News
The World Council of Churches Executive Committee issued a minute, reaffirming its opposition to the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.
“The Executive Committee deeply regrets the announcement on 18 November that in the opinion of the United States government the ‘establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law.’ This announcement reverses longstanding US government policy, and has put the US at direct odds with the vast weight of international legal opinion and with the long-established policy of the international community through the United Nations,” the WCC minute reads.
The WCC rejects this position as both wrong in law and inimical to the pursuit of a just peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.
The WCC also affirmed “the right of the State of Israel to live in peace and security within the borders recognised by the international community, and equally recognize and support the same right for the Palestinian people.”
