WCC NEWS: Churches to observe âWorld Week for Peace in Palestine Israelâ

["World Council of Churches" <news@wcc-coe.org>]

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CHURCHES TO OBSERVE âWORLD WEEK FOR PEACE IN PALESTINE ISRAELâ

For immediate release: 25 April 2012

To mark the World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel (WWPPI), Palestinian 
Christians will celebrate holy communion on Friday, 1 June in the orchard of 
the historic Cremisan monastery near Bethlehem. It is an area where Israel 
plans to confiscate land in order to extend its illegal separation barrier 
outside Jerusalem.

The WWPPI is an initiative of the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF) of 
the World Council of Churches (WCC). It will take place from 28 May to 3 June.

The week for peace aims to encourage Christians and people of faith to make a 
common witness by participating in worship, educational events and acts of 
advocacy to support the end of the Israeli occupation and a just peace for both 
Palestinians and Israelis.

As another example of activities being planned for the week, members of 
numerous faith traditions will rally in central Manila, Philippines, and march 
together to demand an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of the Palestinian 
territories.

Christian communities around the world will also join in offering special 
prayers for a just peace in Palestine and Israel, written for the occasion by 
the heads of churches in Jerusalem.

The focus for the week for peace this year is âdisplacement and dispossession,â 
given the recent escalation in the incidents of forcible relocation of 
Palestinians and confiscation of Palestinian land by the Israeli military.

UN reports have shown that almost 1,100 Palestinians, over half of them 
children, were displaced due to home demolitions by Israeli forces in 2011, 
over 80% more than in 2010. The Israeli forces destroyed 622 structures owned 
by Palestinians. Additionally, the number of rainwater cisterns and pools 
demolished doubled last year.

The UN reports make it clear that âforced displacement of Palestinian families 
and the destruction of civilian homes and other property by Israeli forces in 
the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have a serious humanitarian impact.â

Yusef Daher, executive secretary of the Jerusalem Inter-Church Centre and a 
lead organizer for WWPPI events in Palestine, witnesses the impact of these 
policies on a daily basis.

âPalestinians have known displacement since 1948, when a homeland was created 
for others on our own land. Ever since, Palestinians have been on the move, as 
a result of Israeli policies and military force,â says Daher.

âToo many Palestinians today, including thousands jailed for resisting the 
occupation, and millions living in refugee camps or in exile abroad, have been 
displaced from their original homes,â he adds.

The activities planned for the week attempt to demonstrate a strong show of 
commitment to peaceful actions against the continuing occupation. Local church 
groups and peace activists will advocate with government officials and 
community leaders by organizing activities focusing on the urgent need to end 
the ongoing injustices taking place in the region.

The WCC invites member churches, religious and community organizations and 
people of faith to join with peacemakers in the region and around the world by 
participating in the events of the week.
 
More information on the World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel:
http://lists.wcc-coe.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=jazjt,ebzp,usx,hcyj,t4d,ladi,6z1v

Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum:
http://lists.wcc-coe.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=jazjt,ebzp,usx,1eyx,11a4,ladi,6z1v

WCC programme "Churches in the Middle Eastâ:
http://lists.wcc-coe.org/ct.html?rtr=on&s=jazjt,ebzp,usx,cxwt,fal7,ladi,6z1v

To participate in WWPPI activities, email to: Michel Nseir: Michel.Nseir(at) 
wcc-coe.org and Ranjan Solomon: Ranjan.Solomon(at)wcc-coe.org

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. 

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