wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Dismay over Israeli military order expressed by WCC general secretary

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>World Council of Churches - News

WCC GENERAL SECRETARY EXPRESSES DISMAY OVER RECENT ISRAELI MILITARY  ORDER

>For immediate release: 21 April 2010

Expressing dismay at a recent Israeli military order redefining  the notion
of "infiltrator" in the occupied Palestinian territories, the general
secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse
Tveit, said he is "worried the new measures will be a severe obstacle
toward the process for a just peace."

Since 1969 the Israeli military defined an "infiltrator" as a person  who
unlawfully entered the occupied area. But in a recent amendment,  the
definition of "infiltrator" is "a person who entered the area unlawfully
following the effective date, or a person who is present in the  area and
does not lawfully hold a permit".

"This amendment will affect tens of thousands of Palestinians and
potentially confine them to their villages and towns creating an
atmosphere of fear in the occupied territories," observed Tveit.  "This
worsens the situation. Nobody, including the Palestinians, should  be
denied their basic human rights, that is, to be able to move and  have a
normal life."

It is a question of principle, Tveit said. "The Israeli government  should
immediately rescind this order because it is in contravention of  the
fourth Geneva Convention and the International Covenant on Civil  and
Political Rights. As a signatory to these international instruments  Israel
has a legal and moral responsibility to work within their frameworks."

He warned that "if the definition of 'infiltrator' is applied to
Palestinians born in Gaza and living in the West Bank, the military  will
be removing people who are 'protected residents' from one part of  the
occupied territory to the other, in a clear contravention of the  Article
49 of the Geneva Convention".

In a letter dated 11 April 2010, addressed to the Israeli defense  minister,
nine Israeli human rights organizations protested against this amended
order arguing that it is ambiguous about what Israel considers a  valid
permit and say that it gives the military provisions to prosecute  and/or
deport thousands of Palestinians who could now be defined as
"infiltrators".

In an alert released yesterday, the Palestine-Israel Ecumenical  Forum
(Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=552e94b12ff26be7adae  ) (PIEF)
called the order "a flagrant display of military arrogance" and  one which
will sever the Palestinians from vital economic, health, education,  and
social centers".

Tveit also expressed solidarity with the Christian group Kairos  Palestine
which emphasized that the order will "wrongly criminalize thousands  of
people". Kairos Palestine has called upon "churches worldwide to
publically demand the revocation of the order" issued by the Israeli
military authorities and "work to restore the justice that is both  our
calling and our right".

Addressing the assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia last  week on
the theme "Called to prophesy, reconcile and heal: an ecumenical
perspective (Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=ef9c97d0dba6 767b6839
)" Tveit said the December 2009 Kairos Document crafted by Palestinian
Christians calls the church to stand against injustice, violence  and
occupation. Tveit underlined how "our prophetic witness needs to  be
expressed through our love for the Palestinians as well as for the
Israelis, as all parties need healing and reconciliation". Tveit  urged all
churches to be aware of how severe actions in the region can disrupt  the
peace process.

Palestine-Israel Ecumenical Forum (Link:

http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=c4c581a55e7e11b6b440 )

Kairos Palestine statement: "New Military Order “Infiltrates�� �
Palestinian Rights" (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=09165443177be7311a5f
) (MS Word)

11 April letter by human rights organizations to the Israeli defense
minister (Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=39c35987399d2e9 90746
) (pdf)

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,  witness and 
service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship  of churches 
founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant,
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560  million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the  Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse  Tveit, from 
the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.