wfn.org | Middle East needs urgent action: NCC delegation

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May 1, 2002      News media contact: Linda Bloom7(212) 870-38037New York
10-21-71BP{197}

NOTE: Photographs are available

By United Methodist News Service*

The entire world "stands on the brink of catastrophe" if a comprehensive
peace is not achieved soon in the Middle East.

That's the opinion of a delegation of U.S. religious leaders, including
three United Methodists, who visited the region on an April 16-27 trip
organized by the National Council of Churches. The Rev. Robert Edgar, a
United Methodist pastor and the NCC's chief executive, led the group.

In a statement issued April 30, the delegation said it continually heard
pleas from Middle East leaders for outside intervention in the crisis. The
group noted the "urgent need for the United States to take decisive action
to constrain the government of Israel to abide by United Nations resolutions
and to do so as a matter of the highest priority."

The Rev. Joe Hale, recently retired chief executive of the World Methodist
Council and a delegation member, told United Methodist News Service that if
the United States can't help bring an end to the conflict, he doesn't know
who can.

Hale, who has visited the Middle East on numerous occasions, said he found
this time a sense of hopelessness "among the people I have known for a long
time." 

Jim Winkler, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and
Society, had just visited the Middle East in February with a delegation of
United Methodist leaders. At that time, he explained, there was a lull in
the fighting, but in April the situation was noticeably worse, with a "deep
despair" on both sides. 

He returned with the NCC delegation partly because of "how fervently
Christian leaders asked for the presence of American church leaders," he
said. The group's statement expressed a deep concern "for the future of a
viable, indigenous Christian presence in the Middle East."

The delegation's journey began on April 18 with a meeting of Orthodox Church
leaders in Istanbul, Turkey, where His All Holiness Bartholomew, Ecumenical
Patriarch of Constantinople, blessed the mission of peace and expressed
concern for those trapped in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The
group also met with leaders of the Syrian and Armenian Orthodox churches.

In Beirut, Lebanon, the NCC delegation was hosted by one of its partners,
the Middle East Council of Churches, and met with Rafiq Hariri, Lebanon's
prime minister, as well as religious leaders.

The U.S. church leaders had a frank discussion with President Bashar Al
Assad of Syria during a meeting at the presidential palace in Damascus. As
he had asserted in a recent meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Colin
Powell, Assad told the group that the United States must recapture a strong
leadership role in bringing peace to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But
he also expressed frustration with the state of relations between the United
States and Syria and the fact that American foreign policy toward the Middle
East had shifted from a political emphasis to a focus on terrorism.

Delegation members met the next day with King Abdullah II in Amman, Jordan.
The king spoke about his desire to improve the future of Christians living
in the Middle East and pointed to Jordan as a place where Christians and
Muslims live in unity. Although Jordan has maintained diplomatic relations
with Israel, he told the group the current government was shortsighted about
the realities of a Palestinian state.

The delegation had several possible goals when it reached Jerusalem,
according to Winkler. The members hoped to "do something" about the ongoing
siege at the Church of the Nativity, wanted to provide a Christian witness
at the Jenin refugee camp, where the Israeli Army had launched an assault in
early April in search of terrorists, and hoped to meet with Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon.

Although they were unable to visit the church or arrange a meeting with
Sharon, four members of the delegation - Winkler, Edgar, retired Episcopal
Bishop Arthur Walmsley of Connecticut and the Rev. Jim Wetekam, media
program director for Churches for Middle East Peace - joined those
accompanying an aid shipment to Jenin.

The entire group, Winkler said, totaled about 75 people, mostly Europeans
and Americans working with church relief organizations. For several hours,
they helped unload 1,500 boxes of food and medical supplies off of four
trucks. After having met with patriarchs, prime ministers and kings, he
added, "it was very, very satisfying to stand there and get hot and sweaty
and take that aid off the truck that had been provided by our Christian
brothers and sisters around the world."

But being an eyewitness to the destruction in the camp, to watch children
and their mothers digging through the rubble of what were once their homes,
was a vivid and powerful scene "that I'll never forget the rest of my life."
What made him angry, Winkler said, was the obvious attempt of the Israeli
government not just to root out terrorists but to destroy the civil
infrastructure "to set back the possibility of a Palestinian state being up
and running any time in the near future."

Hale also saw evidence of the war against Palestinian civil society. When he
visited Bethlehem, not a resident was to be found on the streets. "They not
only had been under occupation but also a curfew for three weeks, the whole
town," he explained.

