The Uniting Church in Australia’s Assembly says it has “grave concerns” over United States President Donald Trump’s move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
President Trump announced the shift on Thursday 7 December in a speech at the White House. He directed the State Department to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“My announcement today marks the beginning of a new approach to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians” President Trump said.
The move breaks with years of US foreign policy, as Jerusalem is a contentious part of the Isreal/Palestine conflict.
In a statement released on Friday, 8 December, the Uniting Church in Australia’s Assembly expressed “solidarity with the people of the Holy Land impacted by this decision.”
“We share the concerns expressed by the ACT Alliance, of which UnitingWorld is a member, that tensions and violence will escalate in the region, adding to the human suffering,” the statement said. The ACT Alliance is a coalition of faith-based humanitarian organisations.
Read the full article by Jonathon Foye at Insights Magazine.