'Change in the air' for Mid-East Peace, says WCC

|PIC1|The World Council of Churches senses a “change is in the air” for peace in the Middle East as the World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel observed by thousands of member churches around the world wound up on Wednesday.

The WCC said in a statement earlier in the week that encouraging “new voices are advocating steps towards peace that churches have been promoting for years".

Believing that the 60-year-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict is on the verge of seeing a new light, Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, "There is really no situation that is intractable – none.”

The Nobel peace laureate compared the Palestine Israel conflict to the seemingly deadlocked situation in South Africa before the downfall of apartheid.

“Each [situation] is capable of being resolved, even this one that seemed so utterly intractable," he added.

This year, the time of holding the peace week came at an even more meaningful time, coinciding with US President Barack Obama’s visit to the Middle East.

Mr Obama advocated a "just peace" and two-state solution to the Middle East conflict in an address in Cairo last week to Muslims.

"It's time for people who have been refugees for 60 years to regain their rights and a permanent home," the churches' action week message said. For 60 years "the Palestinian people, Christian and Muslim … have endured the pain of dislocation", he said.

Mr Obama added: "All of us have a responsibility to work for the day … when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims."

The leader of over a billion Catholic faithful, Pope Benedict XVI said in his recent trip to Israel, "I come, like so many others before me, to pray at the holy places, to pray especially for peace - peace in the Holy Land and peace throughout the world."

The peace week carried the message, "It's time for Israelis and Palestinians to share a just peace.”

To begin the week in Bethlehem, local participants projected prayers for peace onto the separation wall at night. Later in the week, prayers were read out loud at checkpoints, in schools and in refugee camps.

Meanwhile, in at least seven of the participating countries, church delegations met government officials to urge concrete steps toward peace now.

|PIC1|In Manila, the Philippines, Christian and Muslim groups came together on 5 June to pray and demonstrate peacefully at the Israeli embassy. They held a candlelight vigil for peace.

"It's time to assist settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to make their home in Israel," said WCC member churches and others who join the week.

People and parishes in the European Union can get help in engaging local retailers about settlement products and lobbying their governments by using an advocacy paper on settlement products that was issued especially for this "World Week for Peace".

"It's time to share Jerusalem as the capital of two nations and a city holy to three religions," said the churches.

A public seminar in Norway tackled the topic of "Promised Land" as part of the action week. The 5 June event featured a pastor and author whose understanding had changed after a visit to the conflict zone.

"It's time to learn from past wrongs," said the World Week message. "It's time for equal rights. It's time to stop discrimination, segregation and restrictions on movement," it added.

In Scotland, parliamentarians reported to church and civil society leaders on solidarity visits to people in Gaza – one of several events in the week of action there.

Two church groups in the UK visited a local Israeli-owned company that makes engines for drones used against Gaza, before praying at a local church.

The churches said: "It's time to be revolted by violence and for civilians on both sides to be safe."

Sunday 7 June was the focal point of "World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel". An ecumenical service in East Jerusalem and services in dozens of countries used a prayer from Jerusalem's church leaders. Many parishes worshipped with a special liturgy from Ireland that included testimonies from young Israelis and Palestinians.

Participants with access to the internet were invited to send prayers to Bethlehem for "World Week" and to use the prayers collected there in Spanish, German and Italian now and in the future.

Now in its fourth year, the action week is organised annually by Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches and related ministries including Pax Christi International.

Christians in some 40 countries, including Kenya, Canada, the UK, the US, and Australia took part in the week of peace.