For immediate release: 29 December 2008
Violence against Gaza must stop immediately, WCC general secretary says
The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has condemned ”the violence against Gaza” and called on ”governments in the region and abroad” to seek the protection of ”those who are at risk […] on both sides of the border”. \u201cThe deaths and suffering of the last three days are dreadful and shameful and will achieve nothing but more deaths and suffering,\u201d Kobia said in a 29 December statement. He was referring to the \u201cover 300 lives lost, more than 1,000 people wounded, [and] uncounted thousands traumatized\u201d in the Gaza strip as a result of the \u201cbombardment of one of the most densely populated places on earth\u201d. \u201cThis must stop immediately,\u201d he added.The statement reiterates previous WCC calls on \u201cthe government of Israel and Hamas to respect international humanitarian and human rights law,\u201d and warns that in the present crisis the use of Israeli military ground forces \u201cwould deepen the current disaster\u201d. The statement criticizes \u201cpolicies that rely on cutting off shipments of food, medicine and fuel for 1.5 million Gazans, and on sending rockets across borders at random or \u2018surgically\u2019\u201d. As \u201ca terrible period of deadlock and deprivation has now erupted into greater violence,\u201d the statement says, \u201cthe tired logic of public officials blaming others while denying their own government\u2019s responsibilities has led to the loss of many lives\u201d.Reiterating a WCC central committee statement of last February condemning the \u201ccollective punishment\u201d of Gazans as well as \u201cattacks on civilians in and around Gaza,\u201d Kobia expressed his prayerful hope that \u201cthe New Year will bring new courage, new leadership and new commitment to the difficult work of peace in the Middle East\u201d.<\/p>\n
The full text of the WCC general secretary statement follows:<\/strong> Rev. Dr Samuel KobiaGeneral SecretaryWorld Council of Churches29 December 2008<\/p>\n Vi k\u00e4nner igen orden fr\u00e5n \u00e4nglarnas s\u00e5ng i samband med att en Herrens \u00e4ngel f\u00f6rkunnade det glada budskapet om det m\u00e4rkliga barnet. Vi har just firat jul och glatt oss \u00f6ver att f\u00e5 lovsjunga Jesus Kristus som den som \u00e4r fredsfursten. Men samtidigt kan man fr\u00e5ga: Ska det aldrig ta slut p\u00e5 konflikten i Mellan\u00f6stern? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16115],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-och-pa-jorden-fred-at-dem-han-har-utvalt"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Statement on the Gaza crisisThe first word to say to the violence against Gaza is \u2018Stop\u2019. Over 300 lives lost, more than 1,000 people wounded, uncounted thousands traumatized, bombardment of one of the most densely populated places on earth\u2026 this must stop immediately. Governments in the region and abroad, the Arab League, the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations must use their good offices to see that all those who are at risk are protected, on both sides of the border, and must ensure access for emergency and medical aid. The deaths and suffering of the last three days are dreadful and shameful and will achieve nothing but more deaths and suffering. People around the world are looking for change that brings peace closer in the Middle East. A terrible period of deadlock and deprivation has now erupted into greater violence. Policies that rely on cutting off shipments of food, medicine and fuel for 1.5 million Gazans and on sending rockets across borders at random or \u2018surgically\u2019 only confirm how far from the path of peace the current authorities have strayed. To use ground forces would deepen the current disaster. Collective punishment against one\u2019s neighbors is illegal and has no place in building peace. In the countries involved in this conflict, churches and church members are looking to their governments to take up the urgent work of securing a viable future for Palestinians, Israelis and their neighbors. The tired logic of public officials blaming others while denying their own government\u2019s responsibilities has led to the loss of many lives. Governments need now to be accountable for peace.At the beginning of 2008, the World Council of Churches central committee condemned attacks on civilians in and around Gaza, called for all who exercise authority over Gaza including the government of Israel and Hamas to respect international humanitarian and human rights law, and urged member churches to pray and work for a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. At the end of 2008, in this season of religious celebrations, it is a tragedy that the same measures are more necessary than ever. Our prayer is that the New Year will bring new courage, new leadership and new commitment to the difficult work of peace in the Middle East.<\/p>\n