Daniel E. Harris

A mix of roles; PhD in Christian Spiritual Formation

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

Update from Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad on Natalie Abudayyeh:

Dear friends and partners,

We give thanks to each of you who have prayed and advocated for the safety and release of ELCJHL youth Natalie Abudayyeh after she was detained by Israeli forces on June 2nd. Unfortunately, Natalie has still not been released.

We have been informed that she had a court appearance yesterday, and the proceedings will continue in ten days. The other three women who were detained with Natalie remain in prison as well. We are deeply concerned about their continued detention and that these proceedings are being held in Israeli military court, where administrative detention can be extended without official charge or trial.

Disturbingly, Natalie’s ongoing detainment is part of a pattern of recent Israeli raids, arrests, and restrictions on Palestinian universities, limiting academic freedom and restricting the right of education. Our youth feel targeted. We are losing an entire generation as our young people struggle to imagine a future in their homeland. Our ELCJHL youth are incredibly dismayed and anxious about the wellbeing and future of Natalie, their sister and friend, and for their own safety here.

This pattern of violence, erasure, and fear is destroying Palestinian life.

We once again call on the global church to remember your commitment to work for justice, peace, and fullness of life, and we ask you to continue to advocate for Natalie’s immediate release.

Please continue to hold Natalie and her family in your prayers.

Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad

Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

Israeli forces detain Birzeit University students near Ramallah https://t.co/VgJnpcW9IZ

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

Statement from Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad on the Israeli Detainment of Natalie Abudayyeh

This morning a beloved youth from our church community, Natalie Abuddayeh, was taken at gunpoint by Israeli forces from her student apartment in Birzeit alongside three other women. We are deeply shocked and horrified by this news, as well as by the news that her family does not yet know where she has been taken. Natalie is a member of Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Beit Jala, a graduate of Talitha Kumi Lutheran School, and a Media and Journalism student at Birzeit University.

As Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, I unequivocally call for Natalie’s immediate release. The entire ELCJHL stands in solidarity with the Abudayyeh family and the Beit Jala and Birzeit communities, and we join them in earnest prayer for Natalie’s safety and freedom.

We are incredibly disturbed by the reality that Natalie now joins the thousands of Palestinians in Israeli detention without charge or trial. Palestinian civilians, including women and children, suffer deep injustice in Israeli military detention and are often held for months or years with no explanation.

We call on our friends, partners, and siblings in Christ around the world to advocate for Natalie’s freedom using whatever channels are available to them, and to demand an end to this unjust and unequal system of detainment and detention that paralyzes and destroys Palestinian communities.

Bishop Dr. Imad Haddad
Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

Layan Nasser is free, having served her third imprisonment.
That smile, though!

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

The genocide in Gaza is not in the past tense. The blockade, starvation, and killing continue—this is still the present reality. Lord, have mercy.

[B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم @btselem]

בחסות המתקפה הישראלית-אמריקאית על איראן ולבנון, הקבינט הבטחוני אישר את הקמתן של 34 התנחלויות חדשות ברחבי הגדה המערבית. ההחלטה נשמרה בסוד מספר שבועות ופורסמה רק לאחר שהחלה הפסקת האש.

ההתנחלויות החדשות יתווספו ל-68 התנחלויות שעל הקמתן החליטה הממשלה מאז הוקמה, וליותר מ-170 מאחזים שהוקמו בסייע המדינה.

במקביל, פרויקט הטיהור האתני של התושבים הפלסטינים מעמיק וצובר תאוצה. בתוך שנתיים וחצי גורשו 59 קהילות פלסטיניות ומעל 40,000 פלסטינים פונו בכוח מבתיהם.

מנגנון זה מתאפשר הודות לשיתוף פעולה הדוק בין שתי זרועות שמפעיל המשטר הישראלי: מיליציות מתנחלים חמושות הפועלות באלימות יומיומית וזוכות לגיבוי וסיוע מצד הצבא והמשטרה, ומערכת מדינית-משפטית המלבינה וממסדת אתמעשיהן. רק בסוף השבוע האחרון בלבד, תועדו עשרות תקיפות אלימות של מתנחלים נגד תושבים פלסטינים ורכושם.

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

Destruction of a statue of Jesus in Lebanon is disturbing, but Israel’s genocide is what really demands our outrage.

https://t.co/xVSeeRL4Wx https://t.co/xVSeeRL4Wx

[B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم @btselem]

"אין להם למה לחזור ברפיח ובג'באליה... לעשרות אלפי משפחות אין נייר, אין תמונת ילדות, אין תעודות זהות, אין להן בית - אין להן כלום" - כך התגאה בראיון הרב אברהם זרביב שנבחר להדליק השנה משואה בטקס המרכזי של יוםהעצמאות ה-78 של מדינת ישראל.

הענקת הכבוד הגדול הזה למי שביצע פשעי מלחמה והתגאה ב״השטחת עזה״ בתפקידו כנהג דחפור במילואים ממחישה עד כמה עמוק השתרשה שלילת האנושיות של הפלסטינים בלב המיינסטרים הישראלי. זהו אות מפחיד נוסף לכך שהג׳נוסייד הפך רשמית לחלק מהאתוס הלאומי.

הרב אברהם זרביב הוא דיין בבית הדין הרבני האזורי בהתנחלות אריאל, וראש מכינה קדם-צבאית בהתנחלות בית אל, שמחנכת מאות צעירים ישראלים. במהלך מאות ימי המילואים שביצע מאז אוקטובר 2023 זרביב תיעד את עצמו מחריב מבנים אזרחיים רבים בעזה עד היסוד. במספר הזדמנויות עשה זאת תוך תקיעת שופר, תפילות וקריאת פסוקים מהתורה. סרטוניו של זרביב זכו למאות אלפי צפיות. זרביב קרא שוב ושוב לשטח את רצועת עזה ושיתף אינספור קטעים שבהם הוא מיישר בתים פלסטיניים. ״לזרבב״, הפך לשם נרדף להרס מכוון ושיטתי של עזה.

הבחירה בו להדליק משואה, כדוגמא ל“אזרח מופת” וכמי שמייצג את ״רוח האומה״ מעבירה מסר ברור לאזרחי ישראל ולעולם כולו: בישראל, ג׳נוסייד, טיהור אתני ופשעי מלחמה הם “רוח האומה”.

זרביב אינו מתבייש במעשיו, וגם מדינת ישראל אינה מתביישת. ריכזנו בסרטון חלק מהסרטונים שפרסם בעצמו. לתפארת מדינת ישראל.

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

I saw a headline in a U.S. news outlet mocking Pete Hegseth for misquoting Scripture—ironically, from the film Pulp Fiction—suggesting that it made him, and by extension the United States, a global laughingstock.

But I cannot help but think: what about how this rhetoric makes us in the Middle East look—and feel?

What of the deep embarrassment and grief we carry when Scripture is invoked so casually, and even dangerously, to frame war in sacred terms? What does it do to our witness when this war is portrayed as somehow divinely sanctioned?

For the sake of the credibility of our Christian faith—especially in a region already wounded by conflict and religious manipulation—I sincerely hope this kind of rhetoric comes to an end.

Let us pray—not only for an end to this war, but to all wars. And let us pray that faith leaders will continue to rise with courage and challenge such discourse, and to proclaim instead a vision of peace rooted in justice and truth—not the fragile “peace” of empire, imposed by force, but the just peace revealed in the way of Christ.

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

Amen!!

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

In this video I respond to the image Donald Trump posted and removed — of himself in the likeness of Jesus.

This is not simply about one post. As Munther makes clear, this is the fruit of a theological ecosystem built over years — one in which court prophets, televangelists, and political preachers have surrounded a political figure, declared him anointed by God, and confused the kingdom of God with the kingdom of empire.

The result? A theology that has become a tool of power rather than a witness to truth, justice, and righteousness.

What we are witnessing today is not simply a political divide — it is the emergence of two versions of Christianity. One rooted in the ethics of Jesus: humility, mercy, justice, and love. The other rooted in the ethics of empire: power, control, nationalism, and the glorification of strength.

