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As of today, a delegation of more than 30 Christians (mostly Presbyterians) and several ecumenical brothers and sisters have traveled to Palestine and Israel in solidarity with the suffering. Sponsored by the Israel/Palestine Missionary Network, this delegation responded to an invitation from Sabir Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and Kairos Palestine to demonstrate solidarity with a physical presence and leverage our Presbyterian network to reach Palestine. We want to mobilize Christians from all over the world. The United States continues to seek a durable ceasefire in Gaza and a just peace for all in the holy land.
The text below is an official statement shared on February 17, 2023.
Our delegation was planned in response to a call from our Palestinian-Israeli Christian partners. This is his PC(USA) delegation, with several ecumenical partners in attendance. The 35-member delegation includes a former General Conference moderator, five Interim Council officers, and several Presbyterian pastors and elders from 19 different presbyteries.
The purpose of this visit was to express solidarity with all those suffering in Palestine and Israel during this time of untold violence, and to advocate for an end to Israel’s genocidal bombing of Gaza and for organized action against Palestinians in Gaza and the Western Territories. It is to demand an end to ethnic cleansing. The Bank calls for the release of all Palestinian prisoners of war illegally held by Israel, an end to Hamas’s horrific acts of violence against civilians, and the return of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
We call attention to the increasing violence by Israel and the forced dispossession of Palestinians in the West Bank. In recent weeks, it has assassinated hundreds of Palestinians, placed entire communities under military closure, forcibly evicted Palestinian civilians and destroyed their homes, and arbitrarily detained adults and children.
We urgently call on Israel to urge the people of Gaza, who have suffered intolerable brutality, collective punishment and blatant human rights violations under Israeli military occupation for decades, and especially over the past four months. We ask that no action be taken to prevent the delivery of necessary relief supplies.
We join human rights organizations in Palestine and Israel and around the world. They argue that the current crisis comes within the context of Israel’s 76 years of violent dispossession of the Palestinian people, Israel’s ongoing deliberate ethnic cleansing of Palestine, apartheid policy, and Palestinian denial of the Palestinian people. It is claimed that this is happening in The right of return for Palestinian refugees.
We condemn in the strongest terms the United States government’s unconditional support to the Israeli government, which enables it to maintain its brutal military occupation of Palestine by providing arms, financial support, and diplomatic shields. Since October 7, the United States has supported Israel’s forced displacement of 2 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the killing of more than 27,000 people, including at least 10,000 children. We condemn the Biden administration’s decision to suspend aid to UNRWA, thereby ensuring that all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents who are in dire need of food and relief supplies while under Israeli military attack. I decided to refuse it.
We pledge to continue to pray for and encourage Palestinians and Israelis to engage in nonviolent action to achieve a future of justice, equality, and peace for all Palestinians and Israelis.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect official policy or position. Presbyterian Perspective.
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