The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine has commended the bold and principled stance of the World Council of Churches (WCC), describing it as a historic step toward justice and a meaningful affirmation of the Palestinian people’s rights. The Committee hailed the WCC’s position as a powerful reflection of the global Church’s commitment to the values of freedom, human dignity, and human rights.
In a statement issued at the conclusion of its meetings in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Central Committee of the WCC described Israel’s policies toward the Palestinian people as amounting to a system of apartheid, an egregious violation of international law and moral conscience. The Council called for an immediate end to the occupation, the lifting of the blockade on Gaza, and for Israel to be held accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people.
Representing more than 350 churches worldwide, the WCC emphasized that the unbearable suffering in Gaza, coupled with the intensifying repression in the West Bank and Jerusalem, requires an urgent and unequivocal global church response grounded in the principles of justice, truth, and international law.
The Council urged the international community to take concrete action by imposing sanctions, divesting from companies complicit in the occupation, and enacting an arms embargo on Israel. It also expressed strong support for the work of the International Criminal Court and United Nations mechanisms investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The statement placed special emphasis on the importance of supporting Palestinian churches and Christian communities, declaring:
” Support for the resilience and witness of Palestinian Christian churches and communities, upholding their right to remain on their land and to freely practice their faith.”
The WCC also praised the South African government’s leadership in pursuing legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice and urged all nations to respect international law and comply with the Court’s rulings.
The statement concluded with a call to action, urging churches around the world not to remain silent or passive, but to actively engage in solidarity with the Palestinian people:
“Churches worldwide are called to witness, to speak out, and to act.”
Below is the full statement:
WCC central committee: end apartheid, occupation, and impunity in Palestine and Israel
The World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee expressed “deep lamentation and outrage” as the crisis in Palestine and Israel escalates to levels that flagrantly violate international humanitarian and human rights law as well as the most basic principles of morality.
“We recognize a clear distinction between the Jewish people, our siblings in faith, and the acts of the Government of Israel, and we reaffirm that the WCC stands firm against any kind of racism, including antisemitism, anti-Arab racism, and islamophobia,” reads a statement released by the WCC governing body. “However, the unbearable suffering inflicted on the people of Gaza, and the escalating violence and oppression in the West Bank and in Jerusalem compel the global fellowship of churches to speak with clarity, urgency, and commitment to the principles of justice under international law and ethics.”
The WCC reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to inter-religious dialogue and cooperation, and to international law as a framework for peace, justice, and accountability.
The statement calls for naming the reality of apartheid. “We recognize and denounce the system of apartheid imposed by Israel on the Palestinian people, in violation of international law and moral conscience,” the text reads.
The statement calls for implementing sanctions and accountability. “We call on states, churches, and international institutions to impose consequences for violations of international law, including targeted sanctions, divestment, and arms embargoes,” the text reads. “Full support must be given to the International Criminal Court and UN mechanisms investigating potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
The statement also affirms Palestinian rights and freedom, justice, return, and self-determination. “We demand the end of the occupation and the lifting of the unlawful blockade on Gaza,” reads the text.
Finally the statement calls for support for the resilience and witness of Palestinian Christian churches and communities, “upholding their right to remain on their land and to freely practice their faith.”
The statement concludes by commending the leadership of the South African government in seeking justice and accountability to international law through the International Court of Justice, and urge all states to comply with the court’s rulings. “Churches worldwide are called to witness, to speak out, and to act,” the statement concludes.
The WCC central committee is convening 18-24 June in Johannesburg, South Africa.
