World Week for Peace in Israel and Palestine

To mark World Week for Peace in Israel and Palestine, Jude Levermore, head of Mission for the Methodist Church speaks to Julie Siddiqi, founder of Together We Thrive, Judy Silkoff, Jewish community professional and co-chair of the Alliance of Jewish Women and Barbara Easton, Vice-President of the Methodist Conference.

A statement from the Methodist Liaison Office Stakeholder group which consists of the World Methodist Council, the United Methodist Church and the Methodist Church in Britain:

As we join an international wave of prayer this week for peace in Palestine/Israel, we stand with the World Council of Churches in asserting that all forms of violence are deplorable and should end. We affirm that religious affiliations should not justify the application of different moral standards for different communities. We insist that international law, as an expression of justice for all peoples, must be respected as a moral norm to be implemented politically and socially. We continue to stand with Palestinian Christians and Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups working to uphold international law.  The Methodist Liaison Office is one sign of our ongoing response to the cry of Palestinian Christians for their sisters and brothers in faith around the world to come and see the impact of the occupation.

In this week, we continue to pray that the conflict and division that have crushed so many lives in the region over generations may cease. We pray that the hope we share for renewal and peace be a source of strength for all who work towards reconciliation and for those whose lives are dominated by fear and uncertainty in Israel/Palestine.