Israel/Palestine Programs and Projects

Many offices of the PC(USA) are actively involved in Israel and Palestine:

• Mission Personnel serve among our partners in the region and regularly share their stories with the wider church.
• The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, which includes the United Nations Office, strives toward a just peace for all in the region.
• The Washington Office advocates for PC(USA) policy in our nation’s capital; bimonthly they issue an up-to-date report about issues of concern, often including those related to Israel and Palestine.
• The Interfaith Relations Office has numerous resources for building relationships with Jews and Muslims. See a list of ways to support peace and development initiatives, created in cooperation with American Jewish leaders.

In addition to these ongoing ministries, the PC(USA) also has the following projects in Israel and Palestine described below:

Israel and Palestine Projects:

Health

Ahli Arab Hospital
The Ahli Arab Hospital is under the jurisdiction of the Council of Jerusalem Diocese of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East with an agreement among major Protestant denominations including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Established in 1882, it continues to be a significant institution in terms of Christian presence in the area. In the words of the Anglican Bishop of the Jerusalem Diocese, the hospital is "a possession of love — transmitting care and then healing ministry to the sick and suffering."

Hunger

In 2007 the Presbyterian Hunger Program made the following grants:

In Israel:
Sindyanna of Galilee Israel  $15,000
Women's fair trade company of olive oil products and local foods, helping not only Arab producers in Israel but also in the Occupied Territories.

The Workers Advice Center  $15,000
Giving legal advice, job placement and referral, creating public pressure, and organizing Israeli and Palestinian workers through awareness and cultural activities. 

Vocational Training Centre Program  $18,000
Provide high-quality education and training in a variety of designated skills and professions. (WCC)

In Palestine:
Grassroots International – The Union of Agricultural Work Committees $8,000 Working with impoverished farming families to give them access to agricultural land. 

Joining Hands for Justice Palestine – Addressing the Ramification of Isolation $45,000
Support for network operations, training and campaign against poverty caused by Israeli occupation.

The Democracy and Workers' Rights Centre – Creating Job Opportunities for Unemployed Workers in the West Bank  $10,000
Temporary job creation in Palestinian enterprises for 43 jobless workers.

Relief and Development

Palestinian Development Initiative
Responding to the dire economic situation in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, Commissioners’ Resolution 04-19 of the 216th (2004) General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) called for a commitment to undertake “an intentional and systematic effort of development and compassionate action in Palestine.” Implementing this resolution, three volunteer working groups have been established through the Israel and Palestine Mission Network to support housing projects, promote visits, and expand markets for handicrafts and other local products. [Find out more]

Jinishian Memorial Program
An ecumenical relief and development agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP) is directly involved in community-based development and the delivery of social services and relief projects to thousands of Armenians. It is particularly attuned to the socially vulnerable of Armenian societies, especially the elderly who live without pension support or on very limited income, as well as families with children whose income is below the poverty level. Vocational training, use of revolving loan funds, summer camps and housing assistance have been utilized. JMP carries out its purposes at seven different sites in five countries-the Republic of Armenia and four countries of the Middle East.