Christians gather at Downing Street on Berlin Wall anniversary
-07/11/05
Christians are
Christians gather at Downing Street on Berlin Wall anniversary
-07/11/05
Christians are to gather outside Downing Street on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall to urge the dismantling of the separation wall between Israel and Palestine.
Members of the British section of Pax Christi, the international Catholic movement for Peace, will gather outside Downing Street on Wednesday 9th November to hold a vigil of readings and prayers on the theme ‘breaking down walls’.
A delegation will present Mr Tony Blair with postcards and a letter from the Pax Christi campaign “People of the Holy Land need Bridges Not Walls”.
Members of the delegation include Fr Giovanni Scudiero, member of Pax Christi International Executive Committee and 6th form students from Our Lady’s Catholic High School in Hackney.
The 9th November marks the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and Pax Christi have chosen this day to urge the British Government to do all it can to persuade the Government of Israel to dismantle the separation wall between Israel and Palestine.
In their letter to Mr Blair, Pax Christi state: “We come today to petition you on behalf of our partners and friends in Palestine. We present you with this letter and these cards, a symbol of the hundreds of cards sent to you by our supporters over the past year.
“As a movement dedicated to peace, nonviolence and reconciliation, we believe that the much-needed peace between the peoples of Israel and Palestine will only come about by building of trust and respect within and between communities and by addressing the injustices created by the on-going illegal occupation of Palestine. We believe that the separation wall creates moral and legal impediments to peace. It will not bring the human security which the people of Israel and Palestine long for.
“Many of our partners in Bethlehem and other towns and villages are now surrounded by the Wall. They describe themselves as being walled-in or living in an open prison. The Patriach of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, who is also President of Pax Christi International has, with other Church leaders from Jerusalem, spoken against the wall. They say that the wall splinters the Palestinian community in many pieces and makes it impossible to maintain normal family, economic and human relations. This inhuman and intolerable situation can only lead to greater frustration and alienation of communities.”
The event is part of an international Pax Christi campaign against the separation wall. Sections in Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium have also had postcard campaigns addressed to their own Governments and the Government of Israel.
In 2004 the International Court of Justice advisory opinion stated that the construction of the wall in occupied Palestinian territory is contrary to international law. This puts an obligation on all states not to provide aid or assistance to the illegal situation that results form the construction of the wall.
Last Christmas members of Pax Christi visited Christians in Bethlehem who were affected by the wall.
Christians gather at Downing Street on Berlin Wall anniversary
-07/11/05
Christians are to gather outside Downing Street on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall to urge the dismantling of the separation wall between Israel and Palestine.
Members of the British section of Pax Christi, the international Catholic movement for Peace, will gather outside Downing Street on Wednesday 9th November to hold a vigil of readings and prayers on the theme ‘breaking down walls’.
A delegation will present Mr Tony Blair with postcards and a letter from the Pax Christi campaign “People of the Holy Land need Bridges Not Walls”.
Members of the delegation include Fr Giovanni Scudiero, member of Pax Christi International Executive Committee and 6th form students from Our Lady’s Catholic High School in Hackney.
The 9th November marks the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and Pax Christi have chosen this day to urge the British Government to do all it can to persuade the Government of Israel to dismantle the separation wall between Israel and Palestine.
In their letter to Mr Blair, Pax Christi state: “We come today to petition you on behalf of our partners and friends in Palestine. We present you with this letter and these cards, a symbol of the hundreds of cards sent to you by our supporters over the past year.
“As a movement dedicated to peace, nonviolence and reconciliation, we believe that the much-needed peace between the peoples of Israel and Palestine will only come about by building of trust and respect within and between communities and by addressing the injustices created by the on-going illegal occupation of Palestine. We believe that the separation wall creates moral and legal impediments to peace. It will not bring the human security which the people of Israel and Palestine long for.
“Many of our partners in Bethlehem and other towns and villages are now surrounded by the Wall. They describe themselves as being walled-in or living in an open prison. The Patriach of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, who is also President of Pax Christi International has, with other Church leaders from Jerusalem, spoken against the wall. They say that the wall splinters the Palestinian community in many pieces and makes it impossible to maintain normal family, economic and human relations. This inhuman and intolerable situation can only lead to greater frustration and alienation of communities.”
The event is part of an international Pax Christi campaign against the separation wall. Sections in Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium have also had postcard campaigns addressed to their own Governments and the Government of Israel.
In 2004 the International Court of Justice advisory opinion stated that the construction of the wall in occupied Palestinian territory is contrary to international law. This puts an obligation on all states not to provide aid or assistance to the illegal situation that results form the construction of the wall.
Last Christmas members of Pax Christi visited Christians in Bethlehem who were affected by the wall.