House of Bishops statement on situation in Middle East
The Church of Ireland House of Bishops issued the following statement today:
"The on-going tragic situation in the Middle East with such widespread human suffering for men, women and little children of different backgrounds is a challenge to all of us. Arabs, Jews, Lebanese, Palestinians and Christians are caught up in events which bring death to the innocent and destruction to homes and essential services. The cries of the suffering cannot be ignored.
"The complexities of the Middle East mean that only a painstaking and determined effort will resolve the conflict and produce any long-term settlement. However we add our voices to those who have called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and for the establishment of contacts between all warring factions. We appeal to people in Ireland to pray for an end to the violence and the emergence of a just and lasting settlement to a situation of such suffering and complexity."