The Sabeel-Kairos United Reformed Church (URC) Action Group urges members of the URC to take a stance against injustice.
In January, a Palestinian family was evicted from their home in Sheikh Jarrah, a neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, by Israeli police and stood helplessly as it was then demolished. Israeli forces claim such houses such are illegal as they were built without planning permission.
Although the event had drawn international attention, with the UK Consulate in Jerusalem tweeting “that such evictions were against international law and fuelled tensions on the ground”, the Sabeel-Kairos URC Action Group says more needs to be done and is encouraging members of the denomination to write to their MPs.
The call to action is in line with ten significant resolutions, pertaining to the situation in Israel and Palestine, which passed at General Assembly in July 2021.
A primary focus of the resolutions deals with the way in which Israeli settlements and forced land acquisitions represent a de facto annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories.
As Resolution 31 states: “General Assembly requests local churches and members to contact their constituency MPs to express concerns about the actions of the Israeli government with respect to settlement expansion and house demolitions, and to ask what the UK is doing in response.”
The group said: “If the Israeli authorities continue on this track, more Palestinians will face eviction from their homes, as the settlement expansion continues apace, with the consequent appropriation of Palestinians’ land, demolition of houses and loss of farming land.
“It should be important to us as Christians to bear witness to injustice when we see it. The recent Christian Aid report ‘Where is Palestine? A story of loss, inequality and failure’ makes very significant comments about the situation on the ground. It also notes that we ‘hold both Palestinians and Israelis as equals’. We must comment on a situation which needs to be rectified for the ultimate good of both (indeed all) groups.”
If you would like advice and information about writing to your MP, please contact the Sabeel-Kairos URC Action Group by email at [email protected].
Image: A still of a Palestinian home being demolished. Ruptly/YouTube.