The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, headed by Dr. Ramzi Khouri, member of the PLO Executive Committee, has issued a strong appeal to church leaders around the world, urging them to take a clear and public stance in response to the escalating crimes and grave human rights violations committed by Israeli occupation authorities against the Palestinian people.
This urgent call was conveyed in an official letter accompanied by a detailed report documenting the serious violations of human rights across Palestine, most notably in Gaza, which for several months has endured a relentless and unprecedented war of extermination marked by mass destruction and catastrophic loss of life, all unfolding under a troubling international silence.
The Committee emphasized that the violence, including killings, arbitrary arrests, and forced displacement, is not confined to Gaza. It extends across the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, where systematic policies of ethnic cleansing, settlement expansion, and repeated violations against civilians and holy sites are intensifying with alarming frequency.
The letter further stated that Israel’s ongoing aggression flagrantly disregards international law and openly defies all human rights treaties and conventions. In light of this, the Committee called for a principled and unequivocal moral response, one that rejects silence and complicity and instead stands firmly on the side of justice, accountability, and human dignity.
Church leaders were specifically urged to raise their voices and use their moral and spiritual influence to expose the crimes of the occupation, advocate for an immediate end to all forms of support and indifference toward the occupation, and call for the prosecution of these crimes in international forums. Such actions, the Committee noted, align with the core Christian values of protecting human life and standing against oppression.
The letter concluded with a solemn reminder:
“Silence and inaction serve only to empower the oppressor and enable impunity.”
