wfn.org | Pax Christi USA Denounces Religious Repression of Palestinians

[JerusalemRelOrgs@aol.com]

Contact:  Fr. Raed Awad Abusahlia
P.O.Box 14152  Jerusalem  91141
Tel.  (972 2) 628.2323 / 627.2280
Fax  (972 2) 627.1652
Personal E-mail: nonviolence@writeme.com
Latin Patriarchate E-mail: Latinpat@actcom.co.il
Latin Patriarchate's Homepage: http://www.Lpj.org
"Nonviolence Homepage": http://go.to/nonviolence

Or: Nancy Small at 814-453-4955 Ext. 227.

JERUSALEM, March 25, 2001--Pax Christi USA has underscored the action of the 
international Catholic peace movement with which it is affiliated by 
denouncing the increasing actions of the Israeli army to prevenhe free 
movement of Palestinians in and around Israel and the Occupied Territories. 

According to the U.S. group, the detainment of His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, 
the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the president of Pax Christi 
International, by Israeli forces on Friday, March 9 "clearly illustrates the 
heightened actions of the Israeli army to repress the Palestinian people and 
suppress their freedom of religious expression."
  
Pax Christi U.S.A, said the Israeli actions are "in clear violation of 
international law and diplomatic precedence. "  

Patriarch Sabbah was stopped by Israeli soldiers while trying to enter the 
village of Ein Arik near Ramallah to celebrate mass at the parish church. 

The Patriarch presented his Holy See diplomatic passport and a VIP card 
issued to him by the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs to the soldiers 
who still refused to let the Patriarch enter. 

The soldiers detained Msgr. Sabbah for a period of time before releasing him. 
 On the previous day,  Patriarch Sabbah was prevented from entering the 
village of Bir Zeit to celebrate mass because the village had been blockaded 
by the Israeli army.

"In the past several months," the group said,  "we have seen increasing 
repression inflicted on the Palestinian people through closure policies, home 
demolitions, and increasing use of military force.  Many Palestinians have 
lost their jobs due to blockades.  These closures, including the recent 
blockade of Ramallah, a major Palestinian city of 60,000 people, threaten the 
Palestinian people with further loss of jobs and prevent free access to food, 
water, medical treatment, communication and other basic necessities. " 

"These actions constitute a violation of human rights under the standards of 
international law, including the International Covenant on Economics, Social 
and Cultural Rights" according to the American Catholic group.

"Pax Christi USA demands an immediate end to these violations of human rights 
by the Israeli government and army and insists that all human rights and 
basic freedoms granted by international law be upheld" the statement said.   
"We join with the U.S. Catholic bishops, who said, 'The future of the Middle 
East must be built on mutual respect, recognition and reconciliation, not 
hatred or exclusion or occupation.'" 

Pope John Paul II said in a letter to Patriarch Sabbah, "All individuals 
[must] see their fundamental rights guaranteed: both the Israeli people and 
the Palestinian people are equally entitled to live in their own homeland in 
dignity and security."
 
Pax Christi USA  offered several "Action Suggestions" as follows:

"Pax Christi USA encourages its members and the national and international 
Catholic community to take the following actions:

"1.  Send an email to the following members of the Israeli government 
demanding an immediate end to the human rights violations by the Israeli 
government and insisting that all basic freedoms granted by international law 
be upheld.

* Mr. Ariel Sharon, Israeli prime minster at rohm@pmo.gov.il
* Mr. Benyamin Ben Eliezer, Israel's minister of defense at sar@mod.gov.il
* Mr. Shimon Peres, Israel's foreign minister at sar@mofa.gov.il
* The Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. at ask@israelemb.org 

"2.  Mail, fax or email a letter to President George W. Bush and Secretary of 
Defense Colin Powell demanding that the U.S. utilize its close diplomatic 
ties with Israel to bring human rights violations by the Israeli government 
to an immediate end.

* President George W. Bush, The White House, Washington, DC 20500; Email: 
president@whitehouse.gov; White House Comment Desk:  (phone) 202-456-1111; 
(fax) 202-456-2416.

* Colin Powell, Secretary of Defense, The Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301; 
(phone) 703-695-5261; (fax:) 703-679-9080.

"Insist that the Israeli government:

"1. Put an end to the restrictions on movement imposed on the Palestinian 
population. 

"2. Grant immediate access of the residents affected by the closure policy to 
essential supplies including water, food and medical care. 

"3. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms in 
accordance with national laws and international human rights standards, 
including the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural 
Rights."

Pax Christi USA is the national Catholic peace movement. Its 14,000 members 
work for the transformation of society through nonviolence and advocate 
peacemaking as a priority in the Catholic Church in the United States. 

The movement, headquartered in Erie, Pa., publishes peace education 
literature and develops ministry programs that promote justice for the sake 
of creating a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.  Pax Christi USA is 
a section of Pax Christi International, which is active in more than 30 
countries."

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