wfn.org | Mid-East Advocates Speak in Open Hearing

[PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org]

16-June-1997 
GA97036 
 
                  Mid-East Advocates Speak in Open Hearing 
 
                              by Midge Mack 
 
SYRACUSE--Speaking from past experience in Israel, advocates Len Bjorkman, 
Ted Nace and Lance Shreffler asked the Assembly Committee on Global 
Service, Witness and Mission to strengthen  recommendations in a report on 
the Middle East Peace Process from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness 
Policy. 
 
    The three spoke in an open hearing Monday prior to the committee's 
voting process on the report. All three felt that Palestinian concerns were 
under-emphasized or overlooked completely,  citing situations of continuing 
Israeli dominance in the region through increasing Israeli settlements and 
subtle denials of land and water rights to Palestinians. 
 
    They were countered by Bill Harvard, who stated at the hearing that 
U.S. credibility as a peace process negotiator was dependent on  American 
even-handedness "expressed in non-specific, non-inflammatory language." 
 
    Commissioners' Resolution 15, which will be considered later by the 
committee, is also related to the question of justice for Palestinians and 
calls for protest of U.S. support for Israel until Israel honors previous 
peace agreements. 
 
    The committee also heard advocates for Overture 58 from the Presbytery 
of Baltimore calling for more adequate U.S. funding for comprehensive 
international family planning programs. 

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