Praying for peace in Jerusalem

This week is the World Council of Churches’ Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel.  The theme for this year is “Jerusalem, the City of Justice and Peace”. 

The renowned Jewish thinker, author and Liberation theologian Dr Marc Ellis said recently: the suffering on the ground cannot end without significant and decisive action to call Israel to account. By calling Israel to account at least the norms of justice can be spoken of in public. From there mechanisms of instituting justice can be imagined and implemented in the future.” 

There are many ways to bring Israel to account.  There is the diplomatic pressure which the EU is at the forefront.  The Kairos document released by Church leaders in Palestine invites people to consider the boycott campaign as a nonviolent strategy led by Palestinian civil society.  And Australians make pilgrimage to the ‘Holy Land’ then we can ensure that the ‘living stones’ are part of our travel plans.  For Christians there is need to counter the theology of Christian Zionism which in seeing the return of the Jews to all of Palestine as a prerequisite for Jesus’ return, is directly supporting Palestinian dispossession.  And as Australia purports to be a good friend of Israel it is incumbent on us to learn about oppression of the Israeli occupation.

Let it not only be the Palestinians that cry out for peace in Jerusalem.