Hope Despite Pain: Testimonies from Christians in Palestine Amidst War, Occupation, And Injustice

An Ecumenical Delegation Holds an Online Solidarity Visit to the Holy Land

The leadership of the World Council of Churches (WCC), accompanied by a delegation of Ecumenical Partners, held an online meeting, on Thursday 8 August 2024, with some Christians based in Bethlehem representing a range of different organizations locally, including Diyar Consortium, Kairos Palestine, YMCA, Department of Services to Palestinian Refugees at the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), Arab Educational Institute, and SABEEL Association.

The aim of this meeting was to listen to the testimonies of the participants and to accompany and support them in light of the difficult circumstances that the region is going through. It brought forth a range of experiences and perspectives from local communities at a time when accompaniment and solidarity are dearly needed.

This session came within the program of the virtual and solidarity visit to the Holy Land which was held between 7 and 8 August 2024, by a delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Ecumenical Partners, including the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the ACT Alliance, and Caritas Internationalis.

The delegation participating in the visit, included His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, Mr. Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance General Secretary, and Mr. Alistair Dutton, Caritas Internationalis Secretary General, Dr. Audeh Quawas, Member of the WCC Central Committee and Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Michel Abs, Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and Mr. Erik Lysén, ACT Alliance Moderator.

The meeting with local organizations in Palestine began with a speech addressed by Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, in which he reflected that “we want to focus on the current situation, amid escalation of violence, and how can we deal with this together.”

Mr. Peter K. Nasir, General secretary of the East Jerusalem YMCA, working with Palestinian children who have experienced detention, said they are seeing a level of frustration and trauma they have never seen before. He added, “many feel that there is no law, and nobody, to protect us. It is our duty as Christians, to stand up against all injustice.”

As for Mr. Rifat Kassis, from Kairos Palestine, he pointed out that “We have spoken about the failure of the international community. We are frankly afraid that we will be pushed out of our areas and our villages, by the [occupying state].” He continued, “the basic demand is for everyone to accept the rulings of the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court — and to amass pressure on their governments and on the [occupying state] to end its occupation and to accept international law.”

For his part, Rev. Dr Mitri Raheb, President of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, recalled the Bible verses of Amos 5:23-24: “Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like water...”. He added “the situation is really very, very difficult, beyond anything we can talk about,” and called for a fresh approach to Theology. He also said “Theology after Gaza cannot be what Theology was before Gaza.”

In his turn, His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC Moderator, reflected “I feel very much connected in Theology — I speak of Christ’s cry on the cross, ‘why have you forsaken me’ — I speak of Bonhoeffer, of Amos – what does it mean for a Theology after Gaza, as German Theologian Bonhoeffer during the Second World War reflected on Theology after the holocaust. We need a lot of dialogue on this.”

His Grace Bishop Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm thanked the Palestinian brothers and sisters for their witness in this time, expressing “gratitude for all the brave people we have met these days, who stand up for overcoming violence and a life together in just peace.”

As for Dr. Yousef Al Khoury, from Kairos Palestine and Bethlehem Bible College, said his family is still sheltering at the Church in Gaza where they have served for hundreds of years. He described a situation of lack of medical care, lack of electricity, hunger and dehydration – and an overall disrespect for the basic human rights and the international law which protects civilians, even in wartime.

He urged that “day after another, it is important for Churches globally to interfere with all their weight, spiritual, and diplomatic means to stop the war.”

In conclusion, Rev. Prof. Dr. Jerry Pillay, WCC General Secretary, said “if you want to find justice, peace, if you really want to bring change, you have to work to change the systems. As Churches, we must be truthful and prophetic, in both what we do and say.”

Noting that the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) has been following up on the Palestinian issue since its establishment, calling for strengthening dialogue in order to find peaceful solutions aimed at achieving peace, truth and justice.