wfn.org | Lutheran World Federation Protests Wall in Middle East

[NEWS@ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 26, 2004

Lutheran World Federation Protests Wall in Middle East
04-027-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- To protest against the construction of a
wall designed to separate Israel from Palestinian territories in
the West Bank, the executive committee of the Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) adopted the statement, "Break Down the Walls,"
on Feb. 22.
     The statement was issued while hearings about the
construction of the wall opened at the International Court of
Justice in The Hague, Netherlands.
     Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the LWF is a global communion
of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition.  Founded in
1947, the LWF now has 136 member churches in 76 countries
representing 62.3 million of the worlds nearly 66 million
Lutherans.   The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is
a member of the LWF.  The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop
of the ELCA, serves as LWF president and chair of the executive
committee.
     At its Feb. 21-23 meeting in Geneva, the committee called
for "an end to both the construction of the wall and to the
creation and support of settlements in the [Israeli-] Occupied
Palestinian Territories."
     "The wall cannot create the peace that both Israelis and
Palestinians deserve and that we desire and pray for," said the
statement.  "The separation wall in Israel-Palestine is an
obstacle to dialogue and mutual understanding.	It is an obstacle
to a just peace.  It violates applicable principles of
international humanitarian and human rights law."
     The committee also drew attention to the fact that the
construction of the wall is worsening "the already intolerable
situation that is forcing the exodus of Palestinian Christians."
     In its statement, the committee quoted the Rev. Munib A.
Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan
(ELCJ) and Palestine, and LWF vice president for Asia:	"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 "Break Down the Walls" is available at
http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/1406.EN.html on the
Internet.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news