From 12 to 19 March, groups of Christians of various confessions and from over 12 nations, members of Pax Christi International and the Christian Youth Union (UCDG-YMCA), will participate in a Week of common action for peace in Palestine and Israel, promoted by the World Council of Churches (WCC). From Oslo to Cape Town, from Toronto to Jerusalem, the participating groups will lobby parliamentarians of their respective countries, hold public meetings, observe vigils and carry out symbolic gestures. The aim of all these initiatives will be to express the conviction of the churches that a just and equitable resolution of the conflict in the Holy Land is now more urgent than ever. The Week is also supported by the patriarchs and leaders of the Christian churches in Jerusalem who, in a joint statement, have appealed to Christians throughout the world to participate in the Week. “Today says the statement while the situation continues to deteriorate and the occasions for peace are abandoned, it is essential that Christians make their voice heard loudly and clearly on the international scene”. In Jerusalem the Week will open on 12 March with a common celebration, and will continue in the following days with a visit to Hebron together with activists of the Christian Peacemaker Teams, a candlelight march to the Separation Wall, and other activities, including a day dedicated to the planting of olive trees, as a symbolic sign of peace. The initiatives fit within the framework of long-standing policies adopted by the WCC, expressing its support for a two-state solution, and a settlement negotiated between the two parties to secure the legitimate rights and future of both.
