high school. Seventy percent of the students are Christian, 30 percent are Moslem. A total of 45 teachers are on staff. One of the prime activities of the school is to teach about peace issues. The school is engaged in a bilateral program with Israeli counterparts in education to promote peace through education. To that end staff are trained in conflict resolution skills, negotiation skills and how to design workable peace programs. "We are proud of this program. We managed to show how we can represent our national dreams and aspirations through dialogue and not through violence" (Samira Nasser, director).

Please keep the School, the staff, the clergy, the students, and those children at the Evangelical Home and all the people of this troubled region in your thoughts and prayers.

Nancy Dinsmore

Development Office

Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

Episcopal Church expresses outrage over Israeli intrusion at school in Ramallah

"When we learned from the diocesan office in Jerusalem that the Israeli military had forced their way into the Arab Evangelical School in Ramallah early this morning (January 18) we expressed our outrage to the State Department and the religious liaison office in the White House," said the Rev. Brian Grieves, director of the Episcopal Church's Office of Peace and Justice Ministries. "We also shared the urgent call for prayer from the Diocese of Jerusalem with government and church leaders and will monitor the situation until the issue is resolved."

Nancy Dinsmore in the development office for the Diocese of Jerusalem wrote that the Israeli military "broke through the doors from the playground to the school and forced their way" into the school which is supported by the diocese. She reported that soldiers prevented the school's rector, the Rev. George Al Kopti, and Sister Najah Rantisi from leaving the premises. "At any attempt to leave, they have been threatened by the military, both verbally and with weapons." She said that there are 19 children currently boarding at the Evangelical Home adjacent to the school.