Yesterday, the Director of the WCC’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs issued an open letter stating the position of its member churches in Jerusalem calling for peace amid the political instability in the embattled land.

Since two weeks ago, the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved the final route of a barrier around Jerusalem. Christians and NGOs are concerned that the movement will endanger the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

The Palestinians have said that the intention of the Israeli government in constructing the barrier was to grab West Bank land. However, the Israeli government sternly deny the accusation and say that the barrier is for security reasons, claiming that Israel has an absolute right to defend its citizens from Palestinian attackers.

The open letter stated, "The World Council of Churches is deeply concerned about actions by the Government of Israel which threaten the achievement of a just peace for both Israel and Palestine by pre-empting negotiations on the final status of Jerusalem within the framework of international law."

The WCC listed the intensified unilateral programs taken by the Government of Israel to consolidate control over Jerusalem and other occupied territory. It considered these the threat to the peace process. The WCC has long affirmed that the final status of Jerusalem must be part of a comprehensive peace settlement and be negotiated without delay.

The WCC accused the alterations of boundaries, population and settlements which change the religious, cultural or historical character of Jerusalem without the consent of the parties involved and the approval of the international community, of violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

In conclusion, the WCC called for "an open and inclusive Jerusalem, a city of shared sovereignty and citizenship, a city of two peoples and three faiths, of Christians, Muslims and Jews." Once again, it urged the Government of Israel to cease actions that pre-empt peace in Jerusalem.

The Commission of Churches on International Affairs is the specialised instrument of the WCC for political and security issues.