100 Christian Leaders Hand Over Open Letter To Mark Ash Wednesday; Grant Emergency Humanitarian Visas For Palestinians – Aotearoa Christians for Peace in Palestine

A letter signed by more than 100 Church and Christian Organisation leaders is being handed over to the New Zealand Government at Parliament on Ash Wednesday – the first day of Lent.

The letter has been signed by leaders from Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Quaker, non-denominational and Methodist movements, and leaders from organisations and groups such as Caritas, Student Christian Movements and Te Mīhana Māori.

The open letter is part of the Christians United for Refuge Aotearoa Campaign, and calls on the Government to help reunite families and bring them to safety by:

1. Granting immediate emergency humanitarian visas to Palestinians in Gaza who have family in New Zealand.

2. Providing sustained diplomatic pressure on the Israeli government to allow visa-holders to safely evacuate from Gaza and humanitarian aid to freely enter.

3. Providing robust resettlement assistance once these families arrive in New Zealand.

The letter is timed with the ending of the first phase of the Gaza Ceasefire agreement – which was expected to see Israel withdraw military forces from the border between Gaza and Egypt.

Christians United for Refuge spokesperson Esmé Hulbert-Putt says, “When we first prepared this letter, we hoped and prayed that we would be celebrating the withdrawal of military forces from the border, and that this opening, alongside strong diplomacy and visa pathways, would allow for the family reunification that Palestinians in Aotearoa have been asking for for over a year. Unfortunately, another violation of the ceasefire agreement has halted both this opening, and has stopped humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. This makes diplomatic efforts from governments across the world to open the border even more urgent and critical.”

Christians United for Refuge Aotearoa will hand over the letter to representative MPs at Parliament. A group will then complete a 10km pilgrimage from Parliament to Wellington Airport. The 10km symbolises the route from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, and the group will stop for prayer at points along the way – symbolizing the many Israeli checkpoints along that route.

Similar pilgrimages will happen in Auckland and Christchurch to the respective international airports, connected to a global movement of Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimages this Ash Wednesday.

“This letter, and the accompanying pilgrimages are testament that there are Christians across Aotearoa – of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds and denominations that are concerned about the violence and injustice in Palestine, and who want to see pathways open for those who wish to seek refuge here.” Says Hulbert-Putt. “The pilgrimages will end at New Zealand’s major international airports, in prayerful hope that families of Palestinians in Gaza who wish to enter New Zealand are able to do so soon.”