Church responses to the recent violence Since the outbreak of the Second Palestinian Uprising on 28 September 2000, the WCC International Affairs, Peace & Human Security team has compiled a collection of statements, letters and appeals regarding the situation in the Holy Land from WCC member churches and ecumenical partners. The compilation is regularly updated.

Statements by the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem

Statements following church and ecumenical delegations to the Holy Land

General index of church and ecumenical statements

Issue 16, 2 May 2002	Issue 17,14 June 2002
To receive a copy of a statement NOT posted on this site, or to share your church and ecumenical statements on the Israeli-Palestinian situation, please e-mail WCC International Affairs, Peace & Human Security staff at WCC Contact

Statements by the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem Individual statements and press releases issued by Jerusalem-based churches and religious organizations are posted immediately after release on Worldwide Faith News www.wfn.org (source=JerusalemRelOrgs@aol.com) 6 February 2006 call from the heads of churches in Jerusalem to Christians around the world to join 12-19 March efforts "to make a public witness for peace" / en français / auf Deutsch 26 August 2003 statement by the heads of churches in Jerusalem regarding the Separation Wall 10 April 2002 letter from the churches to the United Nations Security Council 26 March 2002: Easter message from Jerusalem 9 March 2002: A call from the heads of churches in Jerusalem to all the people in this Holy Land, Palestinians and Israelis 19 October 2001: Statement by the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem 7 August 2001: A Call to Prayer by the heads of the churches in Jerusalem 15 April 2001: Common Easter Message by TB the patriarchs and TE the heads of the churches of Jerusalem 24 March 2001: Appeal from the Churches of Jerusalem 17 December 2000: Common Christmas Message 2000 of Their Beatitudes the Patriarchs and Headsof the Christian Communities in the Holy Land 21 November 2000: Pastoral letter issued by the Heads of the Churches of the Middle East at their meeting on 20 and 21 November, 2000 in Bkirke, Lebanon 9 November 2000: A Faithful Appeal from the Churches of Jerusalem 12 October 2000: Homily by H.B. Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarchate, on behalf of the heads of churches (at Jerusalem Ecumenical Worship service) Statements following church and ecumenical delegations to the Holy Land April 2002: "By My Spirit". What will make for peace in the Middle East? Statement by delegation of US church leaders to the Middle East, April 2002 April 2002: Ecumenical delegation of peace pilgrims organized by the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, Pax Christi International and Church and Peace 26 March 2001: Churches Together in Britain and Ireland reflections on an ecumenical visit to the Middle East 26 February 2001: World Alliance of YMCA's statement on a November 2000 visit to the West Bank 12 December 2000: Final statement by a US Christian ecumenical delegation to the Holy Land General index of church and ecumenical statements September 2000 - December 2001 To receive a copy of a statement NOT posted on this site, or to share your church and ecumenical statements on the Israeli-Palestinian situation, please e-mail WCC International Affairs, Peace & Human Security staff at WCC Contact From the WCC general secretary and governing bodies General Secretary Letter to UN secretary general Mr Kofi Annan by general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, 10 October 2000 Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the WCC Written statement at the Fifth Special Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 16 October 2000 General Secretary Pastoral letter by General Secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser to Their Beatitudes the Patriarchs and Heads of Christian Communities in Jerusalem, 12 December 2000 Central Committee Minute on the 'Situation in the Holy Land after the Outbreak of the Second Palestinian Uprising', 5 February 2001 Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the WCC Oral Statement at the 57th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 29 March 2001 Executive Committee Resolution on 'Ecumenical Response to the Palestinian - Israeli Conflict', 14 September 2001 Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the WCC Statement on the occasion of the Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, 5 December 2001 From WCC Member Churches and Ecumenical Partners In the Middle East Heads of Churches in Jerusalem Appeal from the Churches of Jerusalem, 24 March 2001 Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Message to the WCC from HB Patriarch Torkom Manoogian, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, 3 December 2001 Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East Statement by HG Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, 4 October 2000 Urgent appeal by HG Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, 9 October 2000 Statement by HG Bishop Riah Abu El Assal, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem, 7 April 2001 Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and Palestine Letter to the General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation by HG Bishop Munib A. Younan, Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem, 11 October 2000 Open letter by HG Bishop Munib A. Younan, Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem, 25 October 2000 Letter to President Bush by HG Bishop Munib A. Younan, Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem, 31 January 2001 Statement by HG Bishop Munib A. Younan, Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem, 28 August 2001 Statement by HG Bishop Munib A. Younan, Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem,29 August 2001 Christmas Message 2001 by HG Bishop Munib A. Younan, Lutheran Bishop in Jerusalem, 21 December 2001 Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem Message to the WCC from HB Patriarch Irineos I, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, 1 December 2001 Heads of the Churches of the Middle East Pastoral letter, 21 November 2000 Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem Lenten message from HB Patriarch Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, February 2001 Message to the WCC from HB Patriarch Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, 6 December 2001 Christmas Message 2001 by HB Patriarch Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, December 2001 In North America American Friends Service Committee Open letter to the governments of Israel, Palestine and the US by Mary Ellen McNish, General Secretary, 2 October 2000 Letter to UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan by Mary Ellen McNish, General Secretary, 23 October 2001 A Call to End the Violence and Build the Peace, 14 December 2001 Canadian Christian Leaders Statement for Peace with Justice in the Middle East, 4 January 2001 Churches for Middle East Peace Letter to National Security Council Director Mr Bruce Riedel, 17 