THE Church of Scotland has been present in the State of Israel since its foundation in 1948, and in the area for many years prior to that during the Ottoman and Mandate periods.

Currently it has two churches, in Jerusalem and Tiberias, as well as owning and managing The Scots Hotel in Tiberias, Tabeetha School in Tel Aviv-Yafo and St Andrew’s Guesthouse in Jerusalem, employing around

160 people.

At a time when many Christians are fleeing the Middle East because of war, extremism, political uncertainty and a whole host of other socio-economic and ideological reasons, the Church of Scotland recognises the responsibility it has in this conflicted region, particularly given the challenges being faced by Christians across the Levant.

The Christian populations of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan are shrinking, while in Egypt the Christian community remains a significant part, numerically, of the country.

Each of the communities face many pressures as they seek to play a full part in their own countries.

The Church of Scotland works with the local Protestant churches to support and encourage the communities, sending people to serve with the local church from time to time and visiting.

Within Israel and the Palestinian Territory, it is now estimated that the Christian population makes up around 1.9% of the total population, including around 1000 in the Gaza Strip out of a population of two million.

A large part of the Church of Scotland’s mission in the Holy Land is to support that dwindling Christian population, believing that if the Christians were to disappear from here, it would be at a huge cost not only to the communities in which they live, but to the land as a whole.

The Palestinian Christian community has mainly remained faithful to the commitment to non-violence that the early Christian communities lived by while under Roman Imperial rule in the first century.

Christ’s example of non-violence in the face of crucifixion, and his command “to love our enemies”, has been embodied by the community of Palestinian Christians down through history, while Western Post-Constantinian Christianity fell to the trappings of empire-building and military might.

It is crucial to remember this in order to understand the important contribution Palestinian Christians have made, and continue to make, to seeking peace through non-violent means.

Despite being small in number, they have a crucial role to play in terms of working towards a just peace in this troubled land, modelling a denunciation of violence to attain those goals and reaching out beyond the boundaries and divisions of this intractable, asymmetrical conflict.

The Church of Scotland walks alongside, supports and stands in solidarity with all who are working for a just peace in the land, both religious and non-religious. Practically, this means that we partner with Israeli Jewish and Arab organisations, with Palestinian and international NGOs and with churches and faith leaders from across the religious divides, who all seek a just solution to the structural injustice of occupation.

The long-term well-being for Israeli Jews and Arabs, Palestinian Christians and Muslims, as well as all others who live in the land, will be best served by securing a just peace for all.

In the current context it is difficult to be optimistic, but the Church must not lose hope that a better future is possible.

Although the Church of Scotland’s presence in the land is relatively small, it is privileged to be able to work and support partners in Israel and the Palestinian Territory.

It tries to do so in a way that does not fall into the trap of dehumanising the other, listening to as many different voices as possible.

The Church of Scotland is particularly concerned about the current situation

in Gaza, given that approximately

two million people are trapped in a situation of growing despair, which has been reported in the press and witnessed first-hand by Church of Scotland delegations who have visited Gaza.

Gaza is approximately the same size

as the Isle of Jura, where around

200 people live. It is also one of the youngest populations in the world according to reports.

This young generation, who have no responsibility for the conditions in which they are having to survive on a daily basis, are subjected to the triple hardship of the Israeli blockade, a Hamas government and the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah who have frozen salaries and halted provisions coming into Gaza after the attempts to reconcile Fatah with Hamas failed, around this time last year.

In 2015, a United Nations report warned that Gaza could become “uninhabitable” in five years. Four years later, the situation is much worse.

With 97% of the water not fit for human consumption, around 60% unemployment rate among the youth, rising to 65% for female graduates, and with 80% of its population relying on food aid, the situation is deteriorating by the day.

Whoever is to blame for the situation in Gaza, it is clear that the general population did nothing to bring about the situation in which they find themselves.

If you are a Gazan child of 12, you will have lived through three “wars” – indeed, many hesitate to use the word “war” in this context, given the imbalance of power.

All human beings are made in the image of God, and thus deserve to live with dignity and justice.

While the Church of Scotland recognises that its contribution may be a drop in the ocean, it is committed to remain in the land where Jesus lived, and to follow in his footsteps in reaching out to all in compassion and love.

As Martin Luther King once said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

The mission of the Church of Scotland in Israel and the Palestinian Territory will continue to stand with all those who want to build a more just future.