LONDON, ENGLAND (ANS) -- A British newspaper, The Independent, has today published a unified call from more than 140 Christian leaders for a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the state of Israel.

Ekklesia, a British think-tank, founded in 2002 and which promotes transformative theological ideas in public life, says: "Never before has such a diverse range of prominent Christians acknowledged that for Palestinians, Israel's celebration has become a 'Catastrophe' (Nakba). They seek a shared solution to the longstanding conflict."

Signatories include Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire, New York Times' bestselling author of 'God's Politics' Jim Wallis, Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding, biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann and Oxford professor Christopher Rowland, 'emergent church' writer Brian McLaren, the Primate of the Anglican Church in Australia, a dozen more bishops, and the international director of the World Evangelical Alliance.

Also involved are seminary leaders, professors, authors, aid agency representatives and ministers from across the denominations, including Presbyterians, Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Mennonites and Pentecostals. The signatories hail from Britain, Ireland, France, the USA, Australia, South Africa, and Canada.

The statement is a wholly independent initiative. The idea of two journalists, Ben White and Philip Rizk, the declaration was mainly spread by personal networks, tapping into a groundswell of support amongst Christian leaders for an alternative to an uncritical 'Israel first' approach.

The declaration recognizes that while today, "millions of Israelis and Jews around the world will joyfully mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel", "millions of Palestinians will mourn 60 years since over 700,000 of them were uprooted from their homes and forbidden from returning."

It acknowledges that "many of us in the church worldwide" have denied the Palestinians "the same solidarity" offered to Israelis. The signatories underline the Biblical affirmation that "it is justice that 'will produce lasting peace and security,'" before committing themselves "to a courageous settlement whose details will honour both peoples' shared love for the land, and protect the individual and collective rights of Jews and Palestinians."

Simon Barrow, co-director of the UK Christian think tank Ekklesia, commented: "This declaration joins human and Christian compassion for two wounded peoples with the political passion to see right prevail. It is timely and essential."

Professor Gary Burge, biblical scholar and author of 'Whose Land? Whose Promise?' describes the declaration as "a necessary reminder" of the plight of "millions of refugees and occupied residents of the West Bank and Gaza."

Ekklesia is a signatory and supporter of the declaration and was listed amongst the top 20 think-tanks in Britain in 2005, by the Independent newspaper. It has been profiled by London's Evening Standard and the Daily Telegraph.

Ekklesia is independent of all church denominations, and operates on a self-financing, not-for-profit basis. It has one of most visited religious websites in the UK, and raised over £250,000 last year for peace, justice and development work.

FOR EDITORS: The full declaration and list of signatories may be found at: http://justpeac e60.blogspot.com  

Media contact details:
Philip Rizk, Cairo justpeace60@gmail.com  +20-101604367

Ben White, Jerusalem justpeace60@gmail.com  +972-526865214

Professor Gary Burge, Chicago, USA gary.burge@wheaton.edu  +1-6307525932

Simon Barrow, Ekklesia, UK simon.barrow@ekklesia.co.uk  +44-7904 376514

Press Release distributed by Ekklesia
Simon Barrow
Co-director
simon.barrow@ekklesia.co.uk  
phone: +44 07904 376514

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael's involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of ACT International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (ACT) International.