CMEP Urges U.S. to Halt Israeli Confiscation of Palestinian Land,
Action Undermines Peace Efforts Ahead of Nov. Summit
This message is available online at www.cmep.org/Alerts/2007Oct11.htm
October 11, 2007
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) executive director and board chair faxed a letter yesterday to U.S. Ambassador Richard Jones in Tel Aviv in response to news reports that the Israeli army has ordered the seizure of Palestinian land near East Jerusalem. Copies of the letter were also faxed to key officials at the State Department and National Security Council.
CMEP Letter to Amb. Richard Jones
October 10, 2007
Ambassador Richard Jones
United States Embassy to Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Dear Ambassador Jones,
Churches for Middle East Peace is alarmed by news reports - http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/910763.html -
that Israel has ordered confiscation of land from four Arab villages between East Jerusalem and the Jewish settlement of Ma'aleh Adumin. This project undermines U.S. diplomatic efforts to reinvigorate the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and restore hope that the conflict can be resolved with a viable contiguous Palestinian state established alongside Israel. We urge you to impress upon Israel that this project must halt.
The long-held policy of the United States that the status of Jerusalem must be determined by a negotiated agreement and that neither party should take actions that would prejudge the outcome of negotiations must be strongly and consistently asserted by U.S. officials.
While the stated purpose of this land confiscation is for the construction of a modern road to Jericho for Palestinians, it is widely understood that this would set the stage for settlement expansion in the E-1 area. United States objections to the E-1 plan of building 3,500 apartments and an industrial park has thus far prevented Israel from building on this parcel of land (other than the empty police station). We urge the United States to maintain their objection to Israeli use of the E-1 land and to assure Palestinians that this vacant land will remain open and available for development by East Jerusalem's Palestinian population as part of the future state of Palestine.
We are heartened by your diligent work towards a peaceful resolution of this conflict through diplomacy and commend the Administration for convening an international meeting this fall in Annapolis for that purpose. We join you in prayers for the day when the people of Israel and Palestine live as neighbors, both secure and thriving.
Sincerely,
Maureen Shea
Chair of the Board
Corinne Whitlatch
Executive Director
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace is a Washington-based program of the Alliance of Baptists, American Friends Service Committee, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Armenian Orthodox Church, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of the Brethren, Church World Service, Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Franciscan Friars FM (English Speaking Conference, JPIC Council), Friends Committee on National Legislation, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Maryknoll Missioners, Mennonite Central Committee, Moravian Church in America, National Council of Churches, Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church (GBCS & GBGM).
Churches for Middle East Peace
Email: info@cmep.org
Phone: 202-543-1222
Web: http://www.cmep.org
Churches for Middle East Peace
110 Maryland Ave. NE
Suite 311
Washington
DC 20002
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Al Khei-meh Community Ecumenical Centre opens in Amman
Greetings from Jerusalem!
The October picture calendar from the Evengelcial Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land celebrates the new Al Khei-meh community Ecumenical Centre in Amman. Download it from the website: http://www.elcjhl.org/resources/calendars/
More than 450 community and religious leaders from Amman, Jordan, and elsewhere gathered in September for the opening of Al Khei-meh (the Tent), a new Community Ecumenical Centre designed to serve social, cultural, spiritual and recreational needs of the community.
According to the Rev. Samer Azar, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and initiator of the center, Al Khei-meh is designed to be complementary to current activities of the local Ecumenical Churches, which, like the new center, serve people regardless of religious affiliation or denomination. Pastor Azar hopes to promote common values among the different Christian denominations and between Muslims and Christians.
ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan helped to dedicate the center, and Anglican Bishop Suheil Dawani also attended. At the opening, Bishop Younan said:
"Al-Khei-meh (the Tent) is the place where God is present with his people. We hope that every Christian, Muslim or Jew who enters this place will experience God's presence."
Join us in prayer: Gracious God who dwells in all people, bless this new center and fill it with creativity, inspiration, joy and community. Guide and direct its leaders and people that they may use this as a place for all to come and feel the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ, Amen."
We would also like to announce that our website and emails have changed. Instead of www.holyland-lutherans.org we are now www.elcjhl.org
Please give us feedback about the new website, and let us know if there are resources or things you would like to see on it that you can't find now.
The old website and emails will still work for some months.
Peace and blessings,
The ELCJHL
-----------------------------------------------
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land (ELCJHL)
P.O. Box: 14076
Jerusalem 91140
Tel: +972-2- 6266800
Fax: +972-2- 6285764
Email: communication@elcjhl.org
website: www.elcjhl.org
The October picture calendar from the Evengelcial Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land celebrates the new Al Khei-meh community Ecumenical Centre in Amman. Download it from the website: http://www.elcjhl.org/resources/calendars/
More than 450 community and religious leaders from Amman, Jordan, and elsewhere gathered in September for the opening of Al Khei-meh (the Tent), a new Community Ecumenical Centre designed to serve social, cultural, spiritual and recreational needs of the community.
According to the Rev. Samer Azar, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and initiator of the center, Al Khei-meh is designed to be complementary to current activities of the local Ecumenical Churches, which, like the new center, serve people regardless of religious affiliation or denomination. Pastor Azar hopes to promote common values among the different Christian denominations and between Muslims and Christians.
ELCJHL Bishop Munib Younan helped to dedicate the center, and Anglican Bishop Suheil Dawani also attended. At the opening, Bishop Younan said:
"Al-Khei-meh (the Tent) is the place where God is present with his people. We hope that every Christian, Muslim or Jew who enters this place will experience God's presence."
Join us in prayer: Gracious God who dwells in all people, bless this new center and fill it with creativity, inspiration, joy and community. Guide and direct its leaders and people that they may use this as a place for all to come and feel the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ, Amen."
We would also like to announce that our website and emails have changed. Instead of www.holyland-lutherans.org we are now www.elcjhl.org
Please give us feedback about the new website, and let us know if there are resources or things you would like to see on it that you can't find now.
The old website and emails will still work for some months.
Peace and blessings,
The ELCJHL
-----------------------------------------------
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan & the Holy Land (ELCJHL)
P.O. Box: 14076
Jerusalem 91140
Tel: +972-2- 6266800
Fax: +972-2- 6285764
Email: communication@elcjhl.org
website: www.elcjhl.org
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Naim Ateek of Sabeel is Hardin-Simmons Distinguished Alumni
Oct. 9, 2007
Naim Ateek, director of Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, is Hardin-Simmons University Distinguished Alumni
The Rev. Naim Ateek of Jerusalem, a 1963 graduate, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas, on Oct. 18. Ateek directs the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem.
Since 1992 Ateek has worked to advance the work of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center [http://www.sabeel.org], to deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians, to promote unity among them toward social action.
The Distinguished Alumni Award, given since 1970, is presented to Hardin-Simmons - www.hsutx.edu/main.php - alumni whose personal and professional accomplishments exemplify the ideals and aims of the university and bring honor to its name. Honorees are selected by a committee of campus leaders. The Alumni Awards Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 18., will celebrate the recipients.
As a boy in 1948, Palestinian Christian Ateek and his family became refugees when they were forced from their hometown of Beisan, south of the Sea of Galilee, by Jewish forces. The family settled in Nazareth. After completing primary and high school education, Ateek received a scholarship to attend Hardin-Simmons University.
In 1958, Ateek left his mother, ailing father, and nine brothers and sisters in Israel to travel to an unknown land—Texas. Not only did he have to adjust to American English, he had to learn the Texas dialect as well. His homesickness for his close-knit family was eased by the “wonderful atmosphere of friendliness” on the Hardin-Simmons campus, he said. He spent holidays and summers at his friends' homes in Abilene and the surrounding area while studying at Hardin-Simmons.
As a student Ateek was active in the International Student Association and was on the dean’s list. He was named to Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities. He was president of the Science Club and won the E.P. Mead Speech Contest.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, Ateek earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1966 from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley. He was ordained in the Episcopal Church and returned to his home in Nazareth, where he served as parish priest from 1966 to 1985.
Ateek returned to the United States to complete a Doctor of Ministry degree at San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1985. He then served as parish priest for the Palestinian congregation in Jerusalem and as canon of St. George’s Cathedral there from 1985 to 1997.
Sabeel strives to develop a spirituality based on love, justice, peace, nonviolence, liberation, and reconciliation for the different national and faith communities. Its work is to promote a more accurate international awareness regarding the identity, presence, and witness of Palestinian Christians as well as their contemporary concerns. Sabeel encourages individuals and groups from around the world to work for a just, comprehensive, and enduring peace informed by truth and empowered by prayer and action.
International Friends of Sabeel chapters in Australia, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and the United States support the work of the Sabeel Center in Jerusalem.
The Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, and the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass have given Ateek Honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees. He was honored by the San Francisco Theological Seminary with its Distinguished Alumni Award.
Ateek lectures widely in Palestine and Israel as well as internationally. In addition to his book, Justice, and Only Justice, a Palestinian Theology of Liberation, he has published many articles for books and periodicals and a forthcoming book that details the current situations in the Palestinian territories.
Naim and Maha Ateek live in Jerusalem where they have devoted their lives to being peacemakers. They are the parents of Stefan and Sari Ateek and Nevart Willborn.
---
This message comes to you from http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/ - A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Middle East Peace.
Naim Ateek, director of Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center, is Hardin-Simmons University Distinguished Alumni
The Rev. Naim Ateek of Jerusalem, a 1963 graduate, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas, on Oct. 18. Ateek directs the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem.
Since 1992 Ateek has worked to advance the work of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center [http://www.sabeel.org], to deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians, to promote unity among them toward social action.
The Distinguished Alumni Award, given since 1970, is presented to Hardin-Simmons - www.hsutx.edu/main.php - alumni whose personal and professional accomplishments exemplify the ideals and aims of the university and bring honor to its name. Honorees are selected by a committee of campus leaders. The Alumni Awards Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 18., will celebrate the recipients.
As a boy in 1948, Palestinian Christian Ateek and his family became refugees when they were forced from their hometown of Beisan, south of the Sea of Galilee, by Jewish forces. The family settled in Nazareth. After completing primary and high school education, Ateek received a scholarship to attend Hardin-Simmons University.
In 1958, Ateek left his mother, ailing father, and nine brothers and sisters in Israel to travel to an unknown land—Texas. Not only did he have to adjust to American English, he had to learn the Texas dialect as well. His homesickness for his close-knit family was eased by the “wonderful atmosphere of friendliness” on the Hardin-Simmons campus, he said. He spent holidays and summers at his friends' homes in Abilene and the surrounding area while studying at Hardin-Simmons.
As a student Ateek was active in the International Student Association and was on the dean’s list. He was named to Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities. He was president of the Science Club and won the E.P. Mead Speech Contest.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, Ateek earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1966 from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley. He was ordained in the Episcopal Church and returned to his home in Nazareth, where he served as parish priest from 1966 to 1985.
Ateek returned to the United States to complete a Doctor of Ministry degree at San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1985. He then served as parish priest for the Palestinian congregation in Jerusalem and as canon of St. George’s Cathedral there from 1985 to 1997.
Sabeel strives to develop a spirituality based on love, justice, peace, nonviolence, liberation, and reconciliation for the different national and faith communities. Its work is to promote a more accurate international awareness regarding the identity, presence, and witness of Palestinian Christians as well as their contemporary concerns. Sabeel encourages individuals and groups from around the world to work for a just, comprehensive, and enduring peace informed by truth and empowered by prayer and action.
International Friends of Sabeel chapters in Australia, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and the United States support the work of the Sabeel Center in Jerusalem.
The Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, and the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass have given Ateek Honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees. He was honored by the San Francisco Theological Seminary with its Distinguished Alumni Award.
Ateek lectures widely in Palestine and Israel as well as internationally. In addition to his book, Justice, and Only Justice, a Palestinian Theology of Liberation, he has published many articles for books and periodicals and a forthcoming book that details the current situations in the Palestinian territories.
Naim and Maha Ateek live in Jerusalem where they have devoted their lives to being peacemakers. They are the parents of Stefan and Sari Ateek and Nevart Willborn.
---
This message comes to you from http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/ - A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Middle East Peace.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Mitri Raheb speaks at Human Rights Defenders Forum
Lutheran pastor Mitri Raheb addressed the Human Rights Defenders Forum at the Carter Center in Atlanta.
Raheb is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land - www.holyland-lutherans.org/ - and the director of the International Center of Bethlehem - www.annadwa.org/
Whence Cometh Change?
“We are not poor, we are made poor, through a system of political, social and economic injustice.”
It was with these words that Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb opened his speech at the Human Rights Defenders Forum in Atlanta last (month). [www.cartercenter.org/peace/human_rights/defenders/index.html] The forum, entitled “Faith and Freedom: Protecting Human Rights as a Common Cause” was organized by the Carter Center and Human Rights First [www.humanrightsfirst.org/], brought together leading secular and religious human rights defenders from 22 countries.
Rev. Raheb continued: “If you look today at the West Bank it looks like a piece of ‘Swiss cheese’. Israel gets the cheese and the Palestinians are pushed into the holes. The holes are surrounded by a wall. Israel has taken the land, the water and natural resources, and most of the tourist sites. Through that system we are made poor. So twenty years from now we will have overpopulated, crowded areas with no room to grow, no economy to sustain us, and not much to hope for. These circumstances destroy the social fabric of our society and lead people into despair. People here look for a refuge in a life after death, but can’t believe in a life before death that is worth living here and now.”
The role of the international community was described by Dr. Raheb: “They are busy ‘managing’ rather than ‘solving’ the conflict. It is not really just a conflict between Israel and Palestine. Without the subsidy of the international community Israel cannot continue what they are doing. What the international community is doing in Palestine is charity, not economic justice. Lifting roadblocks and closures would be much better for us than all the aid. The international community closes their eyes when it comes to Israel and they shut their ears when political and human rights issues are addressed. Rather, they choose to give the Palestinians some handouts so they will not have a bad conscience.”
Rev. Raheb offered a summary of the conflict in these words: "We have too much attention but too little action. Too much politics but too little care for the polis, our cities and communities. Too much religion (I say this as a pastor) but too little spirituality. Too much aid but too little development. Too many resolutions but almost no protection. This is in brief our problem."
Commenting on a previous comment by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, on their new approach called “responsibility to protect”, Rev. Raheb said that he hopes that this might effect some change.
It was at this point that former President Jimmy Carter interrupted Rev. Raheb to voice his doubt that the UN is going to change, or that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will be able to protect the human rights of the Palestinians.
President Carter added that a big part the problem is in the US, in the Congress. No one can be reelected to the Congress if they say any of the things that have been said at the forum. “You see how distressed I am. The people living there are infinitely more distressed than I am. I don’t know what I would do if I was living under those circumstances, if I saw my wife and children starving to death... My hope is that the world will see. [...] The EU hasn’t spoken out. Russia has spoken out a little bit. [...] The US is completely in bed with the Israelis [...] Under the present circumstances I don’t see any possibility of change." The President’s display of emotion (a rarity, for those familiar with his manner) was powerful. His wife Rosalynn was crying and had to leave the room with tears in her eyes.
Commenting on this later in the day, Rev. Raheb said: “it will not change by itself unless we change it together. God is calling us to be agents for change.”
Bethlehem Media Center, ICB 20/09/2007
http://bethlehemmedia.net/en/
This message comes to you from http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/ - A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Middle East Peace.
Raheb is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land - www.holyland-lutherans.org/ - and the director of the International Center of Bethlehem - www.annadwa.org/
Whence Cometh Change?
“We are not poor, we are made poor, through a system of political, social and economic injustice.”