While expressing deep sympathy to Israelis and Palestinians who have lost
family members and friends to the recent violence, the delegation noted its
alarm about the intentional destruction of Palestinian civil society. "The
impact of the Israeli invasion and destruction of Palestinian infrastructure
has exacerbated the feeling of broken promises and shattered hopes. We urge
the government of Israel to cooperate fully with the United Nations
investigation of events that took place in Jenin."

Winkler said he got an idea of the terror that is fueling the cycle of
revenge and violence. "The sense of fear is pervasive in Israeli society and
that is contributing to their drive to attack the Palestinian cities and
towns and refugee camps in what I would call a vicious manner," he added.

Hale warned that if Sharon is trying to drive the Palestinians out, as
indicated by the destruction of the past weeks, the resulting conflict will
pull in the rest of the Middle East and the entire world.

But such a conflict can be avoided. "Our delegation leaves the Middle East
convinced that an enduring peace can be achieved if the Israeli occupation
of Palestinian territories ends and if the establishment of a viable
Palestinian state alongside a secure state of Israel follows soon," the NCC
delegation's statement said.

The delegation also urged NCC member churches to continue working for peace
in the Middle East.

In addition to Edgar, Winkler, Hale, Wetekam and Walmsley, other delegation
members were Elenie Huszagh, NCC president; the Rev. Janet Arbesman,
Presbyterian Church (USA); Bishop Vicken Aykazian, Armenian Orthodox Church;
the Rev. Mark Brown, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the Rev. James
Forbes Jr., Riverside Church of New York; the Rev. Robert Jones and the Rev.
William Shaw, National Baptist Convention USA Inc.; and Archbishop Mor Cyril
Aphrem Karim, Syrian Orthodox Church;  
# # #
*The Rev. James Wetekam, media director of Churches for Middle East Peace,
contributed to this report.

The NCC delegation's statement follows:

"By My Spirit"
What Will Make For Peace in the Middle East?

Statement By Delegation of U.S. Church Leaders
To the Middle East, April 2002

"O sing to the Lord a new song,
sing to the Lord all the earth
Say among the nations, The Lord is king."
Psalm 96:1,10

We are a delegation of United States church leaders who visited Turkey,
Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine from April 16 to 27 under the
auspices of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
(NCCCUSA). Our journey to the Middle East has been a pilgrimage for peace.

In the course of the trip, the delegation met with Jewish, Christian and
Muslim leaders, as well as key political leaders. In each country we
encountered apprehension and fear, despair, and occasionally, hate. We also
experienced the resilience of the human spirit, not born from political
optimism but rather through hope in the judgment and mercy of the One God
worshiped by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.  We were heartened everywhere we
went by the commitment of both religious and political leaders to seek to
build bridges of dialogue and common action.

We emphasize the urgency of the crisis in the region and our sense that the
Middle East and, indeed, the entire world, stands on the brink of a
catastrophe if a comprehensive peace is not achieved soon. Continually, we
heard pleas for outside intervention and of the urgent need for the United
States to take decisive action to constrain the Government of Israel to
abide by United Nations resolutions and to do so as a matter of the highest
priority.

We are grateful that many local and regional religious bodies are profoundly
engaged in efforts for peace, truth and reconciliation.  In addition, King
Abdullah II of Jordan spoke of his own commitment to interfaith dialogue. We
pledged to him our support for those efforts and articulated our eagerness
to work directly with him and those religious leaders he will soon bring to
the United States.

We expressed our condolences and deepest sympathies to Israelis and
Palestinians who have lost family members and friends to the senseless
violence over the past months. Members of the delegation visited
hospitalized victims in Jerusalem.  Delegation members also participated in
ecumenical food and medicine aid convoys to Jenin, Bethlehem, and Beit Jala
where we personally witnessed the devastation caused by the Israeli Defense
Forces. We were alarmed to find that the damage extends beyond fighting
carried out against Palestinian resistance forces to include intentional
destruction of Palestinian civil society.  The impact of the Israeli
invasion and destruction of Palestinian infrastructure has exacerbated the
feeling of broken promises and shattered hopes. We urge the Government of
Israel to cooperate fully with the United Nations investigation of events
that took place in Jenin.

Throughout our journey the standoff at the Church of the Nativity in
Bethlehem remained of grave concern.  We offered our prayers and services
and expressed our objection to the withholding of food, water and medical
supplies to those inside the church. We discussed the situation with the
leaders of the churches who are the custodians of this holy site as well as
with Canon Andrew White of Coventry Cathedral in England, the only church
representative directly involved in the negotiations between the Government
of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to bring a peaceful end to the
siege. We asked Israelis and Palestinians to respect the sacredness of the
Church of the Nativity, and of all religious sites and buildings, Christian,
Muslim and Jewish.

