WCC NEWS: WCC reiterates “constant call for an end to the occupation, and for equal human rights for all” in the Holy Land

In a public statement focused on the Holy Land, the WCC central committee expressed “deep solidarity with the member churches and Christians of the region in their life and work, keeping the Christian faith and witness in the Holy Land alive and vibrant, as well as with all people in the region.” Al-Bustan neighbourhood in Silwan, East Jerusalem. Photo: EAPPI/WCC 18 June 2022 The governing body also urged “all member churches and ecumenical partners, members of Jewish and Muslim communities, and all people of good will, to support the member churches and Christian communities of the Holy Land as essential components of the diverse multi-religious and multicultural nature of society in the region, including the Christian presence in the region.” The central committee welcomed the WCC’s continuing relationships with the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations and the World Jewish Congress, and the opportunities which they provide for dialogue on these issues. The statement “the government and authorities of Israel to ensure equal human rights for all people living under their responsibility, and to ensure accountability for attacks and violations against Palestinians, against the holy places, churches, Christian communities, Muslims and other groups, and to ensure free access to places of worship and holy sites.” The central committee also appealed “to all members of the international community and all WCC member churches and ecumenical partners to stand up for international law and to speak out against the looming evictions in Masafer Yatta and other threatened displacements of Palestinian communities in the occupied territories.” The statement concludes by reiterating “the WCC’s constant call for an end to the occupation, and for equal human rights for all in the region.” WCC Central Committee Statement on Threats to a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, and to the Christian Presence in the Holy Land WCC Central committee meeting, June 2022 WCC's work on Peace-building, Conflict transformation & Reconciliation: Middle East See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland