The Auckland Anglican and Roman Catholic Bishops have asked the New Zealand Government to call on Israel to return to “its pre-1967 borders as a pre-requisite for dialogue to establish a lasting and just settlement in the Holy Land.”


Bishop Ross Bay, Bishop Jim White and Bishop Patrick Dunn also urged the Government to work hard to attain peace through diplomatic channels in war-torn Gaza.

In a statement, the three bishops said: “We believe the continued violence in Gaza violates the human dignity of Palestinians and Israelis alike, and condemn all parties who are capitalising on this tragedy in pursuit of their own selfish political ends.”

The bishops aired their support to the appeals made by Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon for peace in the Holy Land. “We pray for peace on earth and a just solution to all forms of social injustice,” they said.

“Violence and war are never a proper solution to disagreements, and the Israeli bombing and missiles and the Hamas rockets targeted at civilian populations is a grave moral evil."

They expressed sadness over the deaths of more than 2000 people due to the violence.

“Retaliation and violence are never the right responses and will only make problems worse, harden positions on all sides, foster vengeance and hatred, causing more deaths, destruction and human suffering. All of these will prevent peace from becoming a reality,” the bishops said.

The bishops' entire statement follows:

A call for peace and justice in the Holy Land

In accordance with repeated requests by the United Nations we, Bishop Patrick Dunn and Bishop Ross Bay, on behalf of the Catholic and Anglican communities in Auckland, call on Israel to return to its pre-1967 borders as a pre-requisite for dialogue to establish a lasting and just settlement in the Holy Land.

We believe the continued violence in Gaza violates the human dignity of Palestinians and Israelis alike, and condemn all parties who are capitalising on this tragedy in pursuit of their own selfish political ends.

We note with sorrow the deaths in the violence of more than 1900 people, the majority of them civilians, and are appalled that around one third of victims are children with one being killed on average each hour the conflict continues.

Violence and war are never a proper solution to disagreements, and the Israeli bombing and missiles and the Hamas rockets targeted at civilian populations is a grave moral evil.

Retaliation and violence are never the right responses and will only make problems worse, harden positions on all sides, foster vengeance and hatred, causing more deaths, destruction and human suffering. All of these will prevent peace from becoming a reality.

We support Pope Francis’ appeal for the “courage to forge a peace which rests on the acknowledgment by all of the right of two States to exist and to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.”

We join with the Archbishop of Canterbury, who declared that: “As each day passes we see more innocent lives, including those of children, lost in the terrible cycle of revenge – no good can possibly come of this.)

We also support the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon who has stated that “in the name of humanity” an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire must happen, allowing for the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.

We reject all forms of anti-Semitism and anti-Arab racism and support the many initiatives that encourage Israelis and Palestinians to get to know and understand each other and so grow towards peace.

We call on the New Zealand Government to make full use of all diplomatic channels to work hard towards an immediate end to the violence and for a just resolution of the injustices faced by the Palestinian people as well as the difficulties faced by Israelis who are living in fear as a result of the conflict.

These injustices demonstrate a loss of dignity and humanity for all sides in this conflict and there are serious wrongs perpetuated by them all.

For the Palestinians the loss of land, intimidation and harassment by Israeli security forces, the blockade of Gaza, the illegal Israeli settlements, the cruel security wall dividing people, and the hindering of their travel with unfair travel restrictions result in inhuman living conditions, unemployment and poverty.

For the Israelis the constant threat from Hamas rockets, the use of tunnels by suicide bombers and militants who are intent on attacking civilian targets, and the ever increasing tension all mean that life is wretched for ordinary citizens.

We call on our government to assist refugees from war and violence and to be generous in allowing re-settlement in New Zealand when needed, and encourage the government, aid agencies and individuals to continue to be generous in donating humanitarian medical and food supplies for the victims of war and violence.

We support the efforts of Israeli and Palestinian peace groups to find a solution to the conflict.

We take great heart from the many people around the world who have spoken out for peace, participated in peace rallies and taken action to end the violence. And we seek to follow the example of all those who have struggled hard for social justice, rejecting the way of violence and war and refusing to kill their fellow human beings who are made in the image and likeness of God.

We pray for peace on earth and a just solution to all forms of social injustice.

Bishop Ross Bay and Bishop Jim White, Bishops of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland

Bishop Patrick Dunn, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Auckland