THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH STANDS BY JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS
17 August, 2016
Kairos Palestine (KP), the voice of Palestinian Christians www.kairospalestine.ps welcomes the recent resolution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) calling on the US government to end aid to Israel until the latter freezes the construction of settlements on occupied Palestinian land and respects international law and human rights.
The resolution also calls on the President of the USA to recognize the State of Palestine, to allow the application of the state of Palestine for full membership in the United Nations and to promote a time-bound peace agreement. The ELCA also voted to set up a screen and not invest in any company which profits from Israel’s occupation.
The resolution was voted by a landslide majority of 82% at the Church-wide Assembly in New Orleans on August 13, 2016. By this resolution ELCA adopts the prophetic role necessary to build true and durable peace in the Holy Land and helps to ensure that both Israelis and Palestinians live in peace, justice, equality and dignity.
We echo the words of Rabbi Michael Davis, Dale Leopp and Philip Farrah in their recent Huffington Post article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/philip-farah/evangelical-lutheran-chur_b_11369272.html) supporting the resolutions of ELCA in order “to prevent complicity in injustice in the Holy Land” and as an expression of “our responsibilities as conscientious Christians and American citizens”.
Since the launch of the Kairos Palestine Document in 2009, which called on the Global Church to act in respect of international law and help bring the end the occupation of Palestinian land and the oppression of the Palestinian people, Israel has been adamant to deepen occupation and oppression and hence increase suffering and despair.
A growing number of churches, church organizations and secular groups opted to respond positively to the Kairos Palestine Document. Justice-driven churches such as the United Methodists Church, The Presbyterian Church, The United Church of Christ adopted boycott and/or divestment action, so did some members of Pax Christi and others including secular groups like Black Lives Matter.
We, at Kairos Palestine, commend ELCA for their resolution at this "Kairos" moment, the opportune time to work for justice and peace. We continue to urge the Global Church to live up to its mission at the forefront of peace-building work in the Holy land, not only through respect and ensuring respect of international law, but also, to critically review theologies that support the continuous oppression, dispossession and displacement of the Palestinian people, to "Come and See" the reality of occupation and to support the rights of Palestinians in their decades-long nonviolent struggle for equality, freedom and dignity that is due to all human beings.