Held online on 8 August as part of a pastoral solidarity visit to the Holy Land, the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine met with an ecumenical delegation. The session focused on the current political situation, and the need for an end to the ongoing war and seemingly escalating conflict, so that the region may shift into building peace long-term.
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine conveyed the greetings of His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas, and its head, Dr. Ramzi Khouri, member of the PLO executive committee, to the World Council of Churches, represented by its Secretary-General, Professor Dr. Jerry Pillay. The committee briefed the delegation on the latest developments in Palestine, highlighting the deteriorating situation in Gaza due to Israel’s ongoing genocide, which has persisted for the past 10 months, and the ongoing daily raids on Palestinian cities and villages in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
Pillay noted the WCC’s long-term commitment to journey with the Palestinian people in their struggle for just peace. He took stock of the recent International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the need for humanitarian access and aid to Gaza, support for detainees arrested without charges, and possible political solutions, and he specified the need for a roadmap to rebuild Gaza after the war.
“As Christians, the moral obligation is always strong before us, as we are focused on justice in our witness in this world. Please know, that we will not be silent in the face of injustice, and we will persist in doing all we can to end wars and violence in this world,” Pillay said.
H.E. Ambassador Omar Awadallah and H.E. Ambassador Amira Hanania gave an overview of the current situation in Palestine and Israel from the presidential committee’s perspective.
“We want to see respect of international law,” said H.E. Ambassador Amira Hanania, general director of the committee. “Our concern is for all Palestinians and what they are suffering under this war. We feel it is very threatening to the existence of Palestinian people, but also to Christians in the Holy Land, including both those experiencing forced displacement in Gaza, and those pushed into poverty in Jerusalem and the West Bank. We do not want places like the Church of the Nativity or the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, to become museums.”
H.E. Ambassador Omar Awadallah stressed the importance of recognizing the International Court’s opinion, saying the current normalization of attacking hospitals, schools, shelters or places where innocent civilians are sheltering in the current war must stop. “All this needs a clear position coming out from the international community and those who have a moral stand, like the WCC,” he said.
WCC moderator Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm noted that the ultimate goal must be for Palestinians and Israelis to be able to live peacefully together in the region, in accordance with international law.
Bedford-Strohm expressed gratitude for all those working for justice and peace, even in the midst of immense suffering, and shared his prayer “that doors will eventually be opened towards a just peace for all people in the Holy Land.”
The pastoral solidarity visit to the Holy Land takes place online on 7-8 August 2024, due to the escalating developments in the region. The delegation includes Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, moderator of the World Council of Churches; Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the WCC; Dr Audeh Quawas, member of the WCC central committee and executive committee; Dr. Michel Abs, general secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches; Erik Lysén, moderator of ACT Alliance; Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, general secretary of ACT Alliance; Alistair Dutton, Caritas Internationalis secretary general.
During the 7-8 August virtual meetings, the WCC leadership held meetings with the Heads of Churches, including the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, Bishop Sani Azar, Head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum. They also met with the parents of 23-year-old detained Palestinian student Layan Nassir, along with other prominent Palestinians and organizations.
https://oikoumene.org/news/wcc-leadership-meets-parents-of-detained-palestinian-anglican-student
https://oikoumene.org/news/hearing-the-voices-of-churches-on-the-ground-patriarch-heads-of-churches-in-jerusalem-receive-online-solidarity-visit
https://oikoumene.org/news/medical-staff-share-realities-from-the-field-in-gaza
