Today, the United Nations celebrated the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. I was struck with the importance of this day, having returned just last week from meetings with our church partners in Israel and Palestine.
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1977. Today, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “Let us, on this International Day, reaffirm our commitment to translating solidarity into positive action. The international community must help steer the situation towards a historic peace agreement.”
On this day of solidarity, we remember the rich history of the three monotheistic religions in the Middle East. We reaffirm our deep commitment to our sisters and brothers in Christ in the region. We express our long-standing concern for a just and lasting peace for all its people.
We serve a God who calls us to seek justice and reconciliation. We look forward to the day when all violence ceases, swords are beaten into plowshares, and God’s justice and peace prevail in the Middle East.