News
At the conclusion of a first-ever summit of churches in the USA and the Holy Land, participants issued a peace statement that underscores the theological and ethical urgency for a just peace in the Holy Land.
The document, entitled “Pursuing Peace and Strengthening Presence: The Atlanta Summit of Churches in the USA and the Holy Land,” affirmed that Christian churches have a responsibility to take an active role in bringing the chronic conflict to a just peace.
Participants in the summit, held 19-20 April in Atlanta, Georgia (USA), discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as well as challenges to peace throughout the Middle East region.
“A just peace would take away from those who take advantage by exploiting this conflict to serve their own motives, thereby compounding the perpetuation of injustices,” states the text.
The peace statement calls for the end of continuing occupation of Palestinian lands beyond the 1967 borders. “We need to focus on bringing an end to the many elements of occupation including second class citizenship that is an affront to Christ’s message of love and inclusivity,” reads the document. “The continuing expansion of illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands increasingly dims the hopes and realistic prospects for a two-state solution and is a major threat to peace.”
Full statement: "Pursuing Peace and Strengthening Presence: The Atlanta Summit of Churches in the USA and the Holy Land"
Churches of the Holy Land attend summit in the United States (WCC news release 21 April 2016)
WCC solidarity with churches in the Middle East
