As a Commission of the Diocese of Leeds we express our solidarity with the local churches in Jerusalem and their anguish and concern at the ongoing violence there. We wholeheartedly support the statement issued on 09 May by the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, as reported on the Bishops’ Conference website. Palestinians are being harassed, evicted from their homes, often violently, and the rate of demolition of houses has risen during Covid – and these are all factors behind the current violence. There will be no lasting peace without justice for Palestinians.
The following extract from this statement underlines the distress of the Christian communities at the treatment of Palestinians:
“…We echo the words of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights who said that the rule of law is being “applied in an inherently discriminatory manner”. This has become a main flashpoint amid rising tensions in Jerusalem in general. The issue today is not a matter of a real-estate dispute between private parties. It is rather an attempt driven by an extremist ideology which denies the right of existence of a person in his own home.
Our Church has been clear that peace requires justice. Insofar as far as the rights of everyone, Israelis and Palestinians, are not upheld and respected, there will be no justice and therefore no peace in the city. It is our duty not to ignore injustice nor any aggression against human dignity regardless of who is committing them.
We call upon the International Community, the Churches and all people of goodwill to intervene in order to put an end to these provocative actions, and to continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We join in prayer with the intention of the Holy Father Pope Francis that “the multi-religious and multi-cultural identity of the Holy City might be respected and that fraternity might prevail.””
We encourage all churches in the Diocese to join in those prayers.
For full statement see: (https://www.cbcew.org.uk/latin-patriarchate-reacts-to-recent-violence-in-jerusalem/.