wfn.org | Church Leaders See "Much More" in President's Middle East Statement

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Contact:  Jim Wetekam, Churches for Middle East Peace
202-488-5638, jim@cmep.org

Church Leaders See "Much More" in President's Middle East Statement

(WASHINGTON, June 25, 2002) - American church leaders representing the
nation's mainline Protestant churches, as well as Catholic offices, welcomed a
renewed U.S. commitment to pursue an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord.
Commenting that the news media had focused only on one aspect of the
President's address, Rev. Daryl Byler, director of the Mennonite Central
Committee's Washington office, asked, "Did people listen past the first
minute?  There was much more substance to the President's speech than simply
'the Palestinians need a new leader.'"

Speaking through a national coalition named Churches for Middle East Peace
(CMEP), Byler continued, "While 'pundits' pretend that the President only
called for new Palestinian leadership, in reality he made significant demands
of Israel, too.  To use his own words, the President 'challenge[d] Israel to
take concrete steps to support the emergence of a viable, credible Palestinian
state.'  Those steps," Byler reiterated, "would lead to an end of Israel's
occupation of Palestinian territory.  I am pleased that the President
recognizes that both parties must work hard to re-establish the peace
process."

He and other church leaders pointed hopefully to the President's comments that
Israeli forces need "to withdraw fully to positions they held prior to
September 28, 2000."  They praised President Bush for committing himself to
seeing an end to the Israeli occupation and a negotiated settlement that would
be based on U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338.

The coalition's director, Corinne Whitlatch, observed, "President Bush showed
the American people an understanding of 'the deep anger and despair' felt not
only by the Israeli people but also by the Palestinian people.  In that
context and with the long history of this conflict, it makes sense that both
Palestinians and Israelis could use more forward-looking leadership - persons
who would show increased willingness to implement this far-ranging vision for
peace.  I question whether either Mr. Sharon or Mr. Arafat are prepared to
conclude the agreement called for by President Bush."

Father Stan DeBoe, Justice and Peace Director for the Catholic Conference of
Major Superiors of Men's Institutes, expressed the hope that the President
will enable Secretary of State Colin Powell to follow through with the peace
process:  "President Bush showed that he understands the need for
international involvement to move the process forward and demonstrated his
trust in Secretary Powell to help do that on behalf of the United States."

DeBoe continued, "Palestinian reform cannot take place within the existing
situation of curfews, closures, demolitions, assassinations, and military
actions.  Israel must guarantee freedom of movement within the West Bank and
Gaza so that positive reform can happen and popular support for terrorist acts
can end."  Byler concluded for the group of church leaders, "The President was
most eloquent in reminding us that 'the time has arrived for everyone in this
conflict to choose peace, hope, and life.'"

Formed in 1984, CMEP is a Washington-based program of the American Friends
Service Committee, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes,
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of the Brethren, Church World
Service and Witness, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
Friends Committee on National Legislation, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers,
Mennonite Central Committee, National Council of Churches of Christ in the
USA, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, Unitarian
Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist
Church.