Church of Scotland rejects use of Bible to justify 'Israeli apartheid '

The annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh over the weekend overwhelmingly approved the publication of a new report which rejects the use of the Hebrew Bible to “sanction…occupation of land which involved the displacement of some 750,000 people living there”.

The report, titled: 'The Inheritance of Abraham? A report on the promised land' reaffirms the Church of Scotland's 2007 statement opposing the religious claims of Christian Zionism and advising Church members to reject them.

The report restates the Church of Scotland's support for Palestinian human rights, including the right of Palestinian refugees to return home or be compensated. It also rejects anti-semitism as a form of racism - a position also stated by the Scottish Government.

The Church of Scotland now stands for: an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank; an end to the siege of Gaza; and end to Israel's illegal settlement building; recognition of the right of displaced Palestinian refugees to return and/or compensation; and safe rights of access to the sacred sites for the main religions in the area. It calls for the UK government and the European Union to use pressure to stop further expansion of in Israeli settlements and remove existing illegal settlements in the Occupied West Bank.

The General Assembly explicitly condemned the acquisition of Palestinian land “by settlement expansion, the separation barrier, house clearance, theft and force.”

The report notes how South African Church leaders during visits to Israel/Palestine observed similarities to the concluding years of the apartheid regime in South Africa. The Church of Scotland has accepted the suggestion in the report that sanctions against Israel will be needed to force an end to Israeli human rights violations.

The report quotes Mark Braverman that "Christian people must not sell out the Palestinian people because of repentance for the Holocaust, 'sensitivity' to Jewish feelings, and fear of being labelled anti-Semitic." They reject accusations that they are driven by anti-semitism as opposed to justice for all, including Palestinians.

The Church of Scotland now urges study of the Iona Call 2012 which notes "deepening suffering of our sisters and brothers in Palestine under occupation by Israel" and challenges the ""deafening silence of most churches in the face of the continuing injustice of dispossession and denial of basic human and political rights". The Iona Call asks Christians to participate only in pilgrimages to Israel/Palestine that encounter Palestinians and supports Palestinian "non-violent resistance to Israeli injustice and oppression". It endorses the Palestinian call for boycott, disinvestment and sanctions (BDS) and other forms of non-violent direct action.

For more information see: www.churchofscotland.org.uk/home