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[Sheila MESA <smm@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches
Press Release
For Immediate Use
18 September 1997

CENTRAL COMMITTEE     No.  12

WCC OFFICERS SEND LETTER OF SOLIDARITY TO HOLY LAND
CHRISTIANS

In a letter sent to churches in Jerusalem today (18 Sept.), the World
Council of Churches (WCC) has offered its condolences to the surviving
victims and bereaved families of the recent bombings in the Holy Land
and expressed "solidarity with all those who are the victims of
unacceptable collective punishment", adding: "We denounce all forms of
violence, whether by individuals or authorities."

Referring to "the continuing deterioration of the situation in the Holy
Land", the "message of solidarity" to the churches also expresses the
"grave concern and deep sense of sadness" of the WCC's governing
body, the 156-strong Central Committee, whose annual nine-day meeting
at Geneva is drawing to a close. The letter is signed by the Committee's
Moderator, His Holiness Aram I (Armenian Apostolic Church), the General
Secretary, the Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser (Evangelical Church in Germany),
and two Vice-Moderators, Ephorus Dr Soritua Nababan (Batak Protestant
Christian Church, Indonesia) and Pastora N‚lida Ritchie (Evangelical
Methodist Church of Argentina).

The WCC leaders blame "the intransigent present Israeli policies" and
"lack of courage" by international leaders for endangering the Middle East
peace process.   Referring to delays in fulfilling the interim agreements
for establishing Palestinian self-rule, they say: "We strongly condemn the
non-implementation and violation of the Oslo Agreements as well as the
deadlock of the peace negotiations which is a major cause of the
continuing cycle of violence."

"Without the recognition of the rights of both peoples, of the need to
acknowledge the common history of both Palestinians and Israelis in this
land," says the letter, "there can never be any lasting peace for true
reconciliation and healing of the deep wounds they have suffered over
decades."  The signatories pray that all parties will start afresh "before
the peace process collapses completely, bringing devastating
consequences for the whole region".

**********
The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 330, in
more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions.  The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but
works cooperatively with the WCC.  The highest governing body is the
Assembly, which meets approximately every seven years.  The WCC
was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  Its staff is
headed by general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church
in Germany.

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