"Peace must come now or it might never come for much too long" is the warning launched by the World Church Council (Wcc) at the end of the meeting held in Bossey, near Geneva, from May 16th to 19th, during which Israelis and Palestinians were asked to "take the same measures to put an end to violence, to fulfil the agreements and for mutual recognition". "Any unilateral commitment states the Wcc in marking out the boundaries must be ruled out, and the truce of either fighting party must be extended to everyone. The international community must commit itself before the elected Palestinian leaders". In its final statement, called "The time is ripe to do what is right", the Wcc draws a list of "clear inequalities between the two fighting parties, with one party hoarding illegal profits and the other party isolated and punished. Inequalities, which cannot be morally, legally or politically justified". The Wcc encourages "the Palestinian Authority to keep the truce in place and Israel to give up the penalising measures levied on Palestinians in breach of the Fourth Convention of Geneva". The state of Israel has also been invited to found its security on "negotiations on the final boundaries, leaving out any unilateral imposition on their neighbours". The statement ends with an appeal to the Churches, that they may "show their sympathy with the two peoples and make pressure to promote a just peace, fight against anti-Semitism".
