WCC NEWS: Holy Land: consolidating efforts for justice and peace

A week-long visit by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay to the Holy Land has drawn to a close, with the testimonies of local communities at the heart of the way ahead. Bethlehem, West Bank, where two days of consultations with member churches and local partners recently concluded. File Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 16 February 2026 Over the past week, Pillay has met with Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, staff and ecumenical accompaniers at the WCC Jerusalem Liaison Office, as well as with a range of other stakeholders and partners in the Holy Land – to hear the concerns and priorities of the local churches and communities. Beyond affirming the WCC’s continued commitment to both accompaniment of local communities and advocacy for justice and peace, the visit has served to review and strengthen strategic priorities for the council’s work in coming years – not least in view of the WCC central committee’s decision in June 2025, urging that “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 statement by the WCC Central Committee in Johannesburg in June 2025 was not only a necessary recognition of the deeply unjust realities our Palestinian brothers and sisters have to endure on a daily basis, but also sets the frame for how we engage as the WCC in this region, how we call for accountability for the countless human rights violations, violations of international law, and frankly the sheer harassment and discrimination systematically imposed on local Palestinian communities,” general secretary Pillay reflected at the conclusion of the week.  “A statement like the one in Johannesburg is not simply a singular event, but becomes an integral part of, and a direction for, how we live out our witness as a global fellowship of churches,” he added. And the WCC never works in isolation without a solid anchoring in the local communities, Pillay observed.  “For this reason it has been crucial to take time now to listen and reflect together with our local member churches and partners. Understanding the realities faced by our sisters and brothers in Palestine and Israel is crucial in making sure our efforts both help address their immediate needs and serve to support our shared long-term vision of a just peace for all people in the region, and indeed worldwide,” Pillay concluded. The general secretary also met with the Palestinian Presidential Committee on Church Affairs, the Mayor of Bethlehem and the Minister of Tourism, with a particular focus on laying groundwork for an upcoming WCC Executive Committee meeting to be held in the city later in the spring of 2026. He also conducted field visits and engaged insightful discussions with the local people. WCC general secretary meets Heads of Churches in Jerusalem WCC general secretary visits the Holy Land Statement on Palestine and Israel: A Call to End Apartheid, Occupation, and Impunity in Palestine and Israel 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 356 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 general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland