ELCA Peace Not Walls Resources

This news came out from ELCA Peace Not Walls several weeks ago. For all the links (and there are many), go directly to http://www.elca.org/peacenotwalls

Middle East Network Newsletter
May 9, 2007

Contents:
1. New Peace Not Walls "Frequently Asked Questions" page
2. Marking 40 Years of Occupation

New Peace Not Walls "Frequently Asked Questions" page

A new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page is available on the ELCA Peace Not Walls web site. The following questions have been posted so far - to view the answers, visit the FAQ page.

Why is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict important?
Why is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) involved?
What changes are Lutherans and the ELCA advocating?
What is the ELCA's position on peace in the Middle East? How does it justify its position?
What does the ELCA say about violence and terrorism?
Can we make a difference? Three-part response

Marking 40 Years of Occupation

(This information is available at http://www.elca.org/peacenotwalls/takeaction/40years.html)
As the Palestinian people face the anniversary of 40 years of life under occupation, organizations in the Holy Land and around the world are planning commemorative events and advocacy efforts. The links below are provided for your information, should you and your local groups wish to participate. However, the views expressed at these Web sites represent the positions of the outside organizations and may not reflect official positions of the ELCA.

On January 29, 2007, Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson was part of a group of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders who met with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In a Jan. 30 news release, Hanson said, "All participants acknowledged the immediate need to end the human suffering while pursuing the long-standing, vexing issues that have prohibited peace from being achieved thus far. I urged Secretary Rice to hold both Israelis and Palestinians accountable for advancing steps toward negotiations immediately."

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has designated June 3-9, 2007 as a week of "International Church Action for Peace in Palestine and Israel" [ http://www.icappi.org.au/ME111E06.pdf ]

The WCC is also launching an international, inter-church advocacy initiative for peace in Israel and Palestine - the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum - at a conference June 17-21, 2007, in Jordan. [see http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/all-news-english/display-single-english-news/article/1637/work-begins-on-an-interna.html ]

WCC Israel-Palestine page - http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/international/regconcerns-palestine-israel.html

June 5 Initiative of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information - tp://www.june5thinitiative.org

IPCRI home page - http://www.ipcri.org