The U.S. decision follows similar designations by Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. The Kingdom of Jordan banned the Muslim Brotherhood in mid-2025.

The Trump administration says the Muslim Brotherhood’s support for Hamas played a leading role in the designation.

“Their (Muslim Brotherhood’s) push has historically been, ‘If we were just good Muslims and follow the way correctly, then God would bless us by giving back the land of Palestine,’” Samuel with Redemptive Stories says, explaining the connection.

“As long as there continues to be fighting and frustration between Israeli settlers and Palestinians, then there will continue to be a push for the [Muslim] Brotherhood or people like them.”

Ministry impact

While the Muslim Brotherhood’s new label won’t significantly affect everyday life in the Middle East, Samuel says, “The importance is to remember that political decisions in every part of the world have consequences on ministry.”

He adds, “The ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine has ripple effects that hit every part of the lives of Arabs and Muslims across the region” – meaning that the people believers minister to are greatly affected by events in Gaza and the West Bank.

Representative AI photo of Palestinian Christian created by ChatGPT.

Samuel urges Christians in the West to follow the news through a Kingdom lens, focusing on more than just political outcomes.

“Unblinding support for Israel has implications on the Gospel in our part of the world,” he says.

“Every story has two sides. We need to consider how decisions made on one side can affect believers in Palestine and around our region.”

How to help

As you learn about current events and how they affect both Israeli and Palestinian Christians, let that knowledge inform your intercession.

“Pray for our brothers and sisters who are there, standing strong in the midst of ongoing strife, to communicate hope with their neighbors,” Samuel says.

Pray for peace in the Middle East, so that political decisions won’t distract people from the Gospel.

“We should long for peace that would create space for people to begin to dream about a future with the Lord, and create opportunities for the Gospel to go forth,” Samuel says.

“People are often continuously distracted by the political affairs, which don’t give them space to imagine a relationship with God and what that might be for them.”

Header image depicts the Muslim Brotherhood flag. (Wikimedia Commons/public domain)

It shows the true measure of love for their people when Christians remain in dangerous places — to be the light.

Dr. Jack Sara, Bethlehem Bible College president, says many students from Gaza, Bethlehem, and other parts of the area choose to continue their ministry in their home communities, even with daily pressure and uncertainty.

Photo courtesy of
Levi Meir Clancy via Unsplash

“Who pushes them to live in a war zone? Who pushes them to live in a very difficult situation, except that they have a calling, and because of their calling, they are staying here. They’re serving here,” says Sara.

Commitment to God’s calling is what the College is trying to nurture. Sara says Bethlehem Bible College exists to equip men and women of God to follow their callings with courage and clarity.

“Every year when we graduate a new cohort, a new batch of students, we are trusting the Lord that He will use their lives so that they will be kingdom expanders — people who will plant churches, people who will serve the church, people who will teach in schools, and people who will serve in parachurch ministries,” explains Sara.

The goal isn’t simply to produce large numbers of students, but to prepare faithful leaders who will build up the Church and expand God’s Kingdom wherever they are sent — carrying Christ’s purpose with them.

“A small — even if it’s a small light or a little bit of salt — it’s going to change our nation for Jesus,” he adds.

Graduates continue their ministry worldwide. Sara recalls some serving in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Yemen, Arab countries, Germany, across Europe, Austria, France, Sweden, and in the United States. More than a hundred students are trained each year.

“So just imagine, they expand that even from this small spot here in Bethlehem!” says Sara.

Please pray for these students and graduates to remain faithful to their calling. Visit Bethlehem Bible College’s website to learn more and read testimonies from their graduates.

Header photo: Bethlehem (Photo courtesy of Jorge Fernández Salas via Unsplash).

Last month, violence in the West Bank reached its highest level since recording started in 2006. Jack Sara, from Bethlehem Bible College, says believers in the region are at risk.

Near-daily attacks by Israeli settlers are reportedly leading to a record displacement of West Bank Palestinians.

“Palestinian Christians, both in Gaza and in the West Bank, need prayers. The small communities that are remaining now in the West Bank are facing some existential threat to staying inside the country,” Sara says.

