wfn.org | Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem Sends Easter Message

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Contact:  Bishop Riah Abu Al-Assal
Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and Middle East
St. George's Cathedral
20 Nablus Road
Jerusalem
972.02.627-1670
970.02.627-3847 fax

JERUSALEM, April 10, 2001--Following is the text of an Easter message from 
the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem, the Rt. Rev. Riah Abu Al Assal.

In the message Bishop Riah tells of attending the Arab summit in Amman, 
Jordan recently.  His diocese includes Jordan.

Salaam and Grace in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Blessed Easter 
greetings from Jerusalem. 

We, in the Diocese of Jerusalem, extend our heartfelt appreciation and 
gratitude for your prayers, solidarity and support during these difficult 
times in our Land.   Our people continue to suffer and still expect a more 
effective role from the Church in the world, as well as from the Church in 
the Land.  

The Palestinians continue, with all the difficulties, to commit themselves to 
peace; but this cannot be a battle fought on our own.  We need the 
collaboration of our partners and friends from all around the world to help 
us find the road to peace and freedom, for all who live in the Land of the  
Holy One.  
 
I was invited to and attended the Summit of the Arab League in Amman.  The 
discussions and resolutions were very clear and positive.   The basis for 
stability and security in the area, for all concerned, lies in the full 
implementation of the United Nations Resolutions regarding the plight of the 
Palestinian people, 242, 338, and 194.  Israel must comply with the 
international resolutions; the way Iraq was pressured. 
 
As we returned from the Summit, I was greatly disappointed at the  
deterioration of the situation here in our Land.  Added to our frustration, 
came the American veto of the United Nations Observer Forces, and their 
active plans to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.  This 
is an act that shows complete disregard of the unilateral actions of Israel, 
in annexing large segments of the Eastern part of Jerusalem.

In light of all this and the ongoing conflict and suffering of the people of 
Palestine, I find myself turning to all Churches, and peace-loving people, to 
listen to the voice of the powerless, the true bearers of the cost of the 
conflict in the past as well as in the present, here in the land of the Holy 
One.

As the Church proclaims Jesus, the victim of the powerful, who is Lord of  
all, it is called to be the voice of the voiceless, to speak for a purpose 
and a  future for humanity beyond political self-interests.  Even 
God-in-flesh, [he]  lived amongst us in our land and made the crying-out of 
those victims his own.  The Church is called upon to speak out against 
injustices.  If we do not make their silence heard, the stones of the Land 
would cry out.

Conflicts are not solved by simple goodness, nor by the 'if only' method.  
How unprophetic can the Church become?  Peace is only relevant when  the 
conflicts are carefully and accurately analyzed.  Without such analysis, and 
the work that is demanded as a result, our words about peace tend to become 
pious wishes, but ineffective, and our Church prayers for peace become 
stereotyped and conventionalized.  

The situation we are faced with is comparable to South Africa before the 
collapse of Apartheid, if not more difficult.  Since the establishment of the 
 State of Israel in 1948, the majority of the Palestinians found themselves  
either refugees or second-class citizens in their own country.  Therefore, 
they have always found themselves in a position of resisting the  occupation. 
 

In 1967, Israel occupied what was left of Palestine (Gaza, the West Bank  and 
East Jerusalem) and since then continues to occupy these territories thereby 
inflicting the greatest amount of suffering on the Palestinian population.   
Military administrative detentions without charges, home demolitions, 
uprooting trees, land confiscation, and the expansion of settlements in a 
provocative and flagrant violation of the sovereignty of  Palestinian lands, 
closures, denials of access to medical facilities and limitations on 
movements of goods and labor are normal daily occurrences in Gaza and the 
West Bank today. 
 
Peace without justice is not possible, and Israel's security is an outcome  
of, not a precondition to peace.  The best of secured borders are reconciled 
neighbors.  The Palestinians are the closest of neighbors.  

Know that this comes with my prayers that the peace, joy and power of the 
Resurrection remain with you always.

In Christ,

+Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal

-end-