Delegation condemns killing by both sides, lifts up
steps toward peace [5-6-02]
A delegation of US church leaders has returned from
a 12-day visit to Israel, Palestine, and neighboring countries, under
the auspices of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the
U.S.A. Calling on both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to agree
to an immediate ceasefire, they "condemn equally and
unequivocally both the suicide bombings and Palestinian violence
against Israeli society and the violence of the Israeli
occupation of Palestinian territories."
"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:
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
-end-
Click
here for the same statement on the NCC web site.
Also:
Stories,
Photos About the Delegation's Visit
/nccmiddleeastdelegation/index.html