“Besides the political instability, besides the danger, the Jewish settlers living in the West Bank sometimes even target Christian villages.”

Attacks recently hit close to home for the college. “Not long ago, one of our students, his car was firebombed by settlers in the village of Taybeh, close to Ramallah,” Sara says.

Palestinian Christians
(Photo generated using AI/Gencraft)

Meanwhile, Palestinian Christians in Gaza are running out of options as winter approaches.

“After the ceasefire, many of them tried to return to what remained of their houses, [but] there is no place for them to return,” Sara says. “So, they refrained from either renting – if there is anything available – or just going back to the churches.”

Gaza City’s Catholic Holy Family Church and the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius shelter most of the tiny Christian community remaining in Gaza – only several hundred, by most estimates.

“Almost 400 people were able to leave during earlier ceasefire seasons,” Sara says.

Pray for continued peace so that Christians who remain in Gaza can rebuild their lives.

“We’re trusting that the American administration will continue to hold back the war machine of Israel, but that’s not guaranteed at all. It’s all in the air right now,” Sara says.

Header image depicts Jewish settlements on a hill above a Palestinian town circa 2011. (Wikimedia Commons)

This is especially the case with evangelical churches, Sharaiha says, which are in the minority in the Middle East. They know about each other and they are concerned for one another. The impact of the ongoing conflicts on Christian leaders has been heavy.

“I’m sure that anyone, [in] any region, [will] have known someone who has been killed, injured, or someone [who] is really suffering,” Sharaiha says.

Churches are feeling the weight of responding as the hands and feet of Christ to massive needs in Gaza and now in Lebanon. 

“We have 1.5 million displaced out of the 2 million people living in Gaza,” Sharaiha says. “We have, so far, 1.2 million displaced in Lebanon. This is really heavy on different churches because they don’t have the capacity to host, to help.”

At the same time, Sharaiha says it’s also a chance to reach people with the Gospel and show them Christ’s love.

However, in areas like the West Bank, there is incredible pressure. A pastor there told Sharaiha, “We cannot even plan for the future. We cannot even ask people to come to church, because we are overwhelmed.” 

In all this, the MENA Leadership Center seeks to help Christians remember truths of our faith in God. 

“What we are trying to do is remind ourselves and the Christian leaders in the MENA that God is then sitting on His throne. We believe in the sovereignty of God, and we know that God is good in the midst of the whole thing,” Sharaiha says.

MENA Leadership Center partners with more than 132 ministries throughout the Middle East and North Africa. (Photo courtesy of MENA Leadership Center)

Today, the best response you can have is prayer. 

“Please pray for the people of the Middle East. Pray for peace, and definitely pray for ceasefire. Pray for all hostages to go back to their homes,” Sharaiha says. 

“Pray for the Christian leaders to know that they are not forgotten by the global Church, that we are still seeing them, that we are still praying for them, and we are still supporting them. Support is needed in so many different ways. One is prayer. Two is practical help, like blankets, clothing, food, medical supplies and financial resources.” 

Learn more about the MENA Leadership Center here. 

Header photo courtesy of MENA Leadership Center.

Fadi Sharaiha with the MENA Leadership Center says first that God is at work for His glory. But candidly he shares that he hasn’t been able to see positive trends in gospel advance in the past eleven months.

MENA Leadership Center partners with more than 132 ministries throughout the Middle East and North Africa. (Photo courtesy of MENA Leadership Center)

“I know that the sovereignty of God is over all. But what is happening today is people are going through suffering, loss, uncertainty,” Sharaiha says. 

“Maybe in the coming few weeks, months, years, we will see the impact of this on the people. But I would say that actually, I’ve seen the opposite: I’ve seen the church in the Middle East, especially the evangelical churches, going through lots of questions.” 

Theological discussions about current events and about biblical end times have led to division in churches.

“There’s a split actually now on the the concept of eschatology: are you ‘dispensational’? Are you ‘covenant’? How do you handle this replacement theology, the whole thing?” Sharaiha says.

