It was also agreed that, together with the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and local churches, the WCC will develop a coordination point for ecumenical action in Jerusalem, and explore the possibility of linking it with an international coordination centre.

Picking up on a recommendation of the visiting delegation, it was agreed to propose to the WCC Executive Committee meeting 11-14 September that it consider a special focus on "ending the violence of occupation in Palestine" in the framework of the Decade to Overcome Violence, and possibly to call for an international conference on the subject. As Jean Zaru of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre in Jerusalem noted, "Occupation is violence, and in the Decade to Overcome Violence, we have to expose the structural violence of occupation."

The specific contribution to peace and reconciliation of churches and religious communities was emphasized throughout the consultation. "Being members and representatives of faith communities entails a commitment to a basic moral, ethical stance, to an integrity of the rights approach... that we hope will rescue the conflict from becoming totally embroiled in a pure power struggle," Raiser noted in his concluding remarks.

Sharing
Participants shared news on local and international initiatives being planned or underway related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. They also heard from a representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Darka Topali, who reported on actions and mechanisms in relation to human rights in Israel and the OPT.

In addition, Professor John Dugard, chairperson of the Human Rights Inquiry Commission and newly-appointed Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Occupied since 1967, reviewed his mandate and emphasized the unique legal environment in which human rights violations in the context of military occupation are addressed.

Professor Richard Falk, a member of the Human Rights Inquiry Commission, summarized the findings and recommendations of the Commission. Respect for existing human rights and humanitarian legal norms, he said, needs to be part of and not an outcome of the peace process.

Consultation participants included moderators and members of the WCC governing and advisory bodies, Jerusalem church leaders, representatives of WCC member churches and ecumenical partners from around the world, and a selected number of partners working on peace initiatives in Israel and the OPT. The permanent observer of the Holy See to the UN office in Geneva also participated in the session. Several Palestinian participants were unable to attend due to travel restrictions imposed by the Israeli government.

Summing up the value of the meeting, WCC Central Committee member Bishop Aldo Etchegoyen of the Evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina said: "Many people have lost hope in this moment. Many people think peace is impossible. Hope is necessary because this is more than a programme, this is our commitment in favour of life, justice, peace and people."

Photos are available on Photo Oikumene

International Ecumenical Consultion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Convened by the World Council of Churches
6-7 August, 2001, Geneva, Switzerland

Participants:

Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal, Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East
Mr Erik Ackerman, ICCO, The Netherlands
Mr Ian Alexander, Church of Scotland
Monsignor Maroun Al-Laham, Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem
Mr George Awad, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan
Rev. Canon Trond Bakkevig, Church of Norway, member of WCC Central Committee
Ms Clarissa Balan/ Ms Ghada Haddad, World YWCA
Mr Marwan Bishara, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, member of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
Ms Judy Blanc, Bat Shalom
Mr Jaap Breetvelt, Uniting Churches in the Netherlands
Rev. Mark Brown, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Churches for Middle East Peace USA, member of ecumenical delegation to Israel and the OPT in June
Very Rev. Emmanuel Clapsis, Ecumenical Patriarchate, member of the Decade to Overcome Violence reference group, member of ecumenical delegation to Israel and the OPT in June
Rev. Jean Arnold de Clermont, president, French Protestant Federation
Bishop Aldo M. Etchegoyen, Evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina, member of the WCC Central Committee
Prof. Richard Falk, Princeton University, member of the Human Rights Inquiry Commission
Mr Uffe Gjerding, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark, DanchurchAid, member of ecumenical delegation to Israel and the OPT in June
Dr Christa Grengel, Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Germany
Ms Katia Delay Groulx, Swiss Interchurch Aid (EPER)
Mrs Claudette Habesch, Department of Services to Palestinian Refugees/Middle East Council of Churches
Mr Jeff Halper, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
Rev. Dr Bernice Powell Jackson, United Church of Christ, member of the WCC Central Committee and a member of the ecumenical delegation to Israel and the OPT in June
Rev. Dr Riad Jarjour, general secretary, Middle East Council of Churches
Ms Jorunn Kapstad, Norwegian Church Aid
Mr Adam Keller, Gush Shalom
Amb. Bethuel Kiplagat, Anglican Church of Kenya, moderator of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
Fr Paul Lansu, Pax Christi International
Dr Victor Makari, Presbyterian Church, USA
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, permanent observer of the Holy See to the UN Office in Geneva
Rev. Dr Maake Masango, University of Pretoria, South Africa; member of the WCC Executive and Central Committees and a member of the ecumenical delegation to Israel and the OPT in June
Ms Sumaya Naser, Birzeit University
Mrs Fadwa Abla Nasir, general secretary, YWCA Palestine Mr Daniel Ntoni-Nzinga, Inter-Ecclesial Committee for Peace in Angola
Dr Judo Poerwowidagado, rector, Krida Wacana Christian University, Indonesia
Mr Peter Prove, Lutheran World Federation
Dr Audeh Quawas, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, member of the WCC Central Committee
Mr Goran Rask, Church of Sweden Aid/Mission
Fr George Tsetsis, Ecumenical Patriarchate, member of the WCC Executive and Central Committees
Ms Sue Turrell, Christian Aid
Mr Rob van Drimmelen, general secretary, APRODEV (Association of WCC-related development organizations in Europe)
Mr David Weaver, Church World Service/National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
Mr Peter Weiderud, Church of Sweden, member of ecumenical delegation to Israel and the OPT in June
Mr David Wildman, General Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church
Ms Glenda Wildschut, Anglican Church, South Africa; member of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
Ms Jean Zaru, presiding clerk, Society of Friends; Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre, Jerusalem