It was with these words that Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb opened his speech at the Human Rights Defenders Forum in Atlanta last (month). [www.cartercenter.org/peace/human_rights/defenders/index.html] The forum, entitled “Faith and Freedom: Protecting Human Rights as a Common Cause” was organized by the Carter Center and Human Rights First [www.humanrightsfirst.org/], brought together leading secular and religious human rights defenders from 22 countries.
Rev. Raheb continued: “If you look today at the West Bank it looks like a piece of ‘Swiss cheese’. Israel gets the cheese and the Palestinians are pushed into the holes. The holes are surrounded by a wall. Israel has taken the land, the water and natural resources, and most of the tourist sites. Through that system we are made poor. So twenty years from now we will have overpopulated, crowded areas with no room to grow, no economy to sustain us, and not much to hope for. These circumstances destroy the social fabric of our society and lead people into despair. People here look for a refuge in a life after death, but can’t believe in a life before death that is worth living here and now.”
The role of the international community was described by Dr. Raheb: “They are busy ‘managing’ rather than ‘solving’ the conflict. It is not really just a conflict between Israel and Palestine. Without the subsidy of the international community Israel cannot continue what they are doing. What the international community is doing in Palestine is charity, not economic justice. Lifting roadblocks and closures would be much better for us than all the aid. The international community closes their eyes when it comes to Israel and they shut their ears when political and human rights issues are addressed. Rather, they choose to give the Palestinians some handouts so they will not have a bad conscience.”
Rev. Raheb offered a summary of the conflict in these words: "We have too much attention but too little action. Too much politics but too little care for the polis, our cities and communities. Too much religion (I say this as a pastor) but too little spirituality. Too much aid but too little development. Too many resolutions but almost no protection. This is in brief our problem."
Commenting on a previous comment by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, on their new approach called “responsibility to protect”, Rev. Raheb said that he hopes that this might effect some change.
It was at this point that former President Jimmy Carter interrupted Rev. Raheb to voice his doubt that the UN is going to change, or that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will be able to protect the human rights of the Palestinians.
President Carter added that a big part the problem is in the US, in the Congress. No one can be reelected to the Congress if they say any of the things that have been said at the forum. “You see how distressed I am. The people living there are infinitely more distressed than I am. I don’t know what I would do if I was living under those circumstances, if I saw my wife and children starving to death... My hope is that the world will see. [...] The EU hasn’t spoken out. Russia has spoken out a little bit. [...] The US is completely in bed with the Israelis [...] Under the present circumstances I don’t see any possibility of change." The President’s display of emotion (a rarity, for those familiar with his manner) was powerful. His wife Rosalynn was crying and had to leave the room with tears in her eyes.
Commenting on this later in the day, Rev. Raheb said: “it will not change by itself unless we change it together. God is calling us to be agents for change.”
Bethlehem Media Center, ICB 20/09/2007
http://bethlehemmedia.net/en/
This message comes to you from http://voicesforpeace.blogspot.com/ - A Texas Lutheran's Voice for Middle East Peace.
Friday, October 5, 2007
ELCA's Bishop Hanson Supports Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference
The ELCA's Bishop Hanson has spoken out in support of an Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference. Advocacy information can be found at the website of Churches for Middle East Peace: www.cmep.org/Alerts/2007Sept28.htm
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 4, 2007
ELCA Presiding Bishop Supports Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference
07-163-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said he supports an international conference aimed at taking steps toward resolving conflict peacefully between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East, and this week joined in a call for specific steps for a successful conference. The meeting is to be hosted in November by the United States government at a location to be determined.
Hanson is a member of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East (NILI), an organization of U.S. faith group leaders that has spoken publicly about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. NILI members have challenged the Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. governments each to do more to resolve the conflict. Members have met several times with officials of the Bush Administration, asking that the U.S. government become more involved in negotiations for a just and lasting peace. The religious leaders have also presented ideas to U.S. officials aimed at promoting Middle East peace. Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders make up NILI.
This week, the religious leaders, through a message of the NILI steering committee, are asking members of U.S. Congress and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to consider specific steps to help make the conference successful. NILI issued a statement, "Steps for a Successful Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference."
"The ELCA is committed to praying and working for a lasting and just peace between Israelis and Palestinians," Hanson said of the message. "Our resolve is to increase awareness and advocacy as we accompany the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land as articulated in the ELCA Peace Not Walls Initiative." [www.ELCA.org/middleeast]
The NILI message to Congress and the Bush Administration recommended:
+ Inviting all of Israel's Arab neighbors, as well as Israel and the Palestinian Authority: The religious leaders said the United States should invite representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria to the meeting. They also said "all issues" should be on the agenda, including Israeli-Palestinian status issues.
+ Seeking agreement on principles and taking other steps in advance of the conference: The United States must press for concrete steps by Israel and the Palestinian Authority to improve conditions on the ground, including agreement on a cease-fire and principles such as borders and security, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem, the religious leaders said.
+ Resolving the split between the West Bank and Gaza: The religious leaders said the split in Palestinian governance could thwart success of the meeting. The United States should"quietly" support efforts to form a united Palestinian government that can represent Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and that is committed to rejecting violence and negotiating a two-state peace agreement with Israel, they said.
The steps called for by NILI "are critical to turning the Middle East from a path of violence and extremism to one of freedom, justice and peace," Hanson said. "The issues are extremely complex and deeply rooted in a history of conflict and distrust. A solution requires broad participation by Arab nations willing to make difficult compromises for the sake of peace. May the November conference be one important step in that process."
NILI members met Aug. 10 with Undersecretary for Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns in Washington, D.C. They expressed their support and the support of their communities for the Bush Administration's renewed commitment to work for peace between Israelis and Palestinians as a high priority of U.S. policy, according to a NILI news release. They also presented specific ideas in their meeting with Burns related to preparations for the peace conference.
---
Information about the ELCA's Middle East resources, including the ELCA Peace Not Walls initiative, is at http://www.ELCA.org/middleeast/ on the ELCA Web site.
ELCA NEWS:
John Brooks, Director
(773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 4, 2007
ELCA Presiding Bishop Supports Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference
07-163-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), said he supports an international conference aimed at taking steps toward resolving conflict peacefully between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East, and this week joined in a call for specific steps for a successful conference. The meeting is to be hosted in November by the United States government at a location to be determined.
Hanson is a member of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East (NILI), an organization of U.S. faith group leaders that has spoken publicly about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. NILI members have challenged the Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. governments each to do more to resolve the conflict. Members have met several times with officials of the Bush Administration, asking that the U.S. government become more involved in negotiations for a just and lasting peace. The religious leaders have also presented ideas to U.S. officials aimed at promoting Middle East peace. Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders make up NILI.
This week, the religious leaders, through a message of the NILI steering committee, are asking members of U.S. Congress and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to consider specific steps to help make the conference successful. NILI issued a statement, "Steps for a Successful Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference."
"The ELCA is committed to praying and working for a lasting and just peace between Israelis and Palestinians," Hanson said of the message. "Our resolve is to increase awareness and advocacy as we accompany the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land as articulated in the ELCA Peace Not Walls Initiative." [www.ELCA.org/middleeast]
The NILI message to Congress and the Bush Administration recommended:
+ Inviting all of Israel's Arab neighbors, as well as Israel and the Palestinian Authority: The religious leaders said the United States should invite representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria to the meeting. They also said "all issues" should be on the agenda, including Israeli-Palestinian status issues.
+ Seeking agreement on principles and taking other steps in advance of the conference: The United States must press for concrete steps by Israel and the Palestinian Authority to improve conditions on the ground, including agreement on a cease-fire and principles such as borders and security, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem, the religious leaders said.
+ Resolving the split between the West Bank and Gaza: The religious leaders said the split in Palestinian governance could thwart success of the meeting. The United States should"quietly" support efforts to form a united Palestinian government that can represent Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and that is committed to rejecting violence and negotiating a two-state peace agreement with Israel, they said.
