Ramallah – Zaytoun News
The Supreme Presidential Committee for the Follow-up of Church Affairs in Palestine considered the sermon delivered by Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar, Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, as a reflection of truth and courage. In his sermon, he highlighted the genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Gaza Strip, expressing the Church’s voice against injustice and reaffirming its historic commitment to defending human dignity in the Holy Land.
The Committee noted that his words are based on UN reports and international legal references, reflecting the humanitarian suffering of Palestinians living under occupation.
It emphasized that Bishop Azar’s statement aligns with findings documented by the International Court of Justice in its case on genocide, the International Criminal Court in its investigation of war crimes in Gaza, as well as reports from United Nations agencies and international organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, in addition to Israeli institutions, all of which confirm Israel’s grave violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity.
The Committee pointed out that public reactions to these statements do not adjust the reality, the Palestinian Church’s stance is one of conscience and truth, guided not by political considerations but by faith and humanity.
It added that it is deeply concerned about responses targeting Palestinian church leaders merely for expressing ethical and humanitarian positions regarding events in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. Attempts to silence the Palestinian Church are, in effect, attempts to suppress the conscience that continues to remind the world of its responsibility toward the oppressed.
The Committee clarified that Bishop Azar’s words were not a political accusation or incitement, but rather a humanitarian appeal stemming from a living conscience, a spiritual message expressing the pain experienced by the Palestinian people. It represents the Church’s voice, which cannot remain silent in the face of injustice and bloodshed, in line with its spiritual and ethical mission to defend human dignity and justice.
Finally, the Committee called upon local and international churches to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian Church against campaigns of defamation and incitement, affirming its right to freely express its ethical and faith-based positions, in accordance with the International Bill of Human Rights and international law.
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