Bulletin Issue
No. 16
2 May 2002
Providing church,
ecumenical and inter-faith information, resources, and analysis
on issues of current global concern
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1. Focus on the
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 
Through Behind the
News: Visions for Peace - Voices of Faith, Action by Churches Together
(ACT International), the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA), and
the World Council of Churches (WCC) provide alternative voices and
perspectives on areas of critical conflict involving and demanding
action by people of faith.
Such an area is
the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The tragedy of structural
as well as physical violence continues to grow, and demands more
concerted action among people of faith for justice and true peace
in the region. Therefore, this issue of Behind the News focuses
on voices and actions for a just peace in the Middle East. Especially
when we are bombarded with words and images of fear, violence, death,
and diplomatic games, we need to hear what people of faith are saying,
be inspired by their non-violent actions, and be motivated to ourselves
do more to end the root causes of the violence.
Many churches and
ecumenical organizations have been working for decades on the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict, and their past policies and statements now provide a foundation
for action in the midst of the current violence. This bulletin will
not attempt to summarize such long-standing advocacy. Instead, it
will provide some of the statements and actions of the past two
months, according to our mandate that:
Behind the News
focuses on alternative voices and perspectives behind stories in
(or conspicuously absent from) the international news.
Visions for Peace highlights statements, ideas and actions
that aim to build peace and reconciliation in situations of conflict
and violence.
Voices of Faith shares information particularly from churches,
ecumenical organizations, and other faiths, emphasizing different
regional perspectives.
All these statements
condemn terrorism and violence. In lifting up these statements and
actions, we are very aware that this issue only scratches the surface
of what the national and international organizations, churches and
faith groups are saying and doing for a just peace in this conflict.
But we hope and pray that this service can bring together voices
and common resolve to speak clearly, act decisively, and maintain
a vision of justice, dignity and peace for all.
2. Statements
and actions from the local Christian community
a) Joint statements and actions
from the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem:
On March
9, the thirteen patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem*
issued a call to "All the people in this Holy Land, Palestinians
and Israelis" affirming that "War shelling and destruction
will not bring justice and security; rather it will intensify hatred
and bitterness." They stated that "the way the present
Israeli Government is dealing with the situation makes neither for
security nor for a just peace" and that "Israeli security
is dependant on Palestinian freedom and justice." They also
urged the Palestinian people to end "every kind of violent
response".
On 2
April, the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem
made a public offer to serve as mediators in the ongoing conflict
between Israelis and Palestinians. Over the next two days, the church
leaders organized marches and demonstrations, one in Jerusalem leading
to the house of Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, the other to
the Bethlehem checkpoint. The church leaders have received no response
from political leaders to their offers
to mediate, and their repeated attempts to enter Bethlehem to
encourage a peaceful resolution of the standoff at the Church of
the Nativity have been prevented by Israeli soldiers at the Bethlehem
checkpoint.
The patriarchs and heads of churches
met with US secretary of state Colin Powell on April
14. They presented a memorandum outlining their concerns
about the present situation in Palestine and Israel, noting that
"Security for Israel means justice and freedom for Palestinians."
They stated that the current conflict is not a "mere question
of violence"- "Violence is only a symptom of the root
cause of the Middle East conflict, namely, the Israeli ooccupation
of 1967 territories," they said, noting the need for continued
interfaith dialogue, cessation of military operations, and international
protection key to "secure the lives of the people".
Their letter concludes, "We
have represented Christianity in this part of the world for the
last two thousand years. We believe that the future of Palestinian
Christianity is also in peace and not in war. We believe that the
Christian Church can be an instrument of peace, justice and reconciliation.
As Dr Martin Luther King, Jr said, "I have a dream." Our
dream is that these two peoples who represent the three monotheistic
religions may live in just peace and freedom, in security and reconciliation.
*The patriarchs and heads of churches
in Jerusalem represent four families of churches:
Greek Orthodox
Oriental Orthodox (Armenians, Copts,
Ethiopians and Syrians)
Catholics (Roman Catholic [Latin
Patriarchate], Custody of the Holy Land, Greek Catholic, Maronites,
Syrians, Armenians)
Evangelicals (Anglicans, Lutherans)
In addition to joint efforts,
leaders and members of individual churches are providing pastoral
care to people suffering from fear, violence and humanitarian crises,
and are involved in peacebuilding and advocacy efforts.
b) Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem:
The highest-ranking Roman Catholic official in the Middle East,
Patriarch Michel Sabbah, strongly criticized Israel for fomenting
violence and hatred throughout the region by adopting a policy based
on coercion and violence against the Palestinians. Speaking during
an interview with the Arabic Service of the BBC on 3 April, he said
"The image Israel is trying to portray about what is happening
clouds the truth and distorts reality. The real problem here is
not terror, it is an entire people being subjected to military occupation
and repression."
