Methodists and URC endorse WCC Apartheid statement

Last week both the Methodist Conference and the United Reformed Church’s General Assembly passed emergency resolutions commending the World Council of Churches statement calling for an end to apartheid, occupation and impunity in Palestine and Israel.

On Friday 4th July the moderator of the West Midlands Synod, Revd Steve Faber, introduced Resolution 42 to the URC Assembly, in support of the WCC statement.

“Atrocities have continued,” Revd Faber said, citing Israeli breaches of ceasefire agreements, deliberate blockade of aid, indiscriminate civilian casualties, and comprehensive air strikes ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians.

“This is about ethics, not ethnicity,” he emphasised. “We must not allow people to believe that all Jewish people are responsible for these actions. The condemnation is directed at the Israeli government and its military, not the nation or Jewish people.”

Resolution 42 explicitly commends the WCC statement, which calls for an end to “apartheid, occupation, and impunity in Palestine and Israel”. It also accuses the Israeli military campaign of grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, acts which may amount to genocide and/or crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Revd Faber acknowledged the contribution of Revd Dr Susan Durber, a URC minister, who serves as WCC President for Europe, who had a key role in the process that led to the WCC statement.

“We are witnessing genocide, and we must have the courage to name it as such,” he said.

You can read the URC statement and information here: General Assembly passes emergency resolution on Israeli government’s actions in Gaza – United Reformed Church

Earlier that week, on Wednesday 2nd July, Methodists had gathered together at Conference all wearing red to support the ‘Red Line’ campaign which is highlighting the number of humanitarian laws that have been broken in Gaza. Earlier that day Conference voted overwhelmingly to endorse the World Council of Churches statement, specifically asking;

We ask the Conference to welcome and endorse this statement from the WCC, and to encourage all Methodist churches, Circuits, Districts, and connexional bodies to be similarly bold in their solidarity with the Palestinian people:
1) to name the Reality of Apartheid
2) to implement Sanctions and Accountability
3) to affirm Palestinian Rights and Freedom
4) to support the resilience and witness of Palestinian Christian churches and communities.

You can read the full resolution that was passed here: ORDER PAPER