Palestine

The 2017 General Council received a call from the Palestinian Christian community to respond to the continuing crisis in their homeland.

The assembly responded with Action 55 which states that the General Council:

  • affirms that, with respect to the situation of injustice and suffering that exists in Palestine, and the cry of the Palestinian Christian community, the integrity of Christian faith and praxis is at stake;
  • instructs the Secretariat to initiate a programme to:
    • collect studies and materials that speak to the cry of the Palestinian people, and try to transform the conflict to make it a just and peaceful society, making them available to member churches; and
    • undertake study and discernment, using the resources available from
      member churches and the ecumenical movement, regarding theology that has been employed to legitimate the oppression of the Palestinian people, recognizing that such a study might result in the need for prophetic action;
  • encourages the Executive Committee to seek to strengthen initiatives for dialogues, civil peace services, mediation, conflict prevention and transformation.

Heeding that call, a mandate was issued to collect resources and engage in sharing those with a particular focus on how theologies are used to legitimate the continuing oppression of the Palestinian people.

This resource—Focus: Palestine—is the result. It is a comprehensive resource, spanning three parts, an extensive appendix, and linked videos. All of it may be freely downloaded, reproduced, and distributed for non-profit use with proper attribution.

“Hear the Palestinian address to the church. Listen to their stories and struggles; see their hope and resilience. And then, ‘Go and Tell,’ and boldly act. It is our hope that this handbook will encourage you in that truth-telling. May it be a pilgrimage of the heart, but even more, a journey into solidarity and justice.” —co-authors Katherine Cunningham and Noushin Darya Framke

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Video Links

Focus: Palestine Launch Webinar

WCRC Calls and Statements regarding Palestine

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