EAPPI representative detained and deported
The associate general secretary of the World Council of Churches has been refused entry to Israel
Isabel Apawo Phiri, the World Council of Churches (WCC) associate general secretary, has been interrogated and refused entry to Israel while on a programme supported by British and Irish Quakers.
The African theologian was on her way to attend consultations with church leaders in Jerusalem on the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).
More than seventy churches, ecumenical bodies and specialised ministries in twenty-two countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Latin America actively participate in the EAPPI programme. The British and Irish section is administered by Britain Yearly Meeting.
The WCC has condemned the move against Isabel Apawo Phiri and described it as a ‘patently unjust and discriminatory action’, which it is appealing.
In a statement released last week it said: ‘The WCC deeply regrets the Israeli antagonism against the WCC’s initiatives for peace with justice for both Palestinians and Israelis.’
The EAPPI programme brings people from around the world to the West Bank and East Jerusalem to serve for three months as human rights monitors, known as Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAs).
They bring eyewitness accounts to the world’s attention and engage with local Palestinians and Israelis pursuing a just peace.
You need to login to read subscriber-only content and/or comment on articles.