In a statement commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, or catastrophe, the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem reiterated the churches' call to strive for a just and lasting peace in the Holy Land.
'Acknowledging our communities' commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the 'Al-Nakba,' along with that of their fellow Palestinians, the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem reiterates the Churches' call to strive for a just and lasting peace for our land, the
Holy Land,' said the Council in a statement.
'Our faith teaches us that we are all brothers and sisters in humanity, and that we must unite and work together to achieve peace, tolerance, and justice. Christianity has taught us that love, compassion, and mutual respect are the path to achieving peace in the world, and this is especially applicable to our beloved Holy Land.
'We pray for all members of our churches and the rest of the people in our land, and we urge everyone to work together to build a better and more humane future for all. We remind everyone that peace can only be achieved when there is fairness and respect for human rights and international law.'
The Council stressed that 'justice and peace are the keys to stability and prosperity in the region, and we declare our readiness to work with all concerned parties to achieve these noble goals,'
It called upon the international community 'to play a greater role in supporting the protection of our communities and in preserving holy sites and the current 'Status Quo' rules under The Hashemite Custodianship, as well as in striving to achieve a permanent and just peace in the region, based on international legitimacy and United Nations resolutions.'
It added: 'Our beloved Holy Land is 'the home of the three faiths.' We pray for God to grant us all wisdom as we work to move towards a better future, and to provide the Palestinian people the right to self-determination, state-building, and prosperity-allowing all the peoples of this Land to live in peace, dignity, and prosperity.'
Al-Nakba is the Arabic term for the events of 1948 when many Palestinians were displaced from their homeland by the creation of the new state of Israel.
Source: Palestine News & Information Agency