The Church must decide. Will it continue to produce and protect such distortions of faith? Or will it return to the crucified Christ — who rejected power, emptied himself, and was crucified by the very logic of empire that is now being celebrated?

At the end of the day, this is not simply about political ideology. It is idolatry. It is the misuse of the name of Christ. And it should concern every Christian.

#palestinianchristians #faithandjustice #christianzionism #churchandjustice #bipj #trump #twokindsofchristianity #empireorjesus #propheticchurch

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

When we see the image that Donald Trump posted—placing himself in the likeness of Jesus—and when we hear his attacks on the Pope, we must be clear: this did not emerge in a vacuum.

This is the outcome of years of religious language that elevated him—declaring him “raised up by God,” chosen, even anointed.

And this is not only about evangelical figures like Paula White-Cain. We must also look at voices like @BishopBarron , a Catholic bishop—who stood among those offering prayers and praise in that now infamous gathering—and has acknowledged that Trump’s comments about the Pope were inappropriate and disrespectful. And yet, in the same breath, he expresses gratitude for serving on Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission.

This is the same framework of “religious liberty” that has been used to equate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. The same “religious liberty” commission that removed @CarriePrejean1 for daring to challenge Zionism.

And so what is being said—perhaps indirectly, but clearly—is this: proximity to power still matters.

Even while acknowledging wrongdoing, the relationship remains intact. The benefits remain. The access remains.

In fact, the bishop goes further—commending Trump by saying that no president in his lifetime has shown greater dedication to defending “our first liberty.”

That says everything.

Yes, he concludes by saying the president owes the Pope an apology. But by then, the deeper truth has already been revealed.

This is the system working exactly as designed.

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

The failure to hold Israel accountable for its crimes in Gaza has only emboldened further violence—now spilling into Lebanon with devastating consequences. Impunity fuels escalation. Lord, have mercy.

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

This Easter confronts us with a painful truth: many Christians have turned away from the way of the cross. Instead of following the crucified Christ, they align with the empire that crucified him—seeking power and influence.

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

A powerful Easter message from Bishop Imad Haddad of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.
“We stand firmly against killing by anyone, including by the state.”
At a time when death is being legislated, the Church proclaims life.

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

"We reject the oppression and injustice produced by the theology of racism, colonialism and ethnic supremacy embodied in Christian Zionism, a theology that has produced apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide of indigenous people. Christian Zionism calls on a tribal, racist god of war and ethnic cleansing, teachings utterly alien to the core of Christian faith and ethics. Christian Zionism must therefore be named for what it is: a theological distortion and a moral corruption" (Kairos Palestine)

[UN Human Rights Palestine @OHCHR_Palestine]

Israel must immediately repeal the discriminatory death penalty law passed today by the Knesset, as it contravenes Israel’s obligations under international law.
The United Nations opposes the death penalty under all circumstances. The implementation of this new law would violate international law's prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment.
Additionally, this law further entrenches Israel’s violation of the prohibition of racial segregation and apartheid as it will exclusively apply to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Israel, who are often convicted after unfair trials.

Read @UNHumanRights earlier statement and analysis about the death penalty draft bill:
https://t.co/oHVrU5nomP…

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

As Christians around the world celebrate Palm Sunday with joy, I hope they remember that their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem itself—where these events took place—are facing restrictions and are at times prevented from even reaching their churches.

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

Joint Press Release
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land*

Holy City of Jerusalem
Palm Sunday, 29 March 2026

This morning, the Israeli Police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they made their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass.

The two were stopped en route, while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and were compelled to turn back. As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

This incident is a grave precedent,and disregard the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.

The Heads of the Churches have acted with full responsibility and, since the outset of the war, have complied with all imposed restrictions: public gatherings were cancelled, attendance was prohibited, and arrangements were made to broadcast the celebrations to hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide, who, during these days of Easter, turn their eyes to Jerusalem and to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Preventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.

This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land express their profound sorrow to the Christian faithful in the Holy Land and throughout the world that prayer on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar has thus been prevented.

[Munther Isaac منذر اسحق @MuntherIsaac]

These are torture camps. There are hundreds of children among them. The world is watching, and doing nothing.