The steps called for by NILI "are critical to turning the Middle East from a path of violence and extremism to one of freedom, justice and peace," Hanson said. "The issues are extremely complex and deeply rooted in a history of conflict and distrust. A solution requires broad participation by Arab nations willing to make difficult compromises for the sake of peace. May the November conference be one important step in that process."
NILI members met Aug. 10 with Undersecretary for Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns in Washington, D.C. They expressed their support and the support of their communities for the Bush Administration's renewed commitment to work for peace between Israelis and Palestinians as a high priority of U.S. policy, according to a NILI news release. They also presented specific ideas in their meeting with Burns related to preparations for the peace conference.
---
Information about the ELCA's Middle East resources, including the ELCA Peace Not Walls initiative, is at http://www.ELCA.org/middleeast/ on the ELCA Web site.
ELCA NEWS:
John Brooks, Director
(773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Forty roadblocks added in the West Bank
Lack of mobility makes everyday life in the West Bank extremely difficult for Palestinian people. Normal travel to visit family, go to worship, get medical care or attend school is almost impossible.
Haaretz reported the UN finding 40 new West Bank roadblocks in the past two months - www.haaretz.com
"Despite repeated promises to reduce the number of roadblocks in the West Bank, Israel has in fact added dozens of new ones, according to the United Nations. [See www.ochaopt.org/documents/AMA_47.pdf]
"Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week to remove 24 roadblocks and consider additional alleviations of movement restrictions on the Palestinians. This followed a similar promise to alleviate movement restrictions that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
"However, the number of roadblocks has now reached 572, an increase of 52 percent compared to 376 in August 2005, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the past two months alone, Israel put up 40 new roadblocks, OCHA said.
"Israel did remove a small fence along Road 317, in the Southern Mount Hebron region, doing away with 29 barricades. But OCHA found that 48 new roadblocks, mostly embankments preventing access to various roads, were put up.
"Altogether, there are 476 unmanned roadblocks in the West Bank, consisting of concrete cubes, earthen embankments and other barricades blocking roads and exits from villages and towns.
"The number of manned roadblocks has also increased, from 86 in July to 96 today, the UN found. Most of them are manned by soldiers round the clock, but some are manned only a few hours a day.
"Since April, the defense establishment has refused to provide data about the number of roadblocks. In the past, defense officials said that many of the roadblocks were added to protect settlers, and not only to prevent terror attacks in Israel.
"The UN figures do not include checkpoints set up along the Green Line."
For the full report on movement and access, see the link above; for many more reports, maps and updates, go to OCHA: www.ochaopt.org
Haaretz reported the UN finding 40 new West Bank roadblocks in the past two months - www.haaretz.com
"Despite repeated promises to reduce the number of roadblocks in the West Bank, Israel has in fact added dozens of new ones, according to the United Nations. [See www.ochaopt.org/documents/AMA_47.pdf]
"Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this week to remove 24 roadblocks and consider additional alleviations of movement restrictions on the Palestinians. This followed a similar promise to alleviate movement restrictions that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
"However, the number of roadblocks has now reached 572, an increase of 52 percent compared to 376 in August 2005, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the past two months alone, Israel put up 40 new roadblocks, OCHA said.
"Israel did remove a small fence along Road 317, in the Southern Mount Hebron region, doing away with 29 barricades. But OCHA found that 48 new roadblocks, mostly embankments preventing access to various roads, were put up.
"Altogether, there are 476 unmanned roadblocks in the West Bank, consisting of concrete cubes, earthen embankments and other barricades blocking roads and exits from villages and towns.
"The number of manned roadblocks has also increased, from 86 in July to 96 today, the UN found. Most of them are manned by soldiers round the clock, but some are manned only a few hours a day.
"Since April, the defense establishment has refused to provide data about the number of roadblocks. In the past, defense officials said that many of the roadblocks were added to protect settlers, and not only to prevent terror attacks in Israel.
"The UN figures do not include checkpoints set up along the Green Line."
