Thirteenth Assembly adopts public statement on Christian presence and life in the Holy Land
(LWI) – Respect and ensure the access to Holy Sites in Jerusalem for believers of all three religions and end the illegal expansion of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories. Those are the calls from the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in a public statement on Christian presence and life in the Holy Land that was adopted on the final day of the Thirteenth Assembly in Kraków, Poland.
In the statement, LWF voices deep concern about the violence and loss of lives in Israel-Palestine. It expresses its solidarity with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and affirms the LWF-owned and operated Augusta Victoria Hospital “as a sign of its commitment to the Palestinian community and a symbol of hope in these extremely troubled times.”
The Assembly calls on the international community to address the protracted conflict in Israel-Palestine, and to hold the State of Israel accountable for the violations of human rights and the international law, and to “find a lasting solution which would end of the half-century-long illegal occupation of Palestinian Territories and ensure peace, justice and equal rights for all.” The statement equally calls upon LWF member churches to “examine, discuss, discern and respond to” the reports by international human rights organizations of systemic discrimination against Palestinians.
