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["Frank Imhoff" <frank_Imhoff@elca.org>]

FEATURE * We Need Bridges, Not Walls
Jerusalem Lutheran Bishop Younan Pleads for Palestinians, Israelis Living in Fear 

LWF Council Meeting, Geneva, 1 * 7 September 2004

PRESS RELEASE NO. 09-2004

GENEVA, 5 September 2004 (LWI) - The churches in Jerusalem*Anglican, Lutheran, Orthodox and Roman Catholic*have a prophetic message at this time of crisis. Prophecy means that we care about humanity and justice. With these remarks Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (ELCJ) opened a press briefing at the LWF Council Meeting being held at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva, September 1-7.

Younan noted that while the secular press might report the hard facts about the conflict, it was the role of prophets to reveal the human face*people living in fear. Israeli people are living in fear; Palestinian people are living in fear, he said and urged Christians to be bridge builders and give hope in what appears to be a hopeless situation. The ELCJ serves in Israel, Jordan and Palestine. 

The so-called security wall being constructed by the Israeli government in order to prevent the uncontrolled entry of Palestinians into Israel is separating not only Palestinians from Israelis, but also Palestinians from Palestinians, Younan explained. The consequences for Palestinians daily life are far-reaching and disturbing. Teachers and students will not be able to get to school, or patients to hospital. Young people will find the pool of potential marriage partners dramatically reduced. Employment opportunities will become even more difficult to find. 

Younan explained that his wife directs a school for the blind. Once the wall is completed, 95 children*75 percent of the student population*from the West Bank and Gaza will not be able to come to the school.

Younan was hopeful that a solution to the problem could be achieved through inter-faith dialogues. We dont need walls. We need bridges, he said. He explained the Palestinian people argue that the root cause of the conflict is Israeli occupation of their land, while the Israelis insist the problem is Palestinian terrorism and violence. At high level dialogues involving Christians, Jews and Muslims, there is agreement that the root cause of the conflict is both Israeli occupation and Palestinian terrorism. How do [they] view occupation and terrorism? Do any of these religions accept occupation and terrorism as legitimate expressions of the faith? Younan asked. 

Call to Fight Re-emerging Anti-Semitism 

As a Palestinian Christian living under Israeli occupation, Younan is concerned about the re-emergence of anti-Semitism across the world, particularly in Europe. There is no reason that justifies anti-Semitism, he insisted. One has to differentiate between the policies of the state of Israel and the attitudes of the Jewish people; they are often two different things. He called on the LWF to repeat its clear statements from the past which condemn anti-Semitism, insisting, We have to fight anti-Semitism. Also he urged the LWF to make clear its views on Islam, given the increase in anti-Muslim attitudes that view Islam in a stigmatized way. Religious and political extremism must not be allowed to have any kind of success in our world, he said. 

As a result of the occupation and the growth of extremism, Palestinian Christians are emigrating from the country at an alarming rate, Younan said. What is the Holy Land without Christians? he lamented, saying less than two percent of the Palestinian population is Christian. [The Holy Land] is for Christians, Jews and Muslims. He called on the global community to help the Palestinians to improve their living standards, so that there would be fewer reasons for Christians to emigrate. The shortage of basic housing is another major problem, and Younan noted with gratitude the LWFs assistance in the construction of 84 houses for young couples. The unemployment rate in Palestine is 70 percent and over two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line of USD 2 per day. 

Despite seemingly insurmountable problems, the Jerusalem Lutheran bishop remains optimistic: I want to assure you that we in the Christian church are committed to justice, peace and reconciliation. He acknowledged that the strength of the LWF communion empowers us, being a small church, in our prophetic message. Younan believes that the dream of the two-state solution and a shared Jerusalem will become a reality sooner or later. The odds are against us, but we cannot think only about the negative things. We must remain hopeful and positive in order to build bridges of justice, peace and reconciliation. 


Operations of LWF-run Hospital Threatened by Possible Israeli Tax Imposition 

Addressing the journalists, Mr Peter Prove, LWF Assistant to the General Secretary for International Affairs and Human Rights, paid tribute to Younans efforts in initiating activities that facilitate collaboration between faith communities and community leaders in the pursuit for peace and mutual understanding.

Prove spoke of the LWFs long history of advocacy in relation to Israel and Palestine. We are repeatedly on record as advocating for the two-state solution * a Jerusalem belonging to three faiths and two peoples. For over 50 years, the LWF Department for World Service operations in East Jerusalem have included the services provided by the Augusta Victoria Hospital (AVH) on the Mount of Olives. The AVH is the principal healthcare provider on the West Bank, mainly serving Palestinian refugees. 

But the hospital is experiencing myriad practical difficulties and the future of its operations is under threat. Of particular concern are the Israeli governments efforts to withdraw the tax exemption that the LWFs humanitarian activities have previously enjoyed. The imposition of an employers tax, calculated as 13 percent of the total payroll, would amount to approximately USD 350,000. Additionally, the government has requested the payment of back taxes amounting to several millions of dollars. The LWF has challenged these claims with an appeal expected to be heard before the Israeli Supreme Court in the first half of 2005.

This is a very serious humanitarian issue for the community, said Prove, who called on the wider LWF constituency to wield whatever political influence possible in order to bring about the re-affirmation of the tax-exempt status that the AVH has enjoyed for so long. It is difficult to understand why a not-for-profit humanitarian organization should have to bear this burden, Prove said. (1,022 words)

(Written for LWI by Linda Macqueen, Editor, The Lutheran, Australia. Macqueen is working with the LWF communication team at this years Council meeting.)


There are around 100 church representatives including the 49-member Council attending this years meeting at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva. In addition there are 70 participants consisting of invited guests, LWF staff persons, interpreters, stewards and journalists. The Council is the LWFs governing body between Assemblies, normally held every six years. The current Council was elected at the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada, where it held its first meeting. The Council comprises the President, the Treasurer and ordained as well as lay persons drawn from the LWF member churches. The LWF currently has 136 member churches in 76 countries all over the world, representing 62.3 million of the estimated 66 million Lutherans worldwide. 

During the Council meeting, the LWF Office for Communication Services can be reached by telephone at +41 22 960 8282, or at (mobile) +41 (0)76 396 2863.

*       *       *

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. It was founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service. 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 acknowledgment.]


Pauline Mumia
Editor - English
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