wfn.org | Palestinian Lutheran bishop urges Middle East Peace

[franki@elca.org]

Middle East: Palestinian Lutheran bishop urges parties to work for peace
based on UN resolutions

JERUSALEM/GENEVA, 4 September 2000 (LWI) - As the September 13 deadline for
the establishment of a Palestinian state draws near, LWI asked Bishop Munib
A. Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ) to share his
opinion on the outcome of the recent Middle East peace talks at Camp David.
The ELCJ has congregations in Jerusalem, Palestine and Jordan.

Below is a statement from Bishop Munib A. Younan:

CAMP DAVID II 

Was Camp David a total failure? What are the consequences?

The positive thing about the summit is that all the files were opened for
negotiations. The Palestinian Christian churches think it is better to have
a negotiated agreement that has a solid basis than have an inadequate
agreement that will cause trouble in the future.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ) thinks that the only way
for just peace is to dialogue on the difficult issues such as the status of
Jerusalem, the right of return for the Palestinian refugees, the Jewish
settlements, the borders, and the water. There is no other option than
direct negotiations based on UN [Security Council] resolutions 242 and 338.

The issue of Jerusalem is dear to the heart of all peoples. This is the
reason why Jerusalem must have a just solution based on sharing the city
among the Palestinians and Israelis as well as for the three religions,
namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is God's will that the two
nations live in justice, equality and equitably. Jerusalem could become the
capital of the two nations with open borders. East Jerusalem can have
Palestinian sovereignty and West Jerusalem Israeli sovereignty. Without this
just peace for a "shared Jerusalem", there will be no peace in the Middle
East.

The right of return of the Palestinians is an essential one. It is the time
of mea culpa, to confess that injustice was done to the Palestinians. This
injustice can be rectified by justice in accepting the principle of return
according to UN [General Assembly] resolution 194. We want to remind the
world that Palestinian refugees come from both Christians and Moslem
traditions.

As a local Christian church, we want to see a reconciled lasting just peace
in the area. We want to see the United States administration as an honest
broker that seeks justice, and only justice and defends the weak before the
strong. We also ask the G8, European Union and other European countries to
be involved in allowing the Palestinian and Israeli children to live in
harmony, just peace and reconciliation.

This time is very critical. We are praying that reason and wisdom will
prevail and that no more hatred or retaliation will take place. We are
praying that no blood will be shed. We ask all the governments in the world,
all churches, all those who have a living conscience to be proactive and to
continue to work for the principle of land for peace.

The Lutheran Church in Jordan wants to remind the world that there is a
living Palestinian Christian community that has existed for 2000 years in
the land of Christ's resurrection. This Christian community wants to be a
broker for justice, a catalyst for just peace, ministers of reconciliation,
protectors of human rights, an initiator of interfaith dialogue and apostles
of love.

We ask our churches to pray for the Middle East. We ask you to pray that no
political vacuum or injustice or violence will take place. If just peace
will not prevail, the fear is that political and religious extremism will
grow. Now is the kairos of just peace. For this we again ask all the parties
concerned to work for a just peace based on UN resolutions. The people of
the Middle East deserve to live in just lasting peace.

Bishop Munib A. Younan

August 2000

(The LWF is a global communion of 131member churches in 72 countries
representing over 59 million of the world's 63 million Lutherans. Its
highest decision making body is the Assembly, held every six or seven years.
Between Assemblies, the LWF is governed by a 49-member Council which meets
annually, and its Executive Committee. The LWF secretariat is located in
Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material presented does
not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units.
Where the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material
may be freely reproduced with acknowledgement.]

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