40 years after war, Jerusalem's Christian leaders urge work for peace

Published: 2007-05-29

JERUSALEM (CNS) -- On the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Israeli-Arab war, Christian leaders in Jerusalem called on all people to "work diligently for peace" as God's children. "It is totally unacceptable for the situation to continue where the Palestinians endure daily hardships and humiliations with deprivations of international human rights, allegedly to ensure the safety and security of the Israelis, whereas we believe the security of Israel is dependent on the freedom and justice of the Palestinians," the church leaders said in a letter May 27. They noted that their position on Jerusalem, stated in November, includes recognizing the rights of the three monotheistic faiths -- Christianity, Islam and Judaism -- and the needs of the Israelis and Palestinians in the city. "Now we sincerely believe it is time to intensify action, particularly through negotiation, to end occupation, establish an independent Palestinian state ... with borders clearly defined, thus giving both peoples, Israelis and Palestinians alike, human dignity, security and equal opportunities," they said.

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