NEWS that the upcoming Church of Scotland General Assembly will receive a report to mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration is to be welcomed. This should prompt discussion on measures to halt the continued expansion of Israel (“Kirk to consider ‘economic leverage’ to constrain Israel”, The Herald, April 22). During a recent visit to East Jerusalem I heard a Palestinian leader involved in discussions with the Israelis concerning the two-state solution explain that it was difficult to negotiate a share of the pie while the other person was eating the pie.
Successive, fruitless peace processes have allowed Israel to stall for time as it seeks to complete the takeover of Palestinian land and the forced removal of its inhabitants through its continuing colonial policy of building and expanding settlements. The efforts of international bodies have proved ineffective in resisting Israel’s actions. A recent UN agency report identified the permanent crimes committed by Israel as “apartheid” and although the report was based on international law it was withdrawn under pressure from the Israeli and US governments. Action is now needed worldwide from all who are concerned. Churches, particularly in the United States, which have often spoken out against violations of human rights around the world realise that they can no longer respond timidly to the oppression of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel.
The Iona Community has a strong and longstanding commitment, through prayer, protest and the active engagement of many members, to seeking peace and justice in Israel/Palestine. In 2009 we were challenged along with Christians around the world by Palestinian Christians “to revisit theologies that justify crimes perpetrated against our people and the dispossession of the land”. The Iona Community has endorsed that urgent call.
We believe that a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians is only possible through ending the “settler colonial” project of the state of Israel and the establishment throughout historic Palestine of equal rights, irrespective of religious and ethnic background and identity.
We wholeheartedly support the use of economic measures to ensure that Israel abides by international law and United Nations resolutions by ending the military occupation of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the siege of Gaza; abolishing all laws which discriminate against Palestinian citizens of Israel; and granting all Palestinian refugees the right to return.
We applaud the courageous non-violent resistance to the occupation practised by Palestinians and members of the Israeli peace movements who support them, and we repudiate entirely the use of violence wherever this is evident. We urge our members, and the churches to which we belong, to commit faithfully to this non-violent discipline in the hope, through persuasion and pressure, of bringing about a just and peaceful solution. We recognise that this may bring difficulties: in relations with some of our Jewish and Christian friends, and in the way we practise our faith in territory that is under Israeli rule. It may also result in false accusations, including unfounded claims of anti-Semitism, which are made against those who highlight this issue.
Rev Peter Macdonald,
Leader of the Iona Community, 21 Carlton Court, Glasgow
WITH reference to your background piece (“Church had historic role in creation of Jewish state”, The Herald, April 22), the quote from the Balfour Declaration, "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people", is accurate but incomplete.
As with so many articles, books, comments and, indeed, political actions as a result of Balfour, the vital latter section of the declaration is missing. I refer to "it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine".
This section of the declaration has, over decades, been quietly put to the side, with the result that Palestinians, both Christian and Muslim, continue to be displaced, disenfranchised and downtrodden.
The Kirk is right to discuss this issue, especially since there is a depressing lack of action on the part of our politicians.
Mrs L Callander,
17 St Andrew's Crescent, Dumbarton.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel