The boards of 73 Church Congregations Are Calling on the Dutch Government to Do More to Address The Humanitarian Disaster in Gaza. Among Other Things, They Want the Netherlands to Recognize The Palestinian State. This is remarkable, as many churches cherish a warm relationship with Israel.
The Netherlands Must Stop Arms Deliveries to Israel. It must also recognize the Palestinian State, the 73 Church Boards State in an advertisement in Trouw .
They Ask the Caretaker Cabinet “With the Greatest Possible Emphasis” to Urge the Israeli Government to Implement An Immediate Ceasefire. They also Ask in the Appeal for “The Immediate and Unrestricted Admission of Food Aid and Other Humanitarian Aid Into Gaza Under International Supervision”.
The Initiative Comes from Carolien Gijsbers of the Maranathakerk in The Hague. The Declaration Has Been Signed by 73 Dutch Church Congregations. It Mainly Conerns Churches of the Protestant Church Netherlands (PKN), which has HAS Approximately Fifteen Hundred Congregations Throughhout The Netherlands. Some remonstrant and Mennonite Churches have also signed the appeal.
The Maranathakerk Contacted 220 Other Church Councils, Trouw Writes. Ten of them indicated that they would not join.
The National Board of the PKN Did Not Sign. “We were not asked,” A Spokesperson for the PKN Tells NU.nl. “This is an initiative of local churches.”
The Fact That It is an Initiative from Several Local Churches Has “Significance,” Writes PKN SCRIBE (Secretary) Kees van Ekris in A Statement. “I think it is strong when congregations organize a consultation together, listen to each other, and come to a joint text that they want to share.”
Churches Struggle with Gaza Conflict
Earlier This Year, Members of the Congregation Already Asked The PKN to Speak Out About The Violence in Gaza. In June, The Church Association Said That “The Ongoing Violence and the Many Deaths Affect Us.” The PKN Said at the time that it was Looking for Ways to Stop the Violence.
In October 2023, church in action, The Aid Organization of the PKN, Started Providing Emergency Aid in Israel and Gaza. “The Suffering Among Both Jews and Palestinians is indescribable,” The Organization Said. “The recently events have dramatic consequences.”
The PKN is the Largest Protestant Church Association in the Netherlands. The PKN consists of numerous various religious movements, some of which are more pro-Israel Than Others. Many Churches Struggle with the Gaza Conflict because they historical Cherish Warm Ties with Israel. The Current Situation in Gaza and the Role of the Israeli Government in It Are Putting Those Ties To The Test.