Lutheran World Body Calls for Peace and Reconciliation in Israel-Palestine

Jerusalem, Feb. 27 : Lutheran World Federation reiterated its calls for peace and security for all the people of Israel-Palestine in its meeting in Geneva.

The Lutheran World Federation(LWF) Executive Committee comprising 13 members, who gathered in Geneva from February 21-23 reiterated the LWF’s commitment to “peace and security for all the people of Israel-Palestine can only be found through dialogue, mutual understanding and the restoration of broken relationships?

The committee members condemned indiscriminate acts of violence that target civilians, and emphasized that “all of the people of Israel-Palestine have a right to be protected from such indiscriminate violence and collective attacks and punishments.?At the same time, however, they stressed that the wall “cannot create the peace that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve,?describing it is an obstacle to dialogue, mutual understanding and a just peace.

“Break Down the Walls?is the title of a statement adopted February 22 by the Executive Committee of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) protesting against the construction of the separation wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The committee also drew attention to the fact that the construction of the separation wall is worsening “the already intolerable situation that is forcing the exodus of Palestinian Christians." In this respect, its members expressed their fear “of the imminent extinction of the indigenous Christian church in the Holy Land.?

They quoted LWF Executive Committee member Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ) and LWF vice-president for the Asia region, who said, “we need to find ways to bring about more communication, not less; more face-to-face encounters, not less; more avenues to peace and reconciliation, not less.?The ELCJ has congregations in Israel, Jordan and Palestine.

The full text of "the Statement" and "Break Down the Walls" is available at
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/1406.EN.html on the
Internet.