United Church urges Advocacy to Move Canada From Condemnation to Consequences

“Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)

The United Church of Canada joins the World Council of Churches and partners in Palestine and Israel in calling on states to hold Israel accountable for repeated violations of international law in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank. A global campaign entitled From Condemnation to Consequences, launched March 4th, calls on states—including Canada—to hold Israel meaningfully accountable for its ongoing illegal occupation of Palestine.

“The war that broke out on 28 February 2026, between the United States and Israel with Iran, should not distract the world community from the ongoing de-facto annexation by Israel of the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,” says the World Council of Churches. While the US and Israel redirect the world’s attention to the illegal and expanding war across the Middle East, Israel's de-facto annexation measures are ramping up and violent settlers have increased attacks on Palestinian villages, towns, places of worship, and individuals.  

Unless states are held accountable with meaningful consequences, impunity leads to repeated and escalating violations of international law, such as we are witnessing now by the governments of Israel and the United States. 

 “The United Church of Canada stands firmly with partners,” says Rev. Cheryl-Ann Stadelbauer-Sampa, Acting General Secretary, affirming the voices of The World Council of Churches, Middle East Council of Churches, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches, World Methodist Council, Mennonite World Conference, Christian Conference of Asia, and ACT Alliance issued in their Joint Ecumenical Statement of March 9, 2026. The United Church echoes their statement: “As Christians, we do not recognize any divine license to kill, destroy, displace, or occupy. We proclaim the God-given human dignity and rights of all people, equally and without discrimination. We reject the brutal logic of war and domination. We seek the gift of peace.” 

The United Church has contributed $42,000 to Mission and Service and solidarity partners in the region responding to the growing needs of communities affected. The church stands in solidarity with the peoples of the Middle East, amplifying Palestinian Christian Mission and Service partner Sabeel’s March 2026 Statement to the peoples of the region: 

“…We who are neighbours must unite in solidarity. Our conflicts do not serve us. They serve the arms dealers and corrupt leaders who need external enemies to justify their power. When we fight, we give the greedy their markets and the tyrants their mandates. When we see each other’s humanity, we take their power away”.  

Take Action 

1. Pray: The United Church shares this prayer inviting our community to pray and act for an end to this and all wars, so that God’s peace and justice may flourish for all of God’s Creation.  
2. Advocate: Please go to our Take Action webpage to call on churches and Canada to support just peace in Palestine and Israel.

Join the WCC EAPPI Campaign From Condemnation to Consequences 

The United Church of Canada is a member of the World Council of Churches and a participating church in the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) since it began in 2002. This campaign urges states, churches, and international institutions to act now to impose consequences for violations of international law, including targeted sanctions, divestment, and arms embargoes, as appropriate.  

Write to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand using this template letter and demand that Canada: 

1. Fully comply with and uphold international law:

• Apply diplomatic, economic, and political sanctions on the government of Israel to stop current annexation moves. Support the end of Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories, in line with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, issued in July 2024. 
• Scale up emergency support for Palestinian villages threatened and affected by forced displacement due to settler violence and occupation policies and demand that those who have been displaced can return to their villages. 
• Scale up support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) as well as Palestinian, Israeli, and International civil society organizations working towards a just peace. 
• Cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and try crimes under international law in national courts, consistent with international standards. Reject all calls to sanction UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and ICC prosecutors and judges. 

2. Stop trade of goods and services with Israeli settlements (all of which are illegal under international law) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to suspend bilateral agreements with Israel until it ends its illegal occupation. 

3. Implement sanctions against Israeli settlers involved in violent crimes against Palestinian communities, settler organizations and their members, and Israeli government officials supporting the settler movement and advocating for the annexation of the West Bank, in contradiction to international law.  

4. Impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Canada's arms trade with Israel as called for by Canadian civil society in the #ArmsEmbargoNow campaign.