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The Way of the Cross |
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Pentecost 2003
Resolution on Israel/Palestine
The Council of Jerusalem and the Middle East Church Association at their meeting held on 21st November 2002 endorsed the following Resolution passed by the General Synod of the Church of England in July 2002, and urged all parties mentioned in this Resolution to work for a just peace within the lands encompassed by the Diocese of Jerusalem in the Province of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. "That this Synod, led by its Christian faith and understanding and praying for the peace of Israel/Palestine, in the belief that Christians, Jews and Muslims are called to live together in peace and fellowship, based upon a common understanding of security and justice:
(a) express profound sorrow and dismay at the escalation of violence in Israel/Palestine and the untold human suffering that this has inflicted upon its people;
(b) understand that the root causes of the present conflict include Israel's illegal occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and its continued support of settlements in these areas;
(c) call upon the Israeli Government to withdraw from the Occupied Territories in compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions and at the same time upon the Palestinian Authority to condemn suicide bombing;
(d) welcome the Alexandria Declaration by religious leaders and urge all parties to work together in implementing it;
(e) urge the quartet comprising Russia, the European Union, United States and the United Nations, to use economic and diplomatic influence to uphold United Nations Security Council Resolutions, which provide justice for Palestinians and security for Israel, by working towards a viable two state solution, which guarantees the principles of pluralism, good governance, and respect for human rights; and
(f) request dioceses to renew and strengthen bonds of Christian fellowship with the Churches in Israel/Palestine by participating in pilgrimages, encouraging encounters with the 'living stones', and by exploring various expressions of solidarity with the indigenous Christian communities." |
