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January 22, 2008

Holy Land church leaders denounce Israel's blockade as ‘immoral’

by Ecumenical News International

JERUSALEM — Christian leaders in Jerusalem have condemned Israel’s blockade of Gaza as an immoral act that violates international law.

“To deny children and civilians their necessary basic commodities are not the ways to security,” the heads of churches in Jerusalem and the Holy Land warned in a Jan. 22 statement.

On the same day, Israel allowed a temporary easing of its blockade which has left large parts of the Palestinian territory, which also borders Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, without access to electricity. The closure by Israel of its border crossings with Gaza was intended to put pressure on Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets into southern Israel.

But, said the Christian leaders, “This siege will not guarantee the end to rocket firing, but will only increase the bitterness and suffering and invite more revenge, while the innocents keep dying.”

They stated, “One and a half million people imprisoned and without proper food or medicine. 800,000 without electricity supply; this is illegal collective punishment, an immoral act in violation of the basic human and natural laws as well as International Law.”

The church leaders also urged Palestinian factions to put an end to their differences for the sake of the people in Gaza, which has been under the control of the Hamas movement since it drove out leaders of the rival Fatah group from the territory after fierce fighting in mid-2007.

“Put the differences aside and deal with this crisis for the good of all human beings demonstrating that you care for your brothers and sisters who have suffered enough already,” the Christian leaders stated. “We would say to all concerned parties; while ever you persist in firing rockets into Israel you encourage public opinion outside this land to feel there is a justification for this siege.”

They added, “We pray for the Israelis and Palestinians to respect human life and God’s love for every human life, and to take all possible measures to end this suffering. Only bold steps towards just peace and ending the violence will protect the human life and dignity of both people.”

The Holy Land church leaders group has among its members the most senior Roman Catholic leader in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah; Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III; Patriarch Torkom II Manooghian of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church; Archbishop Anba Abraham of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate; Anglican Bishop Suheil Dawani; and Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land.

Editor’s note: Last week, two commissioners to the 217th General Assembly who served on the Assembly Committee on Peacemaking — which dealt extensively with issues of Middle East peace — issued a statement calling for an end to rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, for greater protection of Christian institutions in Gaza and for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to seek peaceful means to defuse the treacherous situation in Gaza. — Jerry L. Van Marter

The full text of the statement, issued by the Rev. Jan Bruce Armstrong of Santa Barbara Presbytery and the Rev. Noel Anderson of San Joaquin Presbytery: