CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL),
issued a Jan. 22 statement with other heads of churches in
Jerusalem and the Holy Land. The statement called Israel's
blockade of Gaza "illegal collective punishment, an immoral act
in violation of the basic human and natural laws as well as
International Law. It cannot be tolerated anymore. The siege
over Gaza should end now."
Israel eased the blockade later that day. Agence France-
Presse (AFP) reported that trucks carrying cooking gas,
industrial diesel and fuel oil entered Gaza. Israeli Defense
Minister Ehud Barak had ordered the strip sealed off Jan. 17 in
response to persistent rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.
The church leaders said the blockade "imprisoned" 1.5
million people "without proper food or medicine." The action
left large parts of the Palestinian territory, which also borders
Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea, without access to electricity.
"To deny children and civilians their necessary basic
commodities are not the ways to security but rather throw the
region into further and more dangerous deterioration. This siege
will not guarantee the end to rocket firing, but will only
increase the bitterness and suffering and invite more revenge,
while the innocents keep dying," said the statement.
The Christian leaders called on Palestinian officials "to
unite in ending their differences for the sake of their people in
Gaza. Put the differences aside and deal with this crisis for
the good of all human beings, demonstrating that you care for
your brothers and sisters who have suffered enough already."
The church leaders advised "all concerned parties" to stop
the violence. "While ever you persist in firing rockets into
Israel you encourage public opinion outside this land to feel
there is a justification for this siege," they said.
"We pray for the day when the people of Gaza will be free
from occupation, from political differences, from violence and
from despair. We pray for the Israelis and Palestinians to
respect human life and God's love for every human life, and to
take all possible measures to end this suffering," said the
church leaders.
The ELCJHL and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America are
member churches of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Younan
serves as an LWF vice president.
Other members of the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem and the
Holy Land include (Roman Catholic) Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah,
Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, Patriarch Torkom II
Manooghian of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church, Archbishop
Anba Abraham of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate and Anglican
Bishop Suheil Dawani.
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The full text of the statement is at
http://www.elcjhl.org/resources/statements/08jangaza.html on the
ELCJHL Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
