As conflict continues to escalate in Gaza and the West Bank, a newly formed ecumenical group is calling for global action and solidarity with Palestinians facing unprecedented displacement and urges the international community to break its silence.
The group, A Jerusalem Voice for Justice, which includes prominent Christian leaders, issued a statement condemning the ongoing humanitarian crisis. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 40,000 Palestinians have already been displaced in the West Bank, with many left without shelter, essential services, or healthcare.
“We refuse to simply pass you by,” the statement read, addressing Palestinians in Gaza, Khan Younis, Rafah, Nablus, Jenin, and Tulkarm. “We not only do not forget you but commit ourselves to solidarity with you. We carry you in our prayers. We cry with you. We seek to make your cries heard in a world that needs to be shaken out of its complacency.”
The ecumenical group was founded recently in response to the ongoing violence in the Holy Land and includes figures such as Archbishop Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem; Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan; Sawsan Bitar, coordinator of the Sabeel Ecumenical Center; Palestinian theologian John Munayer; Jesuit Father David Neuhaus; and Father Frans Bouwen of the Missionaries of Africa.
A war hidden from the world
While the war in Gaza dominates international headlines, the group warns that an escalating campaign in the West Bank has gone largely unnoticed. The statement accuses Israel of carrying out “the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank from their homes since 1967.”
Christian leaders invoked the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, urging the world to recognize the suffering of the Palestinian people. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once interpreted the parable by distinguishing between two questions: Those who passed by the injured man asked, “What will happen to me if I stop?” The Good Samaritan, however, asked, “What will happen to him if I pass him by?”
The statement directly challenged those who witnessed suffering but remained silent. “We recognize your fear and know that the stakes of speaking out now are high. Perhaps you still hope, in your silence, that someone else along the way will stop to help. It should be apparent by now that no one is stopping.”
Fears of annexation and erasure
The group also warned of a broader political agenda, alleging that the use of terms such as “Judea and Samaria” instead of “West Bank” seeks to erase Palestinian identity and justify annexation.
“Recently, the United States President, Donald Trump, has declared that in a few weeks he will make vital announcements about the future of our homeland. We fear that the annexation of Palestinian territories by Israel may be imminent,” the statement said.
A message to Christians and Jews supporting annexation
The ecumenical leaders also addressed Christians and Jews who support the annexation of Palestinian lands, stating that such beliefs are misguided and contradict the fundamental teachings of Christianity.
“We want to state clearly that you have been misguided. All—Palestinians and Israelis—are created in the image and likeness of God. They are all equal in dignity and rights,” the statement asserts.
Citing Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, and Romans 13:9, they reminded believers of the commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.” “To expel the Palestinians from their homeland is not only an act of violence; it is sacrilege.”
A call for hope amid darkness
The statement concludes with a message of hope, drawing from John 1:3-5, which speaks of the enduring power of light in darkness.
“As we approach Easter, we affirm yet again that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it,” the Christian leaders wrote.
A Jerusalem Voice for Justice aims to amplify the voices of those suffering and calls on the global community—especially Christians—to take a stand for justice and peace in the Holy Land.
Republished with permission by La Croix International.
