wfn.org | Episcopalians: U.S. church leaders urge Israelis, Palestinians to take 'bold steps' for peac

[dmack@episcopalchurch.org]

May 1, 2002

2002-111

Episcopalians: U.S. church leaders urge Israelis, 
Palestinians to take 'bold steps' for peace

by James Wetekam

(NCC) A delegation of 13 U.S. church leaders just back from the 
Middle East is calling for bold steps to be taken by Israel and 
the Palestinian Authority in order to end violence in the region 
and to achieve peace with justice.

The delegation was assembled by the National Council of Churches 
(NCC) and its general secretary, the Rev. Robert W. Edgar. The 
leaders traveled in the region April 16-27 at the invitation of 
the Middle East Council of Churches.

In a statement released April 30, the church leaders focused on 
steps they see as necessary for attainment of a just and lasting 
peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Among others, they 
"urge the Government of Israel to cooperate fully with the 
United Nations investigation of events that took place in Jenin" 
and express "grave concern" at the standoff at the Church of the 
Nativity in Bethlehem and "objection to the withholding of food, 
water and medical supplies to those inside the church."

Four delegation members--Edgar; James Winkler, general 
secretary, United Methodist Board of Church and Society; the 
Rev. Jim Wetekam, media director for Churches for Middle East 
Peace; and Bishop Arthur Walmsley of the Episcopal 
Church--accompanied humanitarian aid to Jenin April 25. The 
others went with aid to Bethlehem April 26.

Unequivocal condemnation of violence

Of the violence currently taking place in the region, the 
delegation said in part, "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.Both societies are caught in a cycle of 
violence and revenge."

The delegation expressed sympathy for all "Israelis and 
Palestinians who have lost family members and friends to the 
senseless violence over the past months." It also spoke of its 
particular concern for the plight and future of Arab Christians 
in the Middle East, noting that the Arab Christian population 
has "declined precipitously in recent decades."

The delegation identified eight specific components for a just 
resolution to the conflict. Included were "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."

Enduring peace possible

Before arriving in Palestine and Israel, the NCC delegation 
visited Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan to speak with church 
and political leaders. Among others, the delegation met with 
Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, Syria's President Bashar 
Al Assad, and Jordan's King Abdullah II.

"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 group said in its statement. The group was 
equally strong in assessing the need for Israel to have its 
peace and security guaranteed: "It [Israel] is entitled to full 
recognition of its legitimacy within the international 
community, including by the Arab states."

The full text of the statement and the list of 
delegates/signers 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:

' an end to the cycle of violence;

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

' 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;

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

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

' 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;

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

' 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

------

-- The Rev. James R. Wetekam is media director for Churches for 
Middle East Peace, an ecumenical coalition based in 
Washington,DC.