On February 23, 2022, senior officials from the Global Ministries released a letter entitled “Compelled to Witness” declaring Israel an apartheid state.

The letter from the North American Christian Mission specified that disparity between Israelis and Palestinians with regard to access to water, employment, health care, and freedom of movement was the basis for the designation of an apartheid regime.

“Israeli policies and practices that discriminate against Palestinians—Christians and Muslims alike—are consistent with the international definition of the crime of apartheid.” Global Ministries

The letter listed many of the circumstances which have weakened the possibility of a just peace in Israel and Palestine.

  • De facto annexation of land and property through the expansion of illegal settlements;
  • Demolitions of Palestinian homes and evictions, increased incidents of settler violence toward Palestinians;
  • The designation of Palestinian human rights organizations as “terrorist organizations” simply for documenting and reporting violations of human rights;
  • The move of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem;
  • The diminishment of US support for the well-being and the rights of Palestinian refugees;
  • The passage of the Israel Nation State Law (2018) which codified discriminatory policies and practices;
  • The May 2021 escalation in violence, including the bombardment and continuing blockade of Gaza.
  • “As leaders of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we must not be silent in the face of changes on the ground and further entrenched systemic factors… We are compelled to acknowledge and amplify the voices of our partners—in Israel/Palestine and around the world—and to witness to what we know and see. Global Ministries

    “The continuing occupation, denial of rights and injustice that Palestinians endure is not consistent with our understanding of God’s vision for justice for all people, and therefore is sin. Global Ministries

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