Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, who is head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the 77 million Anglican Communion, yesterday (31 October 2007) held talks in Jerusalem with Israel's Chief Rabbis.

A Christian church in central Jerusalem which is used by several different groups survived an arson attack last week as a result of prompt action by Jewish neighbours who called the emergency services and stopped the potentially lethal fire spreading.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking was arked in Palestine this week with a church-backed conference promoting the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle and exploring support for those affected by drugs.

At a church service in Jerusalem on Sunday, Christian leaders called for an end to 40 years of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and emphasized the church's commitment to non-violence in the service of peace.

Far from being a crusader, St George of Lydda was a defender of the powerless, says Garth Hewitt. He is a figure for Muslims, Jews, Christians - and for the church in Palestine.

The land, hope and glory of Jerusalem is best viewed from the wilderness

The mayor of Jerusalem has suspended renovations near a compound housing the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, while the municipality is to submit new plans for a walkway leading to the holy site - writes Annette Young from Jerusalem for Ecumenical News International (ENI).

A region-concern alliance of major Christian denominations in the USA, Churches for Middle East Peace, has appealed to United States assistant secretary of state David Welch to seek a halt to Israeli excavations near the Temple Mount (Haram al- Sharif) in the Old City of Jerusalem - a major Islamic and Jewish holy site.

Talks between the Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah have forged an agreement to create a Palestinian unity government, following extensive diplomatic and political efforts.

Nearly 40 leaders from a broad coalition of US Christian denominations have sent a letter to President George W. Bush asking that he "make Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, in the context of a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace initiative" a priority for his administration.