We call upon Israel and the Palestinian Authority to agree to an immediate
ceasefire, to end all attacks upon civilians and civilian institutions, and
to exercise the highest degree of restraint in responding to violations of
the ceasefire. We condemn equally and unequivocally both the suicide
bombings and Palestinian violence against Israeli society and the violence
of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. All are
counterproductive to achieving peace with justice.  Repeatedly, we were
asked to understand the context of desperation and hopelessness that has led
Palestinian young people to be willing to kill themselves and Israeli
citizens.  Similarly, we were asked to understand the depth of fear among
the Israeli public that has led to an intense onslaught against Palestinian
refugee camps, towns, and cities. Both societies are caught in a cycle of
violence and revenge.

The delegation finds that the following are critical components of a just
resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict:

7	an end to the cycle of violence;

7	the affirmation by Palestinians and by Arab states of the right of
the State of Israel to exist within secure borders;

7	the establishment of an international peacekeeping force, agreed
upon by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, to oversee the Israeli
withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza and maintain order until a peace
agreement can be fully implemented;

7	the end of Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza;

7	the cessation of the building of new Israeli settlements and of the
expansion of existing settlements in the West Bank and Gaza;

7	abandonment, dismantling, or other disposition of settlements that
negate the geographic integrity of a viable Palestinian state, under the
terms of a negotiated peace agreement;

7	the sharing of Jerusalem by the two peoples and three faiths so that
Jerusalem may truly reflect its name, City of Peace; and

7	the commitment by Israel to address the issue of the right of return
for Palestinian refugees.

We state these concerns out of deep love, affection, and respect for
Israelis and Palestinians - and because of our commitment to making real the
vision of a free and independent Palestinian state living alongside a secure
Israel.

Israel is a state like any other state with the same privileges and
responsibilities. It is entitled to full recognition of its legitimacy
within the international community, including by the Arab states. It is
responsible under international law to end the occupation of the West Bank
and Gaza begun in l967, which holds the Palestinian people hostage. At the
same time, Palestinians cannot expect to achieve the dignity, rights and
respect they have sought for so long without ceasing acts of violence
against the civilian population of Israel.

We are deeply concerned for the future of a viable, indigenous Christian
presence in the Middle East. The Arab Christian population has declined
precipitously in recent decades. Christian leaders shared with us their
belief that a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is key to
halting and, hopefully, reversing this decline. This must happen quickly
before Christians are left with only tiny groups of people who serve as
custodians of our most holy places. Christians provide vital leaven to the
entire region. Thriving, growing communities of Christians will contribute
to the healing and peace process, thereby providing a bridge to
reconciliation and hope.

Our delegation leaves the Middle East convinced that an enduring peace can
be achieved if the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories ends and if
the establishment of a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure State of
Israel follows soon.  In the context of the World Council of Churches (WCC)
"Decade to Overcome Violence," we welcome the WCC's 2002 focus on ending the
illegal occupation of Palestine and supporting a just peace in the Middle
East. The delegation urges NCCCUSA member churches to support the
development of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and
Israel sponsored by the WCC. We challenge our member churches and
congregations to take action and become aware of and foster the ends of
peace. We encourage our members to participate in the ongoing ecumenical
prayer vigil for peace in the Middle East that was initiated on the First
Sunday of Advent 2000.

The prophet Zechariah said, "The angel told me to give Zerubbabel this
message from the Lord: 'You will succeed, not by military might or by your
own strength, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 4:6) The
word of the Spirit in our day is a call to all people of faith to be
witnesses to the way of peace. That witness begins with unceasing prayer. It
calls us to be reconcilers, to stand for truth, forgiveness, and justice in
every place.  Only thus may we sing to the Lord a new song.

Issued April 30, 2002 by:

The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

Ms. Elenie K. Huszagh, President
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.

The Rev. Janet Arbesman, Vice-Moderator
213th General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Bishop Vicken Aykazian, Diocesan Legate and Ecumenical Officer
The Armenian Orthodox Church

The Rev. Mark Byron Brown
Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs, Washington, DC
Representing the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America

The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister
The Riverside Church, New York, NY

Dr. Joe Hale
United Methodist Church
Former General Secretary of the World Methodist Council

The Rev. Robert S. Jones
National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.
St. Paul's Baptist Church, West Chester, PA

Archbishop Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim
Patriarchal Vicar of the Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church for the
Eastern United States

The Rev. William Shaw, President
National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.
White Rock Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA

The Rt. Rev. Arthur E. Walmsley of Deering, NH
Representing the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church

The Rev. James R. Wetekam, Media Director
Churches for Middle East Peace

Mr. James Edward Winkler, General Secretary
General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
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