Religious Efforts for Peace in the Holy Land

 A moment of truth: A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering 
We, a group of Christian Palestinians, after prayer, reflection and an exchange of opinion, cry out from within the suffering in our country, under the Israeli occupation, with a cry of hope in the absence of all hope, a cry full of prayer and faith in a God ever vigilant, in God’s divine providence for all the inhabitants of this land. Inspired by the mystery of God's love for all, the mystery of God’s divine presence in the history of all peoples and, in a particular way, in the history of our country, we proclaim our word based on our Christian faith and our sense of Palestinian belonging – a word of faith, hope and love. more

 The Wittenberg Door: An Open Letter to Evangelicals and Others: The People of God, the Land of Israel, and the Impartiality of the Gospel 
Evangelical ministers and others - Recently a number of leaders in the Protestant community of the United States have urged the endorsement of far-reaching and unilateral political commitments to the people and land of Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, citing Holy Scripture as the basis for those commitments. To strengthen their endorsement, several of these leaders have also insisted that they speak on behalf of the seventy million people who constitute the American evangelical community. more

 Presbyterian Divestment – Still on the Table 
Presbyterian Israel-Palestine Mission Network - The Presbyterian Church (USA)'s 217th General Assembly retained the process known as "phased, selective divestment." The current resolution urges investments "only in peaceful pursuits" in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank including East Jerusalem; and affirms the "customary corporate engagement process" of the Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (MRTI) charged with carrying out General Assembly policy. more

 World Council of Churches Gives Nod to Israeli Divestment Proposal 
Stephen Brown in Ecuemenical News International - The World Council of Churches (WCC) on February 21 urged its members to consider economic measures to oppose Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and praised the action of a U.S. denomination that has started a process of selective divestment from companies linked to the occupation. more

 Speaking to the Presbyterians About Selective Divestment 
Liat Weingart - On February 8, 2005, JVP Co-director Liat Weingart and Israeli human rights attorney Shamai Leibovitz spoke to an audience of members of the Presbyterian Church in Chicago. Read a transcript of Liat’s speech | Watch Video of Liat Weingart’s Speech | Watch Video of Shamai Leibovitz’s Speech

 From Jew to Jew: Why We Should Oppose the Israeli Occupation 
A Jewish Voice for Peace - Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, A JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE is the oldest and largest of a growing number of Jewish groups that are convinced that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory must end. There are two compelling reasons for this. First, we wish to preserve the best part of our Jewish heritage—a deeply-ingrained sense of morality—and pass it on to the next generation, unsullied by the mistreatment of another people. more

 Anglican Peace and Justice Network Statement on the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict 
Anglican Peace and Justice Network - We note the continuing policies of illegal home demolitions, detentions, checkpoints, identity card systems and the presence of the Israeli military that make any kind of normal life impossible. We call on Israel to end its abuse of Palestinian rights and for the creation of an independent state of Palestine. more

 Israel’s Christian Problem 
Robert Novak on CNN - There is hardly a more resolute supporter of Israel in Congress than Rep. Henry Hyde, the venerable chairman of the House International Relations Committee. That is why his March 25 letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell is so important. It is a plea to deflect Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s wall around the Holy Land from its planned position blocking the Scriptural pathway of Jesus Christ. more

 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church Endorses Israel Divestment 
Alexa Smith from the Presbyterian Church - The Assembly approved several measures opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestine, including a call for the corporate witness office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to begin divestment of holdings in multinational corporations doing business in Israel/Palestine. more

 Christians Choose Love Over Empire: Opposition to Christian Zionism 
Sabeel - Christian Zionism is a modern theological and political movement that embraces the most extreme ideological positions of Zionism, thereby becoming detrimental to a just peace within Palestine and Israel. The programme provides a worldview where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of empire, colonialism, and militarism. In its extreme form, it places an emphasis on apocalyptic events leading to the end of history rather than living Christ’s love and justice today. more

 Choosing to Act: Anti-Semitism is Wrong 
Alison Weir - Perhaps one of the most difficult things for a decent person to do is to act in a way that feels somehow disloyal. To betray one’s family and friends, one’s deeply held principles, is wrenching, disorienting, shaming. For a decent person, it is profoundly difficult to do something that feels so immeasurably wrong. more

 World Council of Churches Demands Israel Dismantle Barrier 
World Council of Churches - The executive committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has issued a powerful appeal to the Israeli government demanding that they “stop and reverse the construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories”. more

 Living With the Holocaust 
Sara Roy - Some months ago I was invited to reflect on my journey as a child of Holocaust survivors. This journey continues and shall continue until the day I die. Though I cannot possibly say everything, it seems especially poignant that I should be addressing this topic at a time when the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is descending so tragically into a moral abyss and when, for me at least, the very essence of Judaism, of what it means to be a Jew, seems to be descending with it. more

 ‘Aggressive Pacifists’ Put Their Faith on the Firing Line 
Cameron W. Barr in the Christian Science Monitor - Christian Peacemaker Teams strain to shield Palestinians and cool Israeli tempers. more