Founded in 1971, Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) works within the Unitarian Universalist community to promote peace and justice in Israel-Palestine, including a settlement of the conflict affirming the equality, dignity, freedom and security of all peoples involved.

UUJME has a national Board of Directors as well as several local groups affiliated with Unitarian Universalist churches throughout the United States. This web site contains many resources for people interested in learning more about the conflict in Israel-Palestine, which stretches back to the 1880s, as well as resources for those ready to take action to promote justice and human rights in Israel-Palestine. UUJME is an independent organization of Unitarian Universalists, with no official relationship to the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA), and does not speak for the UUA.

 Photo: Emile Ashrawi, West Bank, Palestine

UUJME has officially endorsed Jewish Voice for Peace's initiative to compel TIAA-CREF to divest from companies profiting from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land.  A representative from JVP will be present in the UUJME booth, #326, at the exhibit hall at General Assembly to discuss this initiative and other JVP work.  Note that this topic is particularly timely for UUs since the UUA recently announced it was transferring its retirement fund from Fidelity to TIAA-CREF.

UUJME is planning a large presence at this year's General Assembly in Minneapolis from June 23 - 27, 2010, so be sure to join us if you can! 

•  Our workshop, titled "Human Rights in Israel/Palestine: UU Perspectives",  will be presented in Program Slot #6 on Friday, June 25 from 1:00 - 2:15 pm  at the Minneapolis Convention Center, room M100 GH.  The workshop will include a panel of three UUJME members who participated in UUJME-sponsored fact-finding trips to Israel/Palestine in either 2007 or 2009 and who will relay their observations of the humanitarian situation there in the context of UU principles and purposes.  
• This year, the UUA is providing the opportunity to hold a follow-up discussion to enable workshop attendees more time to discuss the information presented and ask questions of the presenters.  The follow-up discussion session for the UUJME workshop will be held Saturday, June 26 from 2:30 - 3:30 pm at the Convention Center, room 101 DE.
• We will be holding the First Annual UUJME Sermon Contest Dinner at The Local Restaurant, 931 Nicollet Mall (corner of 10th St) on Friday, June 25 beginning at 5:30 pm.  Attendees can order dinner and listen to the prize-winning sermon!  See details and reservation information below.
• Visit the UUJME booth, #326 in the Exhibit Hall.  Our booth will have Palestinian handicrafts from Folkart Mavens available for purchase again this year, and will also have a representative of Jewish Voice for Peace available to discuss their work for peace and justice in I/P, including their divestment campaign aimed at convincing TIAA-CREF, which the UUA just announced as the new provider of its retirement plan, to divest from businesses that profit from the occupation.  We will also provide informational literature, buttons, and photographic displays.
• UUJME is advocating passage of a proposed Action of Immediate Witness on ending the Gaza blockade.  We'll be collecting signatures in our booth.  If you'd be interested in helping collect signatures, send us an email at uujme@uujme.org.

Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East is pleased to announce the winner of the 2010 UUJME Sermon Contest, the Rev. Bill Breeden, co-minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana!

Rev. Breeden's sermon, titled "Oh, Jerusalem" and delivered to his congregation on Feb 21, was unanimously selected by our panel of judges as the sermon that best relates the Unitarian Universalist commitment to social justice and human rights to the quest for a just peace between Palestinians and Israelis. 

Rev. Breeden delivered his winning sermon at our awards dinner in Minneapolis during General Assembly to an overflow audience at a local Minneapolis restaurant.  You can read a transcript of the sermon here.

Note that UUJME will hold another sermon contest in 2011, so stay tuned for the details!

 Photo: Rev. Bill Breeden in Bloomington

On January 8, 2009, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) established an emergency relief fund for the people of Gaza in light of the Israeli bombardment and invasion. Click here to visit the UUSC website and read the policy statment the UUSC has issued regarding the situation in Gaza. Please consider finding a way to publicize this fund within your congregation. You might also consider finding a way for your congregation to take up a special collection for this fund, perhaps on a Sunday morning.

Click here to donate to the Gaza Humanitarian Relief Fund.