wfn.org | WCC: Return from Jerusalem

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

World Council of Churches
Update Up-02-08
For Immediate Use
4 April 2002

Church offers to mediate Israeli-Palestinian conflict are being
ignored
WCC delegation returns from Jerusalem

Cf. WCC Press Release, PR-02-14, of 2 April 2002

Offers from church representatives to mediate in the current
crisis are being ignored by the Israeli government states Mr
Georges Lemopoulos, the deputy general secretary of the World
Council of Churches (WCC). Just back from a three-day visit to
Jerusalem, the comment was his first reaction to the WCC
delegation's experiences during their visit.

"Twice in two days, the church leaders offered themselves to
become mediators. And twice, they were preaching in the desert,"
he said. "The second time (on 3 April) the church leaders wanted
to go to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to emphasize and
ensure that the church is a place of peace. They were not allowed
through the checkpoints." 

"The only possible solution is to end the illegal occupation of
Palestinian territories. There is no other solution," Lemopoulos
stated. "But most immediately, the current military operation
must stop."

Members of the WCC delegation to Jerusalem, Lemopoulos and Ms
Salpy Eskidjian of the WCC International Relations team, will
present a first report on their findings at a meeting with the
press on Monday, 8 April, at 14h00 in Press Room II, Palais des
Nations, Geneva.

For further information, please contact Karin Achtelstetter,
Media Relations Officer           Tel:  (+41.22) 791.61.53  
	Mobile:  (+41) 79.284.52.12

**********

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches,
now 342, 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, The Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general
secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

World Council of Churches
Media Relations Office
Tel: (41 22) 791 6153 / 791 6421
Fax: (41 22) 798 1346
E-mail: ka@wcc-coe.org 
Web: www.wcc-coe.org 

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