Church calls for Hamas to renounce terror after Tel Aviv bombing
-20/04/06
A leader of
Church calls for Hamas to renounce terror after Tel Aviv bombing
-20/04/06
A leader of the Presbyterian Church USA, which has in the past faced criticism from pro-Israeli government supporters for backing Palestinian nationhood as part of a bipartisan peace plan, has repeated a call on the Hamas administration to renounce terrorism.
The call comes as part of a ringing condemnation of the 17 April Tel Aviv suicide bomb attack from the Rev Clifton Kirkpatrick, clerk of the Presbyteriansí general assembly.
In his statement the Rev Kirkpatrick says: ìThe attack of a suicide bomber in Tel Aviv on the day after Easter, and in the middle of the Passover season, comes as a grim reminder of the hatred and violence that have so consistently undermined possibilities for peace, security, and prosperity for the Israeli and Palestinian people.î
He continues: ìWe mourn those who died in this bombing, and we pray for their families and friends. We join our Christian partners in the region and elsewhere and President Abbas in condemning this attack. It is our unwavering belief that the use of terror and the killing and maiming of innocent people are never justifiable.î
Says the Presbyterian head: ìAlthough responsibility for the attack was claimed by other groups, we are disturbed, nonetheless, by news reports that Hamas leaders consider this deadly act a ëlegitimate responseí to actions of the Israeli government. We must decry such a statement.î
Re-iterating a point made in a letter to Hamas sent in February 2006, the Rev Kirkpatrick declares: ìAll forms of violence, whatever their purported justification, have only hardened the resolve of the victims on every side and rendered lasting solutions ever more remote.î
He declares: ìOnce again, we call on Hamas leaders in the Palestinian government to renounce tactics of terrorism and to cooperate with Palestinians and Israelis who are seeking peace and security for all who live in the land that is holy to Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike.î
The PCUSA statement ends with a call to solidarity and justice: ìFollowing this attack and the Israeli response in Gaza, we join other Christian leaders and people of faith in fervent prayer for an end to this futile cycle of violence, and for renewed and urgent commitment to the peace process.î
Church calls for Hamas to renounce terror after Tel Aviv bombing
-20/04/06
A leader of the Presbyterian Church USA, which has in the past faced criticism from pro-Israeli government supporters for backing Palestinian nationhood as part of a bipartisan peace plan, has repeated a call on the Hamas administration to renounce terrorism.
The call comes as part of a ringing condemnation of the 17 April Tel Aviv suicide bomb attack from the Rev Clifton Kirkpatrick, clerk of the Presbyteriansí general assembly.
In his statement the Rev Kirkpatrick says: ìThe attack of a suicide bomber in Tel Aviv on the day after Easter, and in the middle of the Passover season, comes as a grim reminder of the hatred and violence that have so consistently undermined possibilities for peace, security, and prosperity for the Israeli and Palestinian people.î
He continues: ìWe mourn those who died in this bombing, and we pray for their families and friends. We join our Christian partners in the region and elsewhere and President Abbas in condemning this attack. It is our unwavering belief that the use of terror and the killing and maiming of innocent people are never justifiable.î
Says the Presbyterian head: ìAlthough responsibility for the attack was claimed by other groups, we are disturbed, nonetheless, by news reports that Hamas leaders consider this deadly act a ëlegitimate responseí to actions of the Israeli government. We must decry such a statement.î
Re-iterating a point made in a letter to Hamas sent in February 2006, the Rev Kirkpatrick declares: ìAll forms of violence, whatever their purported justification, have only hardened the resolve of the victims on every side and rendered lasting solutions ever more remote.î
He declares: ìOnce again, we call on Hamas leaders in the Palestinian government to renounce tactics of terrorism and to cooperate with Palestinians and Israelis who are seeking peace and security for all who live in the land that is holy to Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike.î
The PCUSA statement ends with a call to solidarity and justice: ìFollowing this attack and the Israeli response in Gaza, we join other Christian leaders and people of faith in fervent prayer for an end to this futile cycle of violence, and for renewed and urgent commitment to the peace process.î