Pope Benedict XVI met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in a private audience Oct. 8 at the Vatican.

During the meeting in the papal library, the two men discussed the problems in the Middle East and the need to find "a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in which the rights of all are recognized and respected," said a statement from the Vatican press office.

by Sarah Delaney, Catholic News Service, October 8, 2009

The Patriarch of Jerusalem tells Ed West that the only thing that will keep the faithful in the Holy Land is a lasting peace.

'Thank you for this interview, I hope you can help us through your good influence on the news," says the man opposite me, His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The Catholic Herald, September 25 2009

Nashat Filmon said in a visit to Bible Society in the UK that Israel and Palestine were both to blame for the recent war in Gaza.

“War is a crime. Both parties are equally responsible for the recent war and the destruction that has taken place,” he said.

After few talk-backs challenged the "equally responsible" in the original news item, Nashat Filimon writes a talk-back for "Come and See" to clarify: "There is no question about who is the oppressed and who is the oppressor, we all know that. The challenge here is taking responsibility of the provocative actions knowing that it will harm us and the whole nation"

Christian Today, Sep 17, 2009

One of the most senior Catholic churchman in the Middle East has predicted that Jerusalem's already diminished Christian population will shrink within seven years unless urgent steps are taken to reverse their exodus.

Patriarch Fouad Twal, who was invited to Britain by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the charity that helps suffering Christians, said the population in the holiest city for Christians would fall from 10,000 today to little more than 5,000 in 2016.

By Ed West, Catholic Herlad (UK), Sep 18, 2009

For thirty years Bethlehem Bible College (BBC), an Evangelical interdenominational Bible college in the West Bank, has been a living testimony that God is alive among Palestinians and a witness to the blessings of God in the Middle East.

Now the College will host an International Conference, which will be held March 13 - 17, 2010 in Bethlehem.

The theme of the conference is "Christ at the Checkpoint: Theology in Service of Peace and Justice."

By Michael Ireland, ASSIST News Service, July 10, 2009

On June 12, 2009, 1000 people came from all around Bethlehem and the area to the Intercontinental Hotel in Bethlehem to celebrate the graduation of Bethlehem Bible College (BBC) marking 30 years since it was established in 1979. Faculty, Students, parents and many of their friends had a great occasion and were reminded of what has been achieved so far and need to look to the future.

Another interesting development of this college is the launching of the M.A program in ministry this coming year. This very exciting program is designed locally in order to meet the needs in Palestine and Israel

Special For "Come and See", July 1, 2009

The ancient tradition of carving olive wood brings hope and fulfillment to a 24-year-old paraplegic man from the Dheisheh Refugee Camp in Bethlehem who recently received international recognition for outstanding achievements.

The second place award presented by the Palestine International Award for Excellence and Creativity in the special needs category recognizes Mu’in Al-Atrash’s tenacity to learn and perfect wood carving skills, overcome personal challenges and reach out to others living with disabilities.

Al-Atrash attributes his success to the support he received from the staff and volunteers of the East Jerusalem YMCA rehabilitation program in Beit Sahour, a program supported by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). With the right support, people with disabilities can meet the challenges that they have to face, he said.

Gladys Terichow, Mennonite Central Committe Web site, June 30, 2009

Most members of a local congregation have never met 5-year-old Grace Awad.But her vocabulary, they say, has strengthened their faith.

On Sunday, Grace's dad, the Rev. Daniel Awad, shared a story about a family vacation to visit relatives in Michigan. When it was time to go, Grace grew upset.

"I don't want to go home," she said. "I don't want to go back to the siege."

BY AMY FLOWERS UMBLE, Jerusalem Gateway, April 4, 2009

The Gaza Strip, a piece of land within Israel, was center stage during Dr. Hanna Massad's lecture Monday in Kayser Auditorium.

Titled "Being a Christian in Gaza", Massad's talk was part of the Global Issues Lecture Series and focused on the struggles Christians within Gaza face.

The Islam/Judaism conflicts within and surrounding the borders of the Gaza Strip are the usual attention getters for the Middle Eastern country, Massad said.

Baylor Web site, April 7, 2009

The Old Testament is a Jewish book and a Christian one at the same time. Palestinian Christians struggle to reconcile these paradoxical identities of the Old Testament. On the one hand, the Old Testament belongs to the church. On the other hand, it has been politicized and employed to support oppressive violent acts. This tension in understanding the Old Testament led to organizing a conference on reading the Old Testament in Bethlehem. (Feb 10 – 13, 2009)

Special For Come and See, Feb 14, 2009