The World Council of Churches makes no apology for applying the word “apartheid” to Israeli policy in the occupied territories, the organization’s general secretary, Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay, told Canadian Affairs in an interview. Nor does it apologize for calling on the International Court of Justice to investigate “accusations of genocidal intent” by Israel in its war in Gaza, he said.
“When thousands and thousands of people are killed, we cannot remain silent,” said Pillay, who heads up the Geneva-based global organization that brings together more than 350 Protestant and Orthodox churches from around the world.
“Because those lives are precious. Those lives have been given by God. And we need to say something about it.”
Pillay is in Canada Dec. 4 to Dec. 10 at the invitation of the Canadian Council of Churches to celebrate the Canadian council’s 80th anniversary. The Canadian council is the most inclusive of the national councils associated with the World Council of Churches. It represents more than 80 per cent of Canadian Christians.
Pillay, a South African Presbyterian minister and theology professor, says he recognizes the words “apartheid” and “genocide” have drawn strong condemnation from Israel and many Jewish organizations. But he insists the world council’s statements on Israel have not impaired dialogue between the Christian organization and Jews.
“It’s not quite true that the Israeli or Jewish communities have stopped speaking to us. It’s not true at all. It’s a total misperception,” Pillay said. “We have very engaged conversations with the Jewish community.”
At its 2022 general assembly, the World Council of Churches issued a statement condemning Israel for “discrimination against Palestinians [that] is overt and systemic.” It referenced research reports by academics and human rights organizations that describe Israeli policies and actions as “amounting to ‘apartheid.’”
However, member churches could not all agree to employ the South African word for the separation of races to Israel. The council settled on pointing out that both Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations had called Israeli policy in the occupied territories “apartheid.”
In June, the executive committee of the council stopped just shy of accusing Israel of genocide. But it did call for accusations of genocide to be adjudicated “by the relevant organs of international law.”
In his book Hope Never Disappoints. Pilgrims Towards a Better World, published in November, Pope Francis also calls for an investigation into the possibility of genocide in Gaza.
“According to some experts,” Pope Francis writes, “what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies.”
Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs believes any application of the words apartheid or genocide to Israel damages Christian-Jewish relations. The centre is an advocacy organization that represents 150,000 Jewish Canadians.
“I am not sure that Rev. Dr. Jerry Pillay’s characterization of the relationship with the global Jewish community is accurate,” Richard Marceau, the centre’s vice-president of external affairs and general counsel, told Canadian Affairs in an emailed statement.
“Wrongly accusing the world’s only Jewish state of the worst possible crimes (genocide, apartheid) is a major impediment to continuing relations,” Marceau said. “Outrageous accusations against Israel do nothing to solve the tragedies befalling innocent people in the Middle East, be they Christian, Jewish or Muslim, or to temper the high level of antisemitism we are seeing in Canada.”
At the end of August, Canadian religious organizations wrote to Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly demanding Canada do more to stop the flow of Canadian military hardware to Israel until the International Court of Justice had fully investigated “the plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza. Signatories to the letter included the Development and Peace-Caritas Canada (Catholic), Independent Jewish Voices Canada, Islamic Relief Canada and the Mennonite Central Committee Canada.
These organizations teamed up with unions, development agencies and human rights organizations to warn Joly that transfers of military materiel to the US — which wind up in Israel — are a violation of the Arm Trade Treaty, to which Canada is a signatory.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza last October, Canada has paused new arms transfers headed directly to Israel. Arms shipments approved by Ottawa before the war began have not been stopped and $95-million in military goods approved for transfer could be re-shipped to Israel, according to the civil society coalition that wrote to Joly.
Disagreement with Israel is not the same as severing the relationship with the Jewish community, says Pillay.
“Of course we disagree with each other on a number of issues, but we are in very good conversations. The WCC is in good standing with all of these people, even though we take very strong decisions and speak in favour of justice,” he said.
The World Council of Churches is a voice crying in the wilderness and as such should be left crying. What they propose flies in the face of all logic and reason.
According to the ICJ advisory opinion from 19 July 2024 the occupation of West Bank and East Jerusalem is unlawful. Furthermore its made clear that Israel is cleansing the areas from Palestinians and enforcing a two-tier justice system akin to apartheid.
Why is it controversial reporting the truth?
People who defend the vile actions of the Israeli government by portraying any opposition as antisemitic are the greatest danger for any Jew that wants (and deserves) to live a life in peace.
Humanity is the core issue. Women and children are dying daily – while trying to find food. This is the latest weapon being used by Israel/Netanyahu. And Palestinians in the settlements are being gunned down by emboldened settlers, enabled and approved by the Israeli government.
When the world cries out for a ceasefire and humanitarian food and help for those who desperately require it, we are called anti-Semitic. So what is it to be the very opposite? What Must we do to demonstrate our support for Israel’s right to exist? Must we approve of murder, of vengeance, of dispossessing people of a certain race?
No. We can not, nor will we. We support the self determination of Israel and all people to life, liberty and peace.
Canadians of all kinds are horrified by what we see and hear daily is being done to the people of Gaza and the West Bank. We are equally horrified that there are still innocent Israelis being held hostage by Hamas.
I’m not sure Netanyahu and his Administration care about them. They are fully prepared to sacrifice them for their grasp on power.
The world must band together to stop the carnage and rescue those hostages.
Because the terrorists are now Netanyahu and his hard liners. This is now a modern day holocaust. The UN must find a way to stop them in the name of humanity.