The issue addressed by this proposal is the inequity and human rights violations caused by the State of Israel in its ongoing occupation of the Palestinian Territories. How are we, as followers of Jesus, called to respond to the suffering of our neighbours?
Kairos Palestine is a coalition of Palestinian churches and Christian organizations. It issued the Cry for Hope document in July 2020 (see below) in response to the ongoing oppression of the Palestinian people. Cry for Hope calls on Christians and churches around the world to:
In May 2021, the world witnessed the impact of direct armed violence and indirect systemic violence on the people of Palestine and Israel. We saw the inter-connectedness of suffering experienced by both peoples, and the disproportionate impact on the Palestinian people, as evidenced in the horrific bombing of Gaza.
The United Church of Canada has long been a proponent of social justice. Over the years our Church has passed many resolutions and proposals condemning violence in the Middle East, and encouraging respect for the rights of all people in the region.
The Israeli Knesset, the Israeli Supreme Court, Israeli military and police forces, and illegal settlers are all involved in the continual dispossession of more and more Palestinians from their lands and homes, and in removing Palestinian control over their essential life resources, such as water and electricity, as well as severely restricting the movement of the Palestinian people.
Many respected human rights groups, such as Kairos Palestine, Human Rights Watch, B'tselem, and Independent Jewish Voices, have named the actions of the Israeli government as apartheid. In the 1970’s and 80’s, Canada led the way in naming the South African situation as apartheid and taking strong action to hold the government of South Africa accountable.
Now is the time to hold the state of Israel accountable for its persistent violations of international human rights law including the 4th Geneva Convention.
As noted above, this proposal is in response to the explicit call for justice by Christians in Palestine, including United Church of Canada partners there.
As the United Church of Canada seeks to heal its own participation in settler colonialism and racism, it is time to explicitly and publicly reiterate the Church's stated position on human rights for Palestinians, and facilitate ethical investment decisions which respect those rights, and other actions by all Church bodies holding funds in trust in the form of stocks. To be faithful to its understanding of the Gospel is to take and publicize action in response to the widespread and devastating human rights offenses against Palestinians. This is consistent with our opposition to discrimination of any kind on the basis of identity, and our commitment to becoming an anti-racist denomination.
In order to stop the escalating violence affecting both Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, and to non-violently pursue peace and justice for all in the region, it is proposed that The United Church of Canada take seriously the calls to action made by our church partners in the 2020 Cry for Hope document and that its response include the following: