UCA Statements

Statement on Israel-Palestine

01 July 2011

At the Assembly Standing Committee Meeting in July 2011, the following resolution about Israel and Palestine was agreed:

11.33 It was resolved to:

11.33.01 receive the report;

11.33.02 in response to the resolutions of the National Council of Churches in Australia and the requests for action made by the Palestinian Christian community in the Kairos Palestine document, by the Jerusalem Heads of Churches and by the World Council of Churches, invite church members and congregations to consider taking actions with the purposes of:

  • encouraging the governments of Israel and Palestine to move more seriously and effectively towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict between them, and
  • encouraging the Australian Government to use its influence more seriously and effectively towards a resumption of peace talks between Israel and Palestine, towards an end of the occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and of the blockade of Gaza, and towards a two-state solution with secure internationally-recognised borders, in accordance with United Nations resolutions;

11.33.03 reaffirm the Uniting Church’s commitment to the existence, in peace and security, of the State of Israel (Jews and Judaism, 2009 Assembly, point 15);

11.33.04 reaffirm the Uniting Church’s conviction that “anti-Semitism in all its expressions is an affront to the gospel of Jesus Christ” (Jews and Judaism, 2009 Assembly, point 8);

11.33.05 endorse the NCCA Executive resolutions of November 2010 Supporting a vision for the future beyond current realities for the Palestinian and Jewish peoples (NCCA 10.11.06);

11.33.06 on behalf of the Assembly, the national council of the Uniting Church in Australia, resolve to join the boycott of goods produced in the illegal Israeli settlements;