For the full report on movement and access, see the link above; for many more reports, maps and updates, go to OCHA: www.ochaopt.org
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Children building bridges of peace
Palestinian and Jordanian Children on a Mission to Build Bridges of Peace and Understanding
23-Sep-07
Ten Christian youth from Palestine and Jordan and their two teachers will visit the United States from September 23, 2007 to November 4, 2007 as part of Holyland Christian Ecumenical Foundation's - www.hcef.org - Children's Peace Project. The purpose of this program is to enable American churches and schools to work for greater understanding and Christian solidarity with the Church in the Holy Land by hosting Christian youth from that troubled region.
Hosting this year's Holy Land students and teachers are St. Susanna Catholic Parish in Mason, Ohio for the 5 Jordanian children and teacher, and St. Lawrence Catholic Parish in Utica, Michigan for the 5 Palestinian children and their teacher.
The youth will also take part in a Children's Peace Conference in conjunction with HCEF's 9th International Conference on October 26 and 27, 2007 in Washington, DC. There, the students will have the chance to interact with American Christian youth and to share what they have learned during their time living with Christians in the United States. Attendees of the conference will have the chance to learn from the reactions, fears, insights, hopes, and prayers of these young ambassadors of peace from the Holy Land.
With the goal of "building a living bridge of peace between Christian communities in the West and Christians communities in the Holy Land," the Children's Peace Project gives youth an opportunity both to learn from and teach each other and the larger community. Stereotypes are broken down, and those involved come to see that differences do not diminish the dignity of a person. Lasting relationships develop between the Holy Land youth and their American families and friends that continue even after the students return home.
HCEF President Rateb Rabie, KCHS, believes that these youth act as ambassadors of peace who are able to share unique insights about the experience of Christians in the Holy Land. The Children's Peace Project changes hearts and lives, providing hope for peace in the Holy Land.
For additional information on the Children's Peace Project, visit: http://www.hcef.org/PublicFiles/conference/9th%20Conference/07CPPflyer.pdf
If you are having problems with this link copy the above link to your internet browser or visit our website at www.hcef.org
Contact: Jonathon Smith
Tel: (301) 951-9400 ext 217
Email: Jsmith@hcef.org
23-Sep-07
Ten Christian youth from Palestine and Jordan and their two teachers will visit the United States from September 23, 2007 to November 4, 2007 as part of Holyland Christian Ecumenical Foundation's - www.hcef.org - Children's Peace Project. The purpose of this program is to enable American churches and schools to work for greater understanding and Christian solidarity with the Church in the Holy Land by hosting Christian youth from that troubled region.
Hosting this year's Holy Land students and teachers are St. Susanna Catholic Parish in Mason, Ohio for the 5 Jordanian children and teacher, and St. Lawrence Catholic Parish in Utica, Michigan for the 5 Palestinian children and their teacher.
The youth will also take part in a Children's Peace Conference in conjunction with HCEF's 9th International Conference on October 26 and 27, 2007 in Washington, DC. There, the students will have the chance to interact with American Christian youth and to share what they have learned during their time living with Christians in the United States. Attendees of the conference will have the chance to learn from the reactions, fears, insights, hopes, and prayers of these young ambassadors of peace from the Holy Land.
With the goal of "building a living bridge of peace between Christian communities in the West and Christians communities in the Holy Land," the Children's Peace Project gives youth an opportunity both to learn from and teach each other and the larger community. Stereotypes are broken down, and those involved come to see that differences do not diminish the dignity of a person. Lasting relationships develop between the Holy Land youth and their American families and friends that continue even after the students return home.
HCEF President Rateb Rabie, KCHS, believes that these youth act as ambassadors of peace who are able to share unique insights about the experience of Christians in the Holy Land. The Children's Peace Project changes hearts and lives, providing hope for peace in the Holy Land.
For additional information on the Children's Peace Project, visit: http://www.hcef.org/PublicFiles/conference/9th%20Conference/07CPPflyer.pdf
If you are having problems with this link copy the above link to your internet browser or visit our website at www.hcef.org
Contact: Jonathon Smith
Tel: (301) 951-9400 ext 217
Email: Jsmith@hcef.org
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