wfn.org | Middle East Peace -- A U.S. Interreligious Statement

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: Carol J. Fouke, NCC, 212-870-2252
Internet: carol_fouke.parti@ecunet.org

NCC1/22/97                FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 NOTE TO EDITORS: The following statement was
released today by the National Co-Chairpersons of
the U.S. Interreligious Committee for Peace in the
Middle East: Dawud A. Assad, President, Council of
Mosques, USA; the Rev. Joan B. Campbell, General
Secretary, National Council of Churches, and Albert
Vorspan, Senior Vice President (Emeritus), Union of
American Hebrew Congregations.

*    *    *

Jewish, Christian and Muslim Leaders Unite to Urge
Active U.S. Leadership in Middle East Peace Process

In the wake of successful U.S. diplomatic efforts to
help break the dangerous deadlock over Israeli
redeployment and security arrangements in Hebron, we
join together in common concern for the future of
the Middle East Peace Process.  We believe active
United States leadership will continue to be needed
in the coming months to help Israel, the Palestinian
Authority and the Arab states regain momentum in
negotiations toward the goal of achieving
comprehensive, just and lasting peace.  While there
is much in the history of the Arab-Israeli-
Palestinian conflict which may divide us, we are
united in support of the peace process and the need
for active, creative U.S. involvement.

The United States has a tremendous stake in what has
been accomplished so far by negotiations and in
helping to complete the Peace Process.  While some
may counsel that the political risks of more active
U.S. involvement are too great, we believe that the
risks to fundamental U.S. interests of stalemate or
breakdown in the peace process are far greater.

In our view, the crisis in the Peace Process
reflects fears and frustrations Israelis and
Palestinians feel based on their experiences in
recent months.  For Israelis, who expected the Peace
Process to provide greater security, especially
after suicide bombings by Palestinian extremists
last Spring, there are persistent fears of new
terrorist attacks.  For Palestinians, who expected
the Peace Process to provide gradual improvement in
their daily lives, there are terrible hardships
caused by Israeli military closures of Palestinian
self-governing areas, combined with threats of
Israeli Government support for further land
confiscation and expansion of settlements.

The United States will need to continue to work
actively with the Palestinian Authority and with the
Government of Israel in developing effective
measures to address Israeli security concerns.
Cooperation in preventing violence, including
extremist acts from either side, is
fundamental to the interests of both Israelis and
Palestinians.  At the same time, the United States
should encourage Israel to lift military closures
allowing more Palestinians to return to work in
Israel, support efforts to speed-up urgently needed
economic assistance to the West Bank and Gaza, and
take effective measures to oppose expansion or
settlements.

These measures are essential to easing Israeli and
Palestinian fears and frustrations, but they are not
sufficient.  We believe active U.S. leadership will
be needed in the following areas to help regain
momentum in negotiations and rebuild confidence that
the Peace Process will succeed.

  The current situation in which Palestinians
exercise self-government in West Bank cities, but
not in large areas in between is unworkable and
dangerous for both Palestinians and Israelis.
Consistent with U.N. Security Council Resolution
242 and the Israel-PLO Interim Agreement, the
United States should work for further Israeli
military withdrawal from West Bank territory and
Israeli-Palestinian cooperation in developing
effective security arrangements, including the
practice of Joint Patrols in sensitive areas.

  Active U.S. leadership and support will be needed
to restart and make progress in Israeli-
Palestinian Permanent Status negotiations which
began briefly in May 1996 and are supposed to be
completed by May 1999.  We commend to public
attention studies by the U.S. Interreligious
Committee for Peace in the Middle East and by the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences reporting on
informal talks among prominent Israelis and
Palestinians which have generated ideas for
solutions of the Permanent Status issues,
including ideas for sharing Jerusalem, which might
be acceptable to majorities on both sides.

  New U.S. efforts will be needed to restart
negotiations for peace agreements between Israel
and Syria, and between Israel and Lebanon,
agreements which are absolutely essential to the
goal of comprehensive peace.  It is important and
encouraging that, while negotiations on these
tracks did not yet produce agreements, they did
achieve significant mutual clarification and
understanding of what will be required by each
party to achieve peace agreements, and what are
the realistic limitations of what each party would
be willing to accept.

  U.S. leadership and support also are essential in
the ongoing Multilateral Negotiations concerning
region-wide issues, including arms control and
regional security, water, refugees, environment,
and economic development, all vitally important
for lasting peace.

We believe that majorities of American Jews,
Christians and Muslims support the Peace Process and
support more active U.S. efforts for peace along the
lines outlined here.  Based on the deepest moral
imperatives in all three of our religious
traditions, we are committed to working together to
mobilize effective public expressions of this
support for peace.

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