Denmark’s Bishops Push Government to Pressure Israel Over Gaza Genocide

2025-06-19 03:42:26

(MENAFN) On Wednesday, eight bishops from the Church of Denmark urged their government to ramp up diplomatic pressure on Israel to stop its military actions in Gaza and to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in desperate need.

In a joint declaration, the bishops emphasized, “We therefore call on the Danish government to put pressure on the Israeli government to comply with the many international demands to immediately cease hostilities in Gaza and to cooperate in getting more emergency aid into Gaza.”

They described the crisis in Gaza as having “long since exceeded all reasonable proportions,” voicing serious concern over Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank.

The bishops further expressed solidarity with demonstrations opposing the expansion of unlawful Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and condemned religious rationalizations for violence.

“We reject the so-called Christian Zionism, which is used as religious support for illegal settlements and the expulsion of non-Jews from the Palestinian territories,” they declared. “We strongly oppose any misuse of religion to justify attacks on people—including war crimes.”

The Church of Denmark, rooted in Evangelical-Lutheran faith, comprises 10 bishops serving the Danish mainland and one bishop each for Greenland and the Faroe Islands. This statement was endorsed by bishops from the dioceses of Copenhagen, Haderslev, Viborg, Helsingor, Fyens, Lolland-Falster, Aarhus, and Aalborg.

Despite global appeals for a ceasefire, Israeli military operations in Gaza have persisted. Since October 2023, nearly 55,400 Palestinians—primarily women and children—have lost their lives due to Israeli attacks.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Additionally, Israel is confronting a genocide case at the International Court of Justice linked to its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

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