wfn.org | Anglican Bishop Describes Destruction at Catholic University,

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Lutheran School in Holy Land

Contact:  Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal
Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and Middle East
St. George's Cathedral
20 Nablus Road
Jerusalem
972.02.627-1670
970.02.627-3847 fax

   JERUSALEM, March 19, 2002--The Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem has issued a 
Lenten letter describing the "recent hostilities" and "the reoccupation of 
liberated Palestinian towns and villages" as catastrophic and tragic for both 
parties.

    Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal's appeal to partner churches and others around 
the world cites, specifically, Israeli Army destruction at the Roman Catholic 
Bethlehem University and the forceful occupation of a nearby Lutheran School. 
 He also described the difficulties of the Episcopal parish in Ramallah, 
north of Jerusalem.

    "Every one of our institutions and parishes has felt the crushing 
economic repercussions of the situation," he said. 

    Two medical doctors were unable to reach the Augusta Victoria Hospital, 
Bishop Riah said.   The Hospital is sponsored by the Lutheran World 
Federation.

    The Jerusalem Bishop thanked friends around the world for their prayers 
and asserted that "Peace is the only alternative left." 

    "This can only be a peace established in truth and justice," he wrote.   
"The best security comes from reconciled neighbors."

    The full text of his letter is as follows:

Lent, 2002

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Salaam and grace in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ and blessed 
greetings to you from Jerusalem.

We in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem are desperately concerned as the 
situation in the Land of the Holy One continues to deteriorate almost by the 
hour, bringing with it tragic loss of life, innumerable injustices and the 
damage and destruction of infrastructure, hospitals, schools and the homes of 
innocent people, among them our own people.  

We call upon all our partners and friends to do all that is in their power, 
to bringing an end to this pain and suffering in our homeland.  The recent 
hostilities as well as the reoccupation of liberated Palestinian towns and 
villages has proved catastrophic and tragic for both parties.  

No one with common sense believes that a whole nation can be controlled with 
the power of the gun.  Justice is the only possible way. The root cause of 
all of this is the occupation and the Israeli occupation must come to an end.

At present we are faced with a total disregard for the suffering of so 
many of our people.  The recent incursion of tanks and military personnel 
into many of the Palestinian towns and cities has caused an enormous amount 
of suffering.  In Bethlehem, 3000 people recently gathered in Manger Square 
from neighboring refugee camps.  Local organizations were being asked to help 
feed them.  A Lutheran school was occupied and missiles hit Bethlehem 
University, which is a Roman Catholic institution, causing its closure. All 
electrical power was cut to two Ramallah hospitals during the height of 
fighting, leading many to great harm from lack of emergency health care.

I have just returned from visiting Ramallah, shortly after the Israeli 
tanks pulled out of the city center.  One of my priests, The Rev. George 
Al-Kopti, who is in charge of the parish of St. Andrew's in Ramallah, 
reported to me about the situation in the city in the aftermath of the 
Israeli incursion.  He said: "About 150 tanks entered the city, occupying 
every corner and preventing movement, even movement of the injured to the 
hospitals and clinics in town.  They occupied houses and apartment buildings, 
asking families to congregate in one house with no regard to their age or 
their health.  

Cars that belong to families of the parish were destroyed by tanks."  He 
adds: "The children of the Evangelical Home lived for a few days of fear and 
trauma.  We had three days of severe imprisonment, without the ability to 
move or even provide ourselves with food."

It was chilling to see the apartments that the occupying soldiers had 
marked with a large spray painted X, reminiscent of the markings the Nazi 
forces used to identify Jewish families.  

One of the apartment buildings that was taken over included the flat of Mrs. 
Patricia Rantisi, the widow of the late Rev. Audeh Rantisi.  She is a 
70-year-old British citizen.  Kent Wilkens, a Canadian friend staying with 
Mrs. Rantisi reports on the situation after the invasion of the building by 
soldiers.  He says: "We have adequate food supplies.  The Ramallah water has 
been cut so we will run out of water in this flat in a day or so.  We still 
have electricity.  We are not allowed to set foot in the hall.  We are 13 
adults, including two elderly, and 10 children from 18 months old to 10 
years.  Two of the adults are physicians who work at Augusta Victoria 
Hospital in Jerusalem.  They are denied the ability to reach their hospitals, 
and cannot telephone their patients, or have their patients telephone them."  
He concludes, 

"The soldiers have no need to hold 4 families as hostages to accomplish their 
so called security."

The ongoing conflict has had a dramatic effect on the work of the Church in 
the Land of the Holy One.  Every one of our institutions and parishes as felt 
the crushing economic repercussions of the situation. 

When the new century began we looked towards an increase in our joy.  
Unfortunately this has not been the case and we watch as the quality of the 
lives of our friends and colleagues spirals downward into increasingly more 
difficult circumstances.

Our ministry would not be possible without the support and prayers of our 
countless friends throughout the world.  Knowing that you stand with us makes 
an immense difference in our lives and our ministries.  We are greatly 
encouraged by the number of people who have written us, to express their 
solidarity and offer their players.  

Let us all come together, and join hands and efforts.  I challenge you to 
speak out on behalf of the people of this Land; to your families, your 
friends, your coworkers and neighbors, your politicians and your government 
leaders.  We pray for peace with justice, justice with truth and truth with 
righteousness, as well as for the safety and protection of all people.  

Peace is the only alternative left.  This can only be a peace established in 
truth and justice, in accordance with the United Nations resolutions 242, 338 
and 194.  The best security comes from reconciled neighbors.

Know that this comes with our prayers and our gratitude for all you have been 
doing to help us stand firm in our commitment to His calling.  May you be 
richly blessed.

In Christ,
+ The Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal