An increasing number of religious groups are working for peace. Many Jewish, Christian, and
Muslim organizations use a variety of tactics to lower the level of violence and bring the two sides to the
negotiating table.
(The articles listed below are from 2014 and earlier.)
Christian
Evangelicals increasingly support Palestinian human rights Alison Weir, If Americans Knew - An article in Middle East
Quarterly, a pro-Israel publication, reports that support for Israel is eroding among American
evangelical Christians, with only 30 percent currently stating support for Israel above Palestinians. more
A moment of
truth: A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering We, a group of Christian Palestinians, after prayer, reflection and an exchange of opinion, cry
out from within the suffering in our country, under the Israeli occupation, with a cry of hope in the
absence of all hope, a cry full of prayer and faith in a God ever vigilant, in God’s divine
providence for all the inhabitants of this land. Inspired by the mystery of God's love for all, the
mystery of God’s divine presence in the history of all peoples and, in a particular way, in the
history of our country, we proclaim our word based on our Christian faith and our sense of Palestinian
belonging – a word of faith, hope and love. more
The Wittenberg Door:
An Open Letter to Evangelicals and Others: The People of God, the Land of Israel, and the Impartiality
of the Gospel Evangelical ministers and others - Recently a number of leaders in the Protestant community of
the United States have urged the endorsement of far-reaching and unilateral political commitments to the
people and land of Israel in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, citing Holy Scripture as the basis for
those commitments. To strengthen their endorsement, several of these leaders have also insisted that
they speak on behalf of the seventy million people who constitute the American evangelical community. more
Presbyterian
Divestment – Still on the Table Presbyterian Israel-Palestine Mission Network - The Presbyterian Church (USA)'s 217th General
Assembly retained the process known as "phased, selective divestment." The current resolution urges
investments "only in peaceful pursuits" in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank including East Jerusalem; and
affirms the "customary corporate engagement process" of the Mission Responsibility Through Investment
Committee (MRTI) charged with carrying out General Assembly policy. more
World Council of Churches Gives Nod to Israeli Divestment
Proposal Stephen Brown in Ecuemenical News International - The World Council of Churches (WCC) on
February 21 urged its members to consider economic measures to oppose Israeli occupation of Palestinian
territory and praised the action of a U.S. denomination that has started a process of selective
divestment from companies linked to the occupation.
more
From Jew to Jew: Why We Should Oppose the Israeli
Occupation A Jewish Voice for Peace - Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, A JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE is the
oldest and largest of a growing number of Jewish groups that are convinced that the Israeli occupation
of Palestinian territory must end. There are two compelling reasons for this. First, we wish to preserve
the best part of our Jewish heritage—a deeply-ingrained sense of morality—and pass it on to
the next generation, unsullied by the mistreatment of another people.
more
Anglican Peace and Justice Network Statement on the
Israeli/Palestinian Conflict Anglican Peace and Justice Network - We note the continuing policies of illegal home demolitions,
detentions, checkpoints, identity card systems and the presence of the Israeli military that make any
kind of normal life impossible. We call on Israel to end its abuse of Palestinian rights and for the
creation of an independent state of Palestine.
more
Israel’s Christian Problem Robert Novak on CNN - There is hardly a more resolute supporter of Israel in Congress than Rep.
Henry Hyde, the venerable chairman of the House International Relations Committee. That is why his March
25 letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell is so important. It is a plea to deflect Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon’s wall around the Holy Land from its planned position blocking the Scriptural pathway
of Jesus Christ.
more
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church Endorses Israel
Divestment Alexa Smith from the Presbyterian Church - The Assembly approved several measures opposing the
Israeli occupation of Palestine, including a call for the corporate witness office of the Presbyterian
Church (USA) to begin divestment of holdings in multinational corporations doing business in
Israel/Palestine.
more
Christians Choose Love Over Empire:
Opposition to Christian Zionism Sabeel - Christian Zionism is a modern theological and political movement that embraces the most
extreme ideological positions of Zionism, thereby becoming detrimental to a just peace within Palestine
and Israel. The programme provides a worldview where the Gospel is identified with the ideology of
empire, colonialism, and militarism. In its extreme form, it places an emphasis on apocalyptic events
leading to the end of history rather than living Christ’s love and justice today.
more
Choosing to Act: Anti-Semitism is Wrong Alison Weir - Perhaps one of the most difficult things for a decent person to do is to act in a
way that feels somehow disloyal. To betray one’s family and friends, one’s deeply held
principles, is wrenching, disorienting, shaming. For a decent person, it is profoundly difficult to do
something that feels so immeasurably wrong.
more
World Council of Churches Demands Israel Dismantle
Barrier World Council of Churches - The executive committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) has
issued a powerful appeal to the Israeli government demanding that they “stop and reverse the
construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories”.
more
Living With the Holocaust Sara Roy - Some months ago I was invited to reflect on my journey as a child of Holocaust
survivors. This journey continues and shall continue until the day I die. Though I cannot possibly say
everything, it seems especially poignant that I should be addressing this topic at a time when the
conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is descending so tragically into a moral abyss and when, for
me at least, the very essence of Judaism, of what it means to be a Jew, seems to be descending with it.
more
Israel-Palestine Timeline: The human cost of the conflict records photos and information for each person who has been killed in the ongoing violence.
History of the Israel Lobby
Alison Weir's book Against Our Better Judgement: How the U.S. was used to create Israel brings together meticulously sourced evidence to outline the largely unknown history of U.S.-Israel relations.