He continues that while there’s nothing good about the division itself, one good thing coming from it is that people are asking questions.

(Photo courtesy of MENA Leadership Center)

“People are now more aware and more tuned to whatever is happening [in the news]. They are trying to read the Bible to see some of the prophecies. They are questioning, ‘God, are You a God of mercy, or are You [a] God of war?’” Sharaiha says.

“I think that there is a path for people to go, in a journey where they are asking the right questions. But the whole thing is [a] really big mess right now. [At the same time,] I think that God will work in those messes more than anything else.”

You can stand with brothers and sisters in Christ today through earnest prayer. 

“Pray for the Church with a capital C in the Middle East and North Africa — especially in the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iraq. The uncertainty is great, the questions they have [are] great, and the unity is being compromised,” Sharaiha says. 

Learn more here about the MENA Leadership Center’s mission to build up the Body of Christ. 

“Pray for the Church to be united, that they go back to the Bible, they go back to Jesus. We can definitely disagree on eschatology, but we cannot disagree on love. We need to love each other.”

Header photo is a representative stock photo courtesy of Abyan Athif/Unsplash.

Christian pilgrims used to flood Bethlehem, the town where Jesus was born. Shireen Hilal, Director of Outreach at Bethlehem Bible College, says today, Bethlehem is a ghost town.

“When visiting Bethlehem, of course, people come and see the Nativity church, and then they go to their restaurants. We have many of the best restaurants here in the area. Besides that, souvenir shops and tour guides and all these businesses are connected to tourism,” says Hilal.

“Now imagine when the war started. Unfortunately, people stopped coming. People are afraid. So basically, those people who were actually working in businesses had to completely shut down their businesses.

A Palestinian woman. (Photo courtesy of Hammam Fuad/Unsplash)

“The war has put so many things behind. I think if the country would want to go back to how it actually was, I think we’d need at least 20 years to develop. I know that in Gaza, we even need more years to develop — I think, at least 30 years.”

Rising unemployment in the West Bank is made worse by the fact that Palestinians who used to travel across the border daily for work in Jerusalem are now barred from continued employment in Israel since the start of the war on October 7.

Amid growing tragedy and grief in their communities, Palestinian Christians with Bethlehem Bible College are being the hands and feet of Jesus to their neighbors.

Hilal says, “Through the Shepherd Society, which is the social arm of Bethlehem Bible College, we provided at least 200 jobs for those who are unemployed. I would not say it’s a full-time job, but at least on a monthly basis, we give what’s called pocket money for the family to survive.

“We want to raise a community that would not actually beg for food or beg for income, but rather work for that.”

The college is also supporting humanitarian aid efforts for those who cannot work or are unable to find employment. “There are areas where you want to teach people how to fish,” says Hilal. “But there are areas that you really need to fish for those who are elderly, for the seniors who are sick and who are with limited resources and so on.”

Through Bethlehem Bible College, people can also find the sustaining hope of the Gospel. To continue in their critical work as the light of Christ, Bethlehem Bible College needs the support of Christian brothers and sisters around the world.

Hilal says, “The Church itself, the Body of Christ…need to help the Body of Christ in Palestine.'”

Learn more about Bethlehem Bible College here, and find ways you can offer support and prayer!

Header photo shows a street in Bethlehem emptied during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Bethlehem is, once again, a ghost town with the ongoing war. (Photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College)

But Israeli and Arab pastors are defying expectations to elevate the Gospel.

Pastor Konstantin Tsivin is an assistant pastor with Beit Hallel Congregation in Ashdod, Israel. He recently traveled to a conference in Turkiye with other pastors from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Pastor Tsivin says, “They gathered together and prayed and preached. It was amazing because we also shared that, yes, we are now in Israel and we pray for you. We pray for Muslim countries, we pray for Arab countries because we know that we are brothers. And we know a lot of Christians now there are also standing and praying for Israel.”

It’s a profound picture of radical love in Christ — when most of what the world sees in the region is radicalized hate.

