The patriarchs and heads of the churches in Jerusalem, including Archbishop Hosam Naoum of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, issued on Jan. 30 a statement on the increasing violence in the Holy Land.
They called upon “all parties to practice restraint and self-control,” adding that they have been “constantly warning of an exploding, senseless cycle of violence that will only cause hurt and suffering to everyone.”
Noting the “unwarranted” deaths of 32 Palestinians and seven Israelis since the start of the new year, they said that “everyone must work together to defuse the current tensions and to launch a political process based upon well-established principles of justice that will bring about a lasting peace and prosperity for all.”
The full statement is available here.
