March 5, 2008

World church body condemns violence from both sides in Gaza

The World Council of Churches’ general secretary, the Rev. Samuel Kobia, has expressed “absolute condemnation” of the escalation of attacks on civilians in Gaza and Israel.

"Incessant violations of life and of human rights must stop. We call on the government of Israel, the occupying power, to fulfil its legal obligations to the people of Gaza under the Geneva Conventions," Kobia said in a March 3 statement. "We absolutely condemn these deadly attacks on civilians by the Israeli military on Gaza and by militants firing rockets from Gaza."

Incessant attacks across the Gaza-Israel border have killed more than 100 Palestinians and three Israelis since February 27. More than 150 rockets, many of them long range, have been launched into Israel by Palestinian militants in that time.

Israel withdrew its troops and Jewish settlers from the Gaza strip in the summer of 2005 but continues to control passage into Gaza on its borders. Over the weekend beginning 1 March Israel initiated military action into Gaza using artillery and air strikes against areas from where missiles are fired.

There was a reminder of the results of the conflict for the tiny minority of Palestinian Christians in the empty places for the choir of the Beit Sahour school whose members were unable to attend a March 2 service in Jerusalem's Church of the Redeemer. There two pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Imad Haddad and Saliba Rishmawi, were ordained in the presence of Holy Land Bishop Munib Younan.

A week earlier in a speech at Evanston near Chicago, Bishop Younan said, "One of the Chief Rabbis of Israel told me once that he didn't understand why the Palestinians were suffering. I told him, 'This is exactly the problem! I as a Palestinian have to understand the deep trauma of the Holocaust, and you as an Israeli have to understand the pain of the Nakba [the displacement of Palestinian Arabs at the time of the foundation of Israel] and the continuing occupation. Though we should not compare our sufferings, we must understand each other. Only when we understand the pain of the other will we truly accept our common humanity'."

Violent demonstrations broke out in various cities throughout the West Bank following Israel's military reaction in Gaza and a 14-year-old Palestinian was killed near Hebron, a day before US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to visit the region.

In the past month Israel instituted a blockage of supplies into Gaza in protest oat the missiles, with limited amounts of fuel and food entering the strip. In recent, days supplies have moved through the Gaza crossings in a controlled manner.

In his statement Kobia called on the WCC's more than 340 member churches to join in education and advocacy activities during a week of International Church Action for Peace in Palestine and Israel from June 4 to 10. Kobia noted the main governing body of the WCC, its central committee, had in February called for an end to the embargo on Gaza. "It is especially incumbent on governments using or allowing the use of overwhelming military power to turn away from violence and oppression and take responsibility for negotiating a justice and lasting peace," said Kobia.