(Photo courtesy of Pastor Konstantin Tsivin/Beit Hallel Congregation)

Additionally, ever since Hamas’ attack in Israel on October 7, Beit Hallel Congregation gathers believers in Israel for one hour every morning and evening to pray.

“We pray for peace – peace for Jerusalem, peace for Israel, peace for our neighbors here [and] neighbor countries,” says Pastor Tsivin.

These prayers, too, are profound when you understand that even in the midst of praying, “Every day, we hear a lot of sirens and rockets fly above us and get intercepted by our Iron Dome.”

In many parts of Israel, people are trying to get back to a semblance of daily life. But in border areas where they still see frequent rocket fire, “Our government and our military spread information for civilians that it’s better to stay at home, not go away. Because if you go outside, you can find yourself under the fire. On the street, it’s hard to hide somewhere.”

Yet, despite all this, believers in Israel are praying for the terrorists who shoot the rockets.

Pastor Tsivin says, “We bless Hezbollah, we bless Hamas because God told us you need to bless your enemies. So we bless them. It’s tough, very tough. But we do as our God told us to do.”

You can link arms spiritually with our Christian brothers and sisters in Israel and throughout the MENA region. Pray that both Jews and Arabs would know and follow Jesus Christ. Ask the Lord to open the eyes of terrorists so that they may abandon a life of violence in favor of the Prince of Peace.

Header photo of a steeple in Jerusalem, Israel. (Photo courtesy of Jonny Gios/Unsplash)

Reverend Dr. Jack Sara, the president of Bethlehem Bible College, says the West Bank may not be experiencing intense warfare, but there are conflicts here and there along with difficulties. 

Bethlehem Bible College (Photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College)

“Every day, we wake up in prayer that this [war] will be stopping. But honestly, people are tired. They’re losing hope and it feels like it’s going to impact us long-term at different levels. It’s going to be years and years of repercussion even to survive [the] horrendous things that are happening in Gaza,” says Dr. Sara.

“The economy is collapsing, and people are really struggling. So it’s very hard all over the place.”

After the October 7 attack by Hamas, Israel barred some 100,000 Palestinian workers from crossing into Israel for work, for security reasons. More recently, Israel has also threatened to cut off Palestinian banks from their Israeli correspondent banks. This would be to prevent terrorists from accessing funds. But it would also be another blow to the West Bank’s economy, which has already felt the loss of tourism, among other things. 

“We at Bethlehem Bible College suffer because of this. We depend a lot on visitors, tourisms, courses we offer,” says Dr. Sara.

But believers in the West Bank know they are not alone. Bethlehem Bible College held an international conference May 22–25 that saw hundreds of believers gather to discuss biblical justice and peace.  (Learn more about Bethlehem Bible College here.)

City of Bethlehem (Photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College)

“Sometimes the person feels that no one’s concerned. No one’s listening, no one’s seeing. But the things is not the story. There are people, churches, ministries and leaders who are very concerned and they’re doing their utmost so that they will be helping in such a context like this,” says Dr. Sara. “This is encouraging, of course, [to] keep hearing from friends, whether by email or messages, that people, churches are praying on behalf of the Palestinians.”

Dr. Sara says he has seen intifadas and conflicts that last a number of months in Palestine, but nothing like the Israel-Hamas war. Please pray with him that God will do a miracle and bring an end to the war in Gaza. 

“At the same time [pray] that the people here in the West Bank will have relief and will be able to survive such a context that is so hard. Pray against injustice, pray for peace,” says Dr. Sara.

“Pray for the Christian community that has been affected badly recently. It’s dwindling. People are leaving the country because it’s such a charged, dangerous atmosphere.”

Header photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College. 

Meanwhile, the war in Gaza has entered its sixth month. Just one hour away, the reports of death and destruction have taken a toll on Bethlehem. Andrew Bush with the Bethlehem Institute of Peace and Justice says the war weighs heavy on those in the West Bank even as they carry on with daily life.

More roads have recently reopened for travel between Bethlehem and Israel, including the main checkpoint to enter Jerusalem. Thousands of people could not go to their jobs for months and were out of work, leading to economic hardship. Palestinian businesses that depend on tourism have also struggled if not already closed.

