Human Rights in The Middle East

Select actions of the church

Please visit “A Just and Lasting Peace: Palestine-Israel” for information about the church’s response to the current conflict and its impacts.

2026: Following the outbreak of war in Iran and the surrounding region The PCC released a statement in early March praying and urging that disputes between states be resolved through dialogue, consultation, and adherence to international law, and repeating the World Council of Church’s four calls that there be:

• An immediate cessation of all military actions.
• The protection of civilian populations and critical infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law.
• The urgent resumption of diplomatic engagement and political dialogue through established international and regional mechanisms.
• Coordinated international efforts to prevent further escalation and to restore stability.

2025: General Assembly adopted a recommendation that individuals, groups and organizations within The Presbyterian Church in Canada utilize readily available and effective tools for peace provided in the report of the International Affairs Committee to the 2025 General Assembly and its referenced sources about concrete actions to take related to boycotting goods and services (including financial investments) that support the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territory and resultant economic oppression of the Palestinian people. (A&P 2025, pp. 151, 22) The report lists several websites to assist people to make decisions about boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS). (A&P 2025, p. 149) They include:

• BDSmovement.net
• cjpme.org/list_factsheets
• wikipedia.org/wiki/Boycott,_Divestment_and_Sanctions

Apps such as “Boycat” and others are designed to help users make ethical shopping choices by providing information on companies’ practices.

General Assembly adopted a recommendation that in response to the alarming escalation of deadly attacks and forced displacement faced by Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, the Moderator of the General Assembly and all Presbyterians write requesting the Government of Canada to expand its existing sanctions on settler violence in the West Bank. (A&P 2025, pp. 151, 22)

General Assembly adopted a recommendation: that, in acknowledging the presentation by Executive Director of Independent Jewish Voices, Corey Balsam , to the 2025 General Assembly, individuals, presbyteries and synods within The Presbyterian Church in Canada continue to learn about ways to work in solidarity with the actions of Canadian Palestinians and people of Jewish and Muslim faiths to support those individuals and agencies within both Israeli and Palestinian civil society who are opposing the use of weapons of war to depopulate Gaza, forcibly displace Palestinians in the West Bank and erase the culture and economy of the Palestinian people. (A&P 2025, pp. 151, 23)

General Assembly adopted a recommendation commending Authentic Christian Pilgrimage (a set of principles for Canadian church groups to help them plan pilgrimages to the Holy Land, developed in consultation with twenty Palestinian organizations) to individuals, congregations, colleges, courts and agencies in the church to inform and guide visits to Palestine and Israel. (A&P 2025, pp. 151, 22) Assembly also adopted a recommendation that individuals in the church prayerfully consider the opportunity to show solidarity with and learn about the current situation of Palestinian people in East Jerusalem and the Occupied Territory by participating in a study trip to be available through The Presbyterian Church in Canada. (A&P 2025, pp. 151, 23)

In June of 2025, the Moderator signed a joint ecumenical letter also signed by the Anglican Church of Canada, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the United Church of Canada, Canadian Friends of Sabeel and KAIROS condemning the state of Israel’s unprovoked attack on the Anglican Al Ahli Hospital, Gaza City on June 5th which killed three journalists, as well as two others, and injured many including medical personnel; the letter called for decisive and concrete action toward ending the State of Israel’s genocide against the peoples of Gaza, including giving full support to the unrestricted access and distribution of generous humanitarian aid in Gaza by credible humanitarian organizations in compliance with humanitarian standards, a complete arms embargo on Israel, and the rebuilding of the tens of thousands of Gazan homes and hundreds of public buildings that have been destroyed.

2024: General Assembly adopted recommendations that $100,000 be provided for Gaza Food Relief; that $50,000 be provided for the Defense for Children International – Palestine (an organization that focusses on the rights of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention); and that $25,000 be provided for the Olive Tree Campaign. (A&P 2024, pp. 100,17,18).

General Assembly adopted a recommendation that congregations, presbyteries and synods be encouraged to find concrete ways to live out this commitment and use resources created by the church, KAIROS, Sabeel and Project Ploughshares on justice in the region. (A&P 2024, pp. 103, 18)

2023: General Assembly adopted a recommendation that a delegation comprised of the Moderator and other Presbyterians to visit partners in Palestine/Israel be arranged as soon as possible in the spirit of the “A Moment of Truth” invitation (issued 14 years ago by a group of Palestinian Christian leaders representing a wide spectrum of churches and church-related organizations in Palestine and Israel) “to come and see” the struggle of the Palestinian people living within Israel and in the occupied territories, and to report back to a future General Assembly.

General Assembly agreed to invite a member of the leadership team of Independent Jewish Voices and/or Canadian Voices for Peace (an offshoot of the Israeli group, Voices for Peace) to address the 2024 General Assembly.

General Assembly encouraged congregations and individuals to write to their Member of Parliament to request a meeting to listen and to respond to the specific ways the Government of Canada intends to protect international human rights for the Palestinian people. (A&P 2023, pp. 22, 105-109)

2022: Congregations were encouraged to write personal letters to members of the Government of Canada about the State of Israel’s occupation of Palestine, encouraging them to speak up for rights such as food security for Palestinians and support Palestinian farmers and olive tree planting through the Olive Tree Project. (A&P 2022, pp. 144-5, 45)

2021: General Assembly encouraged congregations to study resources from Palestinian and Israeli human rights to learn more about the situation in Palestine and Israel, to invite speakers with experience of working for a just peace to speak to their congregation; and, once pandemic travel restrictions are eased, to plan a “Come and See” visit to the Palestinian Territories using a Palestinian Tour company. Reference materials for these recommendations may be found in the report of the International Affairs Committee online here. (A&P 2021, pp. 329-360)

General Assembly adopted recommendations that the Moderator write to the Government of Canada encouraging that Canada pressure Israel to adhere to international law related to annexation of the occupied territories and the right of return of the Palestinian people and convey dismay regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and other areas of the Palestinian Territories, and that the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations be given authority to take stronger action in support of recommendations on Palestine. (A&P 2021, pp. 329-360)

2019: General Assembly endorsed the “No Way To Treat A Child” campaign and wrote to the Canadian government requesting that Canada condemn mistreatment of Palestinian children brought into the Israeli military court system and that Canada challenge the government of Israel to fulfill its promises as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and requesting that it appoint a Special Envoy to promote, monitor and report on the human rights situation of Palestinian children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: specifically undertaking an evaluative analysis of Israeli military law and practice as they affect Palestinian children in the West Bank by reference to the standards of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other applicable international law. Lastly, the Moderator wrote the Government of Canada requesting that Global Affairs Canada officials in Ramallah and Tel Aviv develop links with Defense for Children International – Palestine and attend military court sessions involving children. (A&P 2019, pp. 29-30; 276-279) Context note: the “No Way To Treat A Child” campaign, launched in 2013, is an international movement advocating for the rights of Palestinian children and seeks that as a minimum safeguard for these children, Israeli authorities must respect and ensure basic due process rights and an absolute prohibition against torture and ill-treatment.

2018: General Assembly encouraged the Government of Canada to exclude products made in the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, in contravention of international law, from the benefits of the Canada Israel Free Trade Agreement. (A&P 2018, pp. 288-292, 22)

2017: General Assembly, through a letter from the moderator, wrote to the Prime Minister of Israel encouraging the Government of Israel to meet its obligations under international conventions and Israel’s laws to protect the civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights of its Palestinian citizens and to address racial discrimination. (A&P 2017, pp. 20, 298-301)

2015: General Assembly recommended that congregations pray for all people being persecuted and for their persecutors, that they have a change of heart; and pray for an end to violence in Syria. (A&P 2015, pp. 294-309, 26)

2013: General Assembly wrote to the Canadian government inquiring what measures Canada takes to persuade Israel to lift restrictions that it may place on the movement of people and goods that hamper economic development in the West Bank and inquiring if the Canadian government is willing to request that Israel renegotiate relevant sections of the Canada Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) so that goods include a certificate of origin and that goods from the settlements are excluded from beneficial tariff treatment under the CIFTA (This would not exclude goods produced in the Jewish settlements in the West Bank from entering the Canadian market).

General Assembly wrote to General Electric and Caterpillar requesting information on their respective policies to ensure their products are not used in situations where human rights are violated. (A&P 2013, pp. 278-286, 22, 24) Context note: General Electric and Caterpillar produced products that were sold to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)and which had allegedly been used by the IDF in actions that violated human rights of Palestinian citizens.

General Assembly wrote to the Canada Revenue Agency asking if its policies permit Canadian charities to issue tax receipts for donations that support projects in the Jewish settlements in the West Bank. (A&P 2013, pp. 278-286, 22, 24)

2011: General Assembly approved the response of The Presbyterian Church in Canada to the document “KAIROS Palestine: a moment of truth – faith, hope, and love – a confession of faith and call to action from Palestinian Christians.” General Assembly recommended that: courts of the church study the KAIROS Palestine Document and supporting documents and to deepen their understanding of the situation; that the church encourage the Government of Canada to use its offices to seek ways to end the occupation and to establish a just and lasting peace in Israel-Palestine according to United Nations resolutions. The Moderator visited Palestine and Israel in response to the invitation from Palestinian Christians to “come and see.” (A&P 2011, pp. 268-271, 31, 34)

2009: General Assembly wrote to General Electric (in which the church holds shares) to inquire about the use of the Apache helicopters in the Occupied Territories, and to express concern about the apparent use of the Apache helicopters in attacks in densely populated civilian areas in Gaza on January 7, 2009, as reported to B’Tselem: The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. (A&P 2009, pp. 288-299, 18)

2008: General Assembly advocated that the Government of Canada play a more active role in promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The work of the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel was reaffirmed and highlighted as an opportunity for individuals wishing to deepen their understanding of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.

Presbyterians were encouraged to promote the purchase and distribution of products and services from the Occupied Palestinian Territories through organizations such as the Zatoun organization, Holy Land Handicraft Co-operative Society, Holy Land Artisans, and the Alternative Tourism Group from Ramallah, both to assist the Palestinian people, and as a means of promoting awareness of the situation of Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories.

General Assembly wrote to the Government of Canada requesting information on steps that have been taken to stimulate trade between Canada and territories controlled by the Palestinian Authority (the West Bank and East Jerusalem) and urging the Government of Canada to: 1) introduce a certification of origin to ensure that products produced in territories occupied by Israel since 1967 are excluded from the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA); and 2) ensure that neither Israeli nor any Canadian policy impedes trade relationships between Canada and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Congregations and individuals visiting the Holy Land were encouraged to consider taking tours sponsored by the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre in Jerusalem, Holy Land Living Stones Pilgrimage (The Holy Land and Christian Ecumenical Foundation), or The Society for Biblical Studies as an opportunity for reflection and study, and to visit with partners in Israel and Palestine.

The Presbyterian Church in Canada recognized the State of Israel’s 60th anniversary and its attempts to foster democracy in the Middle East, while recognizing with contrition the Church universal’s long history of anti-Semitism and seeking greater understanding in the future. (A&P 2008, pp. 271-281, 18)

2002: General Assembly affirmed its support of the Canadian government’s efforts to participate in negotiations for a just and lasting peace settlement in the Middle East and advocated that the Government of Canada, as a member of the UN, speak against the application of sanctions, to seek a political solution towards the current Iraqi regime, and to voice opposition to a strategy of offensive military action against Iraq. (A&P 2002, pp. 279-281, 16-17) Context Note: Military action was feared in light of a) the inclusion of Iraq in a 3-nation “axis of evil” in the January 2002 State of the Union address by President George W. Bush to the US Congress, b) statements of concern about Iraq’s alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction by President Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in March 2002, and c) several references by top US officials and advisors on the necessity of regime change in Iraq. These fears were realized when the US and UK launched an invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003.

1993: General Assembly asked the Canadian government to press for the lifting of non-military sanctions against Iraq. (A&P 1993, pp. 252-253, 38)

1991: General Assembly commended a study by the Canadian Council of Churches on the Middle East to Presbyterians as a means of raising awareness about the churches in the Middle East and the critical issues faced in the region, adopted a statement on peace in the Middle East, and re-affirmed support for an international peace conference for the Middle East. General Assembly asked the Government of Canada implement steps to limit arms sales to the Middle East. (A&P 1991, pp. 301-304, 308, 56-57)

1990: General Assembly endorsed a position paper on the Middle East drafted by the Canadian Council of Churches and commended it to congregations. The paper affirms the need for interfaith dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims, and comments on a role for the church in seeking to build understanding, dialogue and peace-building initiatives.
General Assembly re-affirmed the need for a comprehensive settlement recognizing the needs of both Israelis and Palestinians, based on UN Security council resolutions and gave strong support to UN sponsored peace conference, asking the Government of Canada to do likewise. Messages of support were sent to the Near East Council of Churches. Presbyterians traveling to the Middle East were encouraged to contact the travel service of the MECC and take the time and opportunity to meet with Arab Christians. (A&P 1990, pp. 395-400, 62-63)

1989: General Assembly re-affirmed, and communicated this to the Government of Canada, the need for a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the UN Security Council resolutions to be negotiated through a UN sponsored peace conference. General Assembly asked congregations and presbyteries to support and facilitate efforts to build greater awareness among the churches, dialogue between Jewish and Arab communities in Canada, and dialogue among Christians, Jews and Muslims, both locally and nationally. (A&P 1989, pp. 367-369, 63)

1988: General Assembly urged the Government of Canada to call for an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations with reference to the right of the Palestinians for a national homeland. (A&P 1988, pp. 366-367, 51)

1987: General Assembly called on Canadian Presbyterians traveling to Israel to be aware of the political significance of the travel arrangements they made, of the people and places they visited and urged them to make a point of attending church and visiting Christian institutions while in Israel. (A&P 1987, pp. 340-341, 33)
1983: General Assembly called for the withdrawal of all outside military forces from Lebanon and the pursuit of peace in the Middle East through acceptance of Israel’s right to security and recognized boundaries and the Palestinians’ right to a homeland within a clearly defined territory. (A&P 1983, pp. 374, 79)

1978: General Assembly encouraged the Canadian government to take a strong position in any Middle East peace negotiations “having regard to … justice for Palestinians and security for Israel.” (A&P 1978, pp. 335, 36)

1972: In the wake of a massacre of 15 Christian pilgrims and 9 Israeli civilians in Tel Aviv, General Assembly mandated the church’s International Affairs Committee to communicate with the governments of Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Israel concerning maintaining safe passage for pilgrims of all faiths. (A&P 1972, pp. 61-62)

1967: General Assembly adopted a statement on the Middle East, encouraging the Government of Canada to seek that the United Nations establish a peace-keeping force adequate and appropriate for restoring and supervising conditions for a just settlement and seek solutions that take full account of the needs of all peoples and nations involved, with particular reference to the plight of Palestinian refugees. (A&P 1967, pp. 70-71, 103)