October 2001 Statement, 3 December 2001 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Statement on Augusta Victoria Hospital by The Rev. H. George Anderson, Presiding Bishop, 3 October 2000 Letter to President Clinton by The Rev. H. George Anderson, Presiding Bishop, 12 October 2000 Church-wide Assembly Resolution on Middle East, 9 August 2001 Statement by Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop, 23 December 2001 Episcopal Church USA Letter to President Clinton by Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate, 9 October 2000 Letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell by Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate, 21 June 2001 Statement on the Israeli occupation of Beit Jala by the Rt. Rev. Christopher Epting, Presiding Bishop's Deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, 29 August 2001 Presbyterian Church (USA) Letter to President Clinton by Rev. Dr Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, October 2000 Letter to all Presbyterians by Rev. Dr Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, 19 December 2000 Letters to President Arafat and Prime Minister Sharon by Rev. Dr Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, 28 August 2001 Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas Statement on Middle East, 4 January 2001 United Church of Canada - Global Relationships Resolution on a Just Peace in the Middle East, 5 February 2001 United Church of Christ - Disciples of Christ Statement on Palestinian/Israeli conflict, 18 October 2000 Resolution on the 'Current Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Supporting Actions toward Ending Israeli Occupation and Establishing a Palestinian State' by the Common Global Ministries Board of Directors, 11 November 2001 United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society Statement by Thom White Wolf Fasset, General Secretary, 18 October 2000 United Methodist Church - General Board of Global Ministries Statement on the current crisis in the Palestinian Territories and Israel, 18 October 2000 United Methodist Church - Council of Bishops Resolution on the Middle East, May 2001 US Christian Ecumenical Delegation to the Holy Land Final Statement, 12 December 2000 US Church Leaders Letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell on the Palestinian - Israeli conflict, 7 June 2001 Letter to Prime Minister Sharon and President Arafat, June 2001 In Europe Church of England Statement for Peace in the Middle East by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. George Carey, 10 October 2000 Russian Orthodox Church Address by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia to the Conference 'The Holy Land and Russian Palestinian Relations', 11 October 2000 Church of Scotland Statement on the situation in Israel and Palestine, 12 October 2000 Church of Norway Statement by the Commission on International Affairs of the Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations, 13 October 2000 Church of Sweden 'Yes to Peace and International Law - Stop the Violence in the Middle East' Appeal, initiated by the Church of Sweden with Caritas, Diakonia and the Olof Palmes International Centre, November 2000 Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark Council on International Relations statement with the Ecumenical Council of Denmark and Danchurchaid, February 2001 Evangelical Church in Germany Synod Resolution on the Situation in Israel and Palestine (in German), 8 November 2001 In Latin America United Evangelical Lutheran Church, Argentina Letter to Israeli Ambassador in Argentina (in Spanish), 28 August 2001 Christian World Communions Lutheran World Federation Letter to Prime Minister Barak from Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary, 2 October 2000 Letter to Prime Minister Barak and President Arafat from Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary, 2 October 2000 Letter to LWF member churches from Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary, 13 October 2000 Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions Letter to the Heads of Churches and Christian Communities in Jerusalem, 27 October 2000 Letters to Prime Minister Sharon, President Arafat and the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, 24 October 2001 Lutheran World Federation Letter to Prime Minister Sharon by Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, General Secretary, 28 August 2001 Regional and National Ecumenical organisations/ Catholic Bishops' Conferences Christian Council of Sweden Letter on Jerusalem to the Swedish government, 28 November 2000 Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Statement by CTBI Presidents on the Israel-Palestine crisis, 13 October 2000 Preliminary Reflections of Ecumenical Visit to the Middle East, 26 March 2001 Letter to UK Secretary of State Jack Straw by Paul Renshaw, Coordinating Secretary for International Affairs, 23 October 2001 Statement by CTBI Presidents on violence in the Holy Land, 17 December 2001 French Protestant Federation Letter to President Chirac by Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, President, 25 October 2001 Middle East Council of Churches Statement by Rev. Dr Riad Jarjour, General Secretary, 2 October 2000 Statement on the situation in Palestine by Rev. Dr Riad Jarjour, General Secretary, 10 October 2000 Statement on the Israeli invasion of Beit Jala by Rev. Dr Riad Jarjour, General Secretary, 31 August 2001 Middle East Working Group of Inter-Church Action, Canada Letter to Prime Minister Chrétien by Dale Hildebrand, Inter - Church Action Director, 13 October 2000 National Conference of Catholic Bishops/US Catholic Conference Resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, 19 June 2001 National Council of Churches in Australia Statement on the Middle East, 14 November 2000 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA Letters to President Bush and the five Heads of Churches in Jerusalem by Rev. Dr Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary, 30 August 2001 Statement on Escalating Israeli - Palestinian conflict by Rev. Dr Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary, 6 December 2001 Other Ecumenical Organisations East Jerusalem YMCA Open letter, 5 October 2000 Appeal to Partners on Israeli Collective Punishments, 19 October 2001 Church-related European and Canadian Agencies Statement on the situation in Israel/Palestine, 16 October 2000 Church representatives at the United Nations in New York Letter with other NGOs to the President of the UN Security Council, 23 August 2001 Pax Christi International Letter to Prime Minister Sharon by Etienne De Jonghe, International Secretary, 29 August 2001 President's and Bishops' Statement on Israel/Palestine, November 2001 World Alliance of YMCAs Statement on the attack on the YMCA Rehabilitation Centre in Beit Sahour, 3 November 2000 Statement on the November 2000 report of an international team visit to the West Bank by Mr Nicholas Nightingale, General Secretary, 26 February 2001 World YWCA Action alert on Israeli Military Incursion and Occupation of Palestine, 28 August 2001 YWCA Palestine Appeal, 22 October 2001 Back to "The WCC and the Palestinian-israeli conflict"