Note #9263 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:
06236 April 26, 2006
PC(USA) group will get first-hand look at Israel/Palestine
Presbytery teams will meet with officials, plan future ministries
by the Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE - The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is sponsoring a travel study seminar in Israel and Palestine.
A group of more than 100 Presbyterians left on Wednesday (April 26) and is expected to return to the United States on May 5.
The event is the culmination of three years of planning by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, the PC(USA)'s Office of the Middle East and Europe, and the International Center in Bethlehem.
The purpose of the trip, which will involve teams from PC(USA) presbyteries, is to give participants a first-hand understanding of the situation in the region. It will include meetings with a variety of Israeli and Palestinian individuals and organizations and invite participants to plan ministries to be implemented upon the group's return to the United States.
Ninety-five participants represent 27 of the church's 173 presbyteries, in three- to seven-person teams.
The PC(USA) has held to a consistent position on Israel and Palestine, rooted in a vision of justice and peace for both peoples, for nearly 60 years. The church:
supports the right of Israel to exist as a sovereign state within secure, legitimate, internationally recognized borders
calls for an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and affirms the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, including the right to establish a viable, independent and sovereign state within secure, legitimate, internationally recognized borders
affirms Israel's needs for security, but opposes its construction of the "separation barrier"
denounces all acts of violence and human-rights violations
supports Christian partners in the region, promoting positive interfaith relations and cooperation, and standing in solidarity with Christians, Jews, and Muslims who are committed to non-violent solutions and work for justice, peace, reconciliation and healthy neighborly relations between Israelis and Palestinians, and between Israel and its neighbors
Reports by participants in the travel/study seminary will be available at the Web site of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program at http://www.pcusa.org/peacemaking/tripreport.htm
The Presbyterian News Service also will be providing regular reports about the trip.
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