The World Council of Churches (WCC) today called on Jewish religious leaders to speak out to help bring an end to the deadly and escalating conflict in the Middle East.
The appeal came in a report compiled after an April 2-4 visit to Jerusalem by a two-member WCC delegation to meet patriarchs and heads of churches and Christian communities.
The report called on Jewish religious leaders and members of Israeli civil society involved in interfaith dialogue to "take a courageous stand and speak out" against acts of intolerance. "Their voices are critically needed now," it said.
"Unless they join moderate Palestinians, including the Christian religious leadership, in calling for non-violent resistance to end the occupation, the only voices heard will be those of the extremists on both sides," the report said.
WCC deputy general secretary Georges Lemopoulos said the group regretted not having been able to meet Jewish religious leaders during the visit.
A response to a request for a meeting from one rabbi had come only as the delegation left for the airport.
Israel had ignored offers by church representatives to mediate an end to the violence, Lemopoulos said in a statement released on their return on Friday.
Salpy Eskidjian, WCC international relations program executive, who also took part in the visit, said the situation in the region had never been so bad with such a level of radicalisation.
"We are calling on all our interfaith, especially in this case Jewish partners, to speak out in order for the Christian leadership to be able to reach out the hand and bring the other side to talk," she told reporters.
The Geneva-based WCC is made up of 342 churches in more than 100 countries from all virtually all Christian traditions, with the exception of the Roman Catholic church.