GENEVA - The World Council of Churches (WCC) called Thursday for "resistance" to Israel's decision to allow the expansion of illegal Jewish settlements in Palestinian East Jerusalem, saying it "may destroy any chance for peace."
Secretary General Reverend Samuel Kobia called on organisations related to the Council "to act with resolve, in concert... to reverse this decision of the Israeli government and the settlement programme it represents."
Israel on Wednesday said it would build 900 new homes at the illegal Gilo settlement in Palestinian East Jerusalem, which Israel illegally invaded and occupied in 1967 and subsequently annexed, a move slammed by the international community.
Palestinians want the return of East Jerusalem, to be the capital of their independent future state.
Expressing "great disappointment", Kobia said the leading council of Christian and Orthodox churches "strongly condemns the decision... to expand the illegal Gilo settlement as we believe that this decision will hinder attempts now in process to restart the peace negotiations."
Kobia warned in a statement that "if settlements continue to expand and proliferate, they will further complicate negotiations and may destroy any chance for peace".
"People of conscience and good faith around the world are looking to the government of Israel now to move toward the resolution of an interminable conflict rather than continue with decades-old policies that have driven it toward the point of no return."
The WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican churches representing about 560 million Christians in 110 countries.
All Jewish settlements are illegal under international law because they are built on Arab land (mainly Palestinian), illegally occupied by Israel since 1967.
Around 200,000 illegal Jewish settlers are estimated to have moved into the dozen or so Israeli settlements in Palestinian East Jerusalem.
There are about 300,000 more illegal Jewish settlers currently living in settlements the Palestinian West Bank.
The settlers adhere to radical ideologies and are extremely violent to almost-defenceless Palestinians.
Under international law, neither East nor West Jerusalem is considered Israel's capital. Tel Aviv is recognised as Israel's capital, pending a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians.
East Jerusalem is considered by the international community to be illegally occupied by Israel, in contravention of several binding UN Security Council Resolutions.
In these resolutions, the United Nations Security Council has also called for no measures to be taken to change the status of Jerusalem until a final settlement is reached between the sides.
Declaring Jerusalem as Israel's capital is an attempt to change this status, and is thus a violation of these Security Council resolutions.
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