wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Violence against Gaza must stop immediately, WCC general secretary says

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World Council of Churches - News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 29/12/08 12:00:51

VIOLENCE AGAINST GAZA MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY, WCC GENERAL
SECRETARY SAYS

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr
Samuel Kobia has condemned "the violence against Gaza" and called
on "governments in the region and abroad" to seek the protection
of "those who are at risk [...] on both sides of the border". 

“The deaths and suffering of the last three days are dreadful and
shameful and will achieve nothing but more deaths and suffering,”
Kobia said in a 29 December statement. He was referring to the
“over 300 lives lost, more than 1,000 people wounded, [and]
uncounted thousands traumatized” in the Gaza strip as a result of
the “bombardment of one of the most densely populated places on
earth”. “This must stop immediately,” he added.

The statement reiterates previous WCC calls on “the government of
Israel and Hamas to respect international humanitarian and human
rights law,” and warns that in the present crisis the use of
Israeli military ground forces “would deepen the current
disaster”. 

The statement criticizes “policies that rely on cutting off
shipments of food, medicine and fuel for 1.5 million Gazans, and
on sending rockets across borders at random or ‘surgically’”. As
“a terrible period of deadlock and deprivation has now erupted
into greater violence,” the statement says, “the tired logic of
public officials blaming others while denying their own
government’s responsibilities has led to the loss of many lives”.

Reiterating a WCC central committee statement of last February
condemning the “collective punishment” of Gazans as well as
“attacks on civilians in and around Gaza,” Kobia expressed his
prayerful hope that “the New Year will bring new courage, new
leadership and new commitment to the difficult work of peace in
the Middle East”.

The full text of the WCC general secretary statement follows:

>STATEMENT ON THE GAZA CRISIS

The first word to say to the violence against Gaza is ‘Stop’.
Over 300 lives lost, more than 1,000 people wounded, uncounted
thousands traumatized, bombardment of one of the most densely
populated places on earth… this must stop immediately.
Governments in the region and abroad, the Arab League, the United
States, the European Union, and the United Nations must use their
good offices to see that all those who are at risk are protected,
on both sides of the border, and must ensure access for emergency
and medical aid. The deaths and suffering of the last three days
are dreadful and shameful and will achieve nothing but more
deaths and suffering. 

People around the world are looking for change that brings peace
closer in the Middle East. A terrible period of deadlock and
deprivation has now erupted into greater violence. Policies that
rely on cutting off shipments of food, medicine and fuel for 1.5
million Gazans and on sending rockets across borders at random or
‘surgically’ only confirm how far from the path of peace the
current authorities have strayed. To use ground forces would
deepen the current disaster. Collective punishment against one’s
neighbors is illegal and has no place in building peace. 

In the countries involved in this conflict, churches and church
members are looking to their governments to take up the urgent
work of securing a viable future for Palestinians, Israelis and
their neighbors. The tired logic of public officials blaming
others while denying their own government’s responsibilities has
led to the loss of many lives. Governments need now to be
accountable for peace.

At the beginning of 2008, the World Council of Churches central
committee condemned attacks on civilians in and around Gaza,
called for all who exercise authority over Gaza including the
government of Israel and Hamas to respect international
humanitarian and human rights law, and urpray and work for a just and lasting peace between Israelis and
Palestinians. 

At the end of 2008, in this season of religious celebrations, it
is a tragedy that the same measures are more necessary than ever.
Our prayer is that the New Year will bring new courage, new
leadership and new commitment to the difficult work of peace in
the Middle East.

>Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia
>General Secretary
>World Council of Churches
>29 December 2008

WCC central committee minute on the humanitarian situation in the
Gaza Strip, February 2008:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=5614

Additional information: 

Juan Michel +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@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 Samuel Kobia, from
the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.