The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Reverend David Arnott and representatives from Christian Churches met with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, yesterday afternoon in London.

They met at Lambeth Palace, the meeting discussed the plight of Christians in the Holy Land and an overview of the political situation affecting the ongoing peace process.  President Abbas said that the resumption of talks in the context of the Arab Spring offered a rare opportunity that needed to be grasped now or it would be missed forever.

Mr Arnott who recently returned from a visit to Palestine said:  “Having worshipped in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, I have seen the struggle of the Palestinian people in the very basics of living but also their deep desire for a negotiated peace between the peoples who share the land.  I urge everyone to grasp this opportunity.”

“Last week as part of the Holy Land Co-ordination, where we shared our faith with the Christian communities, we witnessed the effects of of occupation and insecurity of this land.  There is an urgent need for strong and creative leadership in order to address the core issues of this long conflict.  The people’s desperate yearning for peace needs to be fulfilled and this meeting today with President Abbas reinforced our determination,” said Archbishop Patrick Kelly, the Archbishop of Liverpool, who was representing the international affairs department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Rowan Williams said:  “We continue to share the hopes of the Palestinian leadership for a lasting and just peace in the Holy Land, and we pray for the courage on all sides to break the current deadlock.  Young people in Israel and in the Palestinian territories long for justice and stability and they must not be let down.  We were deeply grateful to President Abbas for taking time to share with us his concerns and aspirations.”