Patriarchs and Church Leaders in Jerusalem Issue Clarification Regarding Meeting with Herzog

Patriarchs and Church Leaders in Jerusalem Issue the Following Clarification Regarding Meeting with Herzog:

Jerusalem
23-12-2023
Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have issued a clarification
statement regarding their recent meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog
two days ago. The statement emphasized that the meeting was not a mere
exchange of Holiday Season pleasantries but aimed at conveying the global
ecclesiastical stance, demanding, on behalf of Christians worldwide, an
immediate cessation of the bloodshed in Gaza. Additionally, it addressed the
plight of civilians, the restrictions on movement imposed in the West Bank,
especially those around Bethlehem during the holiday season.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches highlighted that they promptly issued
a statement upon the conclusion of the meeting with President Herzog to
outline its objectives and proceedings. However, certain Israeli media outlets,
driven by political motivations, chose to focus on marginal aspects of the
meeting, neglecting the core of the meeting and the unified statement
released by the Church Leaders on the matter. Unfortunately, some social
media influencers adopted the distorted narrative presented by these Israeli
media outlets, leading to a complete misrepresentation of the meeting and its
goals.
The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches reiterated that their consistent
message since the beginning of the war on Gaza is: an immediate and
permanent humanitarian ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and the
safeguarding of institutions providing services to them. They emphasized that
this stance was at the core of the meeting, and anything discussed outside
this framework aims to tarnish the image of the Christians and the Churches,
serving political agendas that the churches abstain from engaging in or
addressing.

– Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem