Dave Szollosy, Toronto

This month illegal Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the west bank, under the watchful eye of the Israeli military. This was just one case of violent assault. Every year, hundreds of attacks are carried out by Israelis living in illegal settlements against Palestinians and their properties in the occupied West Bank. The newly installed Israeli right-wing government’s Finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, called for the destruction of Huwara village that was the target of deadly settler rampage.

The toll of the illegal occupation of Palestine continues to mount.

One group of Catholics in Canada have taken on the task of trying to create a space for Catholics in solidarity with Palestinians and build a movement within the Catholic community to call for justice for the Palestinians. They invite the official Church structures to participate in this prophetic task.

Catholics for Peace and Justice in the Holy Land was formed by a group of Catholics, ordained, religious and lay, with connections to Israel/Palestine either through living in the area, experiencing solidarity tours or working on the issues affecting peace in the region.

CJPHL maintains active participation in both faith and secular Palestinian Solidarity groups in Canada in order to build a broader movement and to keep the Catholic voice a component in these groups.

They are Catholics who seek an end to the occupation and a just peace for all living in Palestine and Israel. The Mission Statement of the group is to “equip, educate and empower Canadian Catholics to engage in issues of justice and solidarity on the Holy Land… responding to the call of the Kairos Palestine Document.”

The Kairos Palestine document reads in part: “As Palestinian Christians we hope that this document will provide the turning point to focus the efforts of all peace-loving peoples in the world, especially our Christian sisters and brothers. We hope also that it will be welcomed positively and will receive strong support. … We believe that liberation from occupation is in the interest of all peoples in the region because the problem is not just a political one, but one in which human beings are destroyed.”

Catholics for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land has accomplished some strides in education and advocacy in the broader Catholic network. It has prepared and distributed (at no charge) a curriculum document to help teachers, especially those in Catholic secondary schools, teach units on the history of Palestine/Israel. It has communicated on urgent issues with decision makers in the Church and in government. It has held information sessions with Canadian bishops to provide them with background to the occupation and the impacts of it.

Currently Catholics for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land is seeking a new part-time co-ordinator to facilitate their work. (See “Catholics for Justice and Peace in the Holy Land Part-Time Job description” in the ‘Feature’ category)

One is able to follow the group and communicate with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Dave Szollosy is a retired union activist, former Director of the Office of Social Justice for the Diocese of Victoria and former columnist in Island Catholic News. He has been in the Holy Land as part of a Christian Peacekeeper Team delegation and on a separate humanitarian mission to Gaza.