Ministers take part in peace march in Jerusalem

Church of Scotland ministers took part in a cross-religious solidarity march in Jerusalem against the war in Gaza.

Rev Dr Stewart Gillan and Rev Muriel Pearson, who are both Mission Partners in Israel, took to the streets along with around 200 people in the name of peace, justice and equality.

Reflecting on the event, they wrote: -

"Two very different marches made their way down Jaffa Street, Jerusalem under the shadow of the war in Gaza.

An Interfaith March for Human Rights and Peace was followed two days later by the annual Jerusalem Day march, also known as Flag Day.

Where the peace march, with Rabbis for Human Rights taking the organisational lead, bore witness to an inclusive vision of a city in which Israelis and Palestinians are honoured equally, the Flag Day march asserted the exclusionary nationalism of the settler movement and its violence.

The Interfaith March or Peace and Human Rights is timed to counter the extreme nationalism of Flag Day and decried the use of religion to exacerbate division.

The words of former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, taken from his compelling argument in Not in God's Name, serve to summarise the position.

He wrote: ‘Too often in the history of religion people have killed in the name of the God of life, waged war in the name of the God of peace, hated in the name of the God of love, and practised cruelty in the name of the God of compassion.

‘When this happens, God speaks, sometimes in a still, small voice almost inaudible beneath the clamour of those claiming to speak on his behalf. What God says in such times is: Not in my name.'

The planning process for the Interfaith March for Peace and Human Rights began in January and was itself a journey towards mutual care and trust between and among Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and people from human rights and peace organisations.

Women and men in equal numbers who are well versed in justice and peace work.

Muslim and Palestinian Christian participants had intimated that they were subject to great suspicion, and the charge of ‘normalising' occupation for engaging Israelis in talks.

Israeli participants were subject to similar suspicions running in the opposite direction.

A veteran Christian activist asked, ‘Do we have the courage to march for the underdog?'

On the day, Avi Dabush, Executive Director of Rabbis for Human Rights, and one who only just survived with his family the Hamas attach of 7 October, paid tribute Vivian Silver, founder of Women Wage Peace, a co-sponsor of the march.

She was on the inaugural march last year and she was murdered on 7 October.

‘She always taught us,' said Avi, 'There is no path to peace, peace is the path.'

The march was led by two women, the peace activist Ghadil Hani, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and Rabbi Sigal Asher of Rabbis for Human Rights, who chaired our planning meetings.

As we gathered, their passing of the microphone back and forth between them symbolised our joint voice.

We were happy to learn from Ghadil that she had led an iftar at St Andrew's some years ago, the meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan.

As we traversed Jaffa Street and met up with Muslim and Palestinian Christian friends at New Gate, we modelling a different approach to difference – children of God, bearing God's image, of equal inherent worth and dignity, bearing equally the right to live and be honoured, working for justice, peace, and healing.

By end of march at Jaffa Gate we were steeped in prayer and teaching from Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze, Buddhist and peace leaders.

Seeking to bring and embodying holiness in the Holy City."

The Interfaith March for Human Rights and Peace took place on 3 June.

Read more about the Church in Israel and Palestine.