In a landmark announcement, the WCC’s Central Committee calls for targeted sanctions, divestment, and arms embargoes on Israel. Palestinian Christians are calling it “a turning point in the moral and theological witness of the global church.”

Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa earlier this week, the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) issued a bold statement naming the reality of apartheid in Israel, demanding the end of Israel’s occupation and the lifting of the unlawful blockade of Gaza, and calling on states and churches “to impose consequences for violations of international law, including targeted sanctions, divestment, and arms embargoes.”

The statement acknowledges the WCC’s commitment to “inter-religious dialogue and cooperation”—a nod to its Jewish partners, many of whom can be expected to condemn the statement. “However,” the text reads, “the unbearable suffering inflicted on the people of Gaza, and the escalating violence and oppression in the West Bank and in Jerusalem compel the global fellowship of churches to speak with clarity, urgency, and commitment to the principles of justice under international law and ethics.”