Students in the BIPJ summer intensive course drink tea from a local vendor.

The Bethlehem Institute of Peace and Justice, a program of Bethlehem Bible College, has continued in its mission despite the challenges. In May, the institute will welcome students to visit and learn more about peace and justice in the Holy Land for its third annual summer intensive course.

“The Summer Intensive is a two-week residential program here in Bethlehem,” says Bush, “which allows students to interact with Palestinian peacemakers and Jewish Israeli peacemakers.”

The short program begins May 13 and can be taken for academic credit. Students stay in the guesthouse of Bethlehem Bible College. Each day starts with devotions and continues with lectures, discussions, and field studies.

The summer intensive will look a little different this year because of the region’s current dynamics. Read about the experience of students last summer here. Bush says, “We’ve had to make adjustments in our program, which includes visiting sites around the West Bank.”

Learn more about the course and apply by April 15 at BIPJ.org.

Resources to Grow Understanding and Unity

For those who are unable to travel to Bethlehem, the institute also offers online semester courses for credit and free lectures open to all. Even some churches have taken a five-session course available called “Apocalypse, Empire, and Palestine” by J. Nelson Kraybill.

The varied resources grow students’ understanding of Palestinians and modern Israel. “We feel it’s very important that Christians have a clearer picture of what’s going on here,” says Bush.

“Humanity needs to be rescued here. And people need to see each other as human beings.”

He encourages Christians to explore the institute’s resources and listen to other points of view with an open mind.

“When you dehumanize the other, you dehumanize yourself,” says Bush. “And so for the sake of Israel, for the sake of the Gazan people, for the sake of all Palestinians, we hope people will pray for this war to end.”

Photos used courtesy of the Bethlehem Institute of Peace and Justice.

In Gaza, several churches were destroyed, and approximately 20 percent of Christians left. Those who remain have been trapped by the conflict, living as refugees. But even the Christian community outside of Gaza has been affected.

Photo courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College.

Reverend Jack Sara, President of Bethlehem Bible College, says the devastating ripple effects have extended to the West Bank.

“It’s hard. People are frustrated,” Rev. Sara says. “Every day you hear people are leaving the country.”

West Bank tourism has dropped drastically. Military checkpoints, road closures, and violence are the new norm. Businesses struggle to remain open, and simply commuting between towns is an ordeal.

Rev. Sara says, “In Bethlehem, it did impact us because like I said, over 60% of the income depends on tourism here in the city.”

Those who can afford it, including local Christians, are choosing to go elsewhere. But Bethlehem Bible College remains as a ministry to the Middle East and support for the local Church.

“We want the Christians to remain here. Just imagine this country without the Christians,” Rev. Sara sasys.

A New Opportunity

Bethlehem Bible College is giving some Christians a new reason to stay. The college has partnered with other institutions in the Middle East and North Africa to offer a doctorate program in theology. It is the first of its kind in the region’s history.

Previously, Christian scholars from the MENA region had to study abroad if they wanted to pursue a PhD. Other doctorate programs also tend to represent a Western worldview. Bethlehem Bible College, the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon, and the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Cairo have formed the Middle East Graduate Theological Consortium to provide students with another option unique to their region.

“These scholars will study a PhD in their context,” Rev. Sara says.

“They don’t have to leave somewhere to get it. And it will focus on what we call a contextual theology, understanding the Bible in our context.”

The doctorate program will also welcome students to apply from anywhere in the world and study remotely. Learn more about the new program.

Bethlehem Bible College continues to offer several online courses and degrees, such as peace studies and Arabic, for anyone interested in ministry and the Middle East. Find out more here.

Pray for God to bring true peace and sustain His people in Palestine. Ask Him to provide for the ongoing ministry of Bethlehem Bible College and consider supporting a student.

Rev. Sara says, “We depend on donations and people who want to support the work of the Kingdom through Bethlehem Bible College.”

Photos courtesy of Bethlehem Bible College.