The Latin Patriarchate, along with
the other Heads of Churches, has attempted to mediate
in the standoff at Nativity Church, and issued a brief explanation
of the situation following the third consecutive Sunday where Christians
in Bethlehem could not attend Catholic, Greek or Armenian Orthodox
services in the church. A comprehensive collection of material on
the Latin Patriarchate and from H.B. Michel Sabbah, can be found
through www.albushra.org
and their link to http://go.to/nonviolence
On 5 April, Fr Giacomo Bini, minister
general of the Order of Friars Minor, speaking on behalf of all
Franciscans
who have been the Custodians of the Holy Land since 1217, stated
that "We Franciscans cannot allow a tragic slaughter to take
place in Bethlehem, at the Nativity Church." There are 40 Friars,
4 Franciscan nuns, about 30 Orthodox and Armenian monks inside the
church compound. The message confirmed the Franciscans' willingness
to work as mediators in the conflict, and called on all heads of
state to put aside the use of force. On 11 April, Fr Bini issued
another statement confirming that humanitarian intervention is urgently
needed, and that the friars in the church are not hostages. The
statement further demanded that the Palestinians be allowed to leave
the building, and that their safety be assured "so that our
Community can resume its work of peace-building".
c) The
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, H.B. Irineos,
Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Jerusalem, has yet to receive endorsement
by the Israeli government despite his election by the synod of bishops
last August. Under the church's constitution, election of the patriarch
must be approved by the ruling powers in the Holy Land - Israel,
the Palestinian Authority and the Kingdom of Jordan. Jordan and
the PA have approved the appointment. Ministers in the Israeli government
claim that Irineos is pro-Palestinian. During US secretary of state
Colin Powell's visit, the Israeli government approved the appointment,
but this has been delayed due to a further protest by a group of
government ministers.
Background information on the Greek
Orthodox Patriarchate can be found at: http://www.holylight.gr/patria/enpatria.html
d) The Anglican
Bishop of Jerusalem, The Right Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal, in
a message to international friends sent on 24 April, recounts the
dire humanitarian situation in the occupied territories, the devastation
in many areas and the urgent need for international action. He quotes
from Dante "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those
who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality."
Giving thanks for the many letters of support and the prayers, he
says work to influence public opinion is still desperately needed.
e) Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Jordan: Bishop Munib Younan reported
that on April 16, Israeli defence forces invaded the Lutheran School
of Hope in Ramallah. Because all of Ramallah was under curfew, no
one was in the school, but neighbours notified the pastor of the
Lutheran Church of Hope of sounds of guns, sledgehammers, and broken
glass. "It seems that this is not a war against terrorism,"
Younan said. "This seems to be a war against the hope and the
future of the Palestinian people." This followed a previous
search of the school on April 8 in which the pastor was asked by
Israeli soldiers to accompany them in searching the school. Rev.
Ansara reported afterward that "They would push me first
into each room and then would jump into the room with their weapons
levelled." No people or weapons were found in the building.
On April 4, the Israeli Defence
Forces entered the compound of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas
Church in Bethlehem and searched all rooms and offices, detaining
the pastor, Rev. Dr Mitri Raheb, and causing significant damage
to the building.
More information is available through
the International Centre of Bethlehem, a part of the Lutheran Church
compound, at http://www.annadwa.org
In Bishop
Younan's Easter Message from Jerusalem on March 26, he affirms,
"The resurrection of Christ assures us that, no matter what,
life is stronger than death. This gives us confidence that the spiralling
violence will not have the last word, nor will injustice, occupation,
illness, broken relationships, or anything else which tears us down
and is against God's will for all creation. Even if we are crushed,
the Resurrection gives us hope that both Palestinians and Israelis
can have peace, freedom, reconciliation and security which will
lead to the dignity and abundant life God intends for all people.
For Palestinian Christians, the Resurrection is the only hope to
which we cling."
Background
on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan at: http://www.holyland-lutherans.org/
Letters from Jerusalem also posted
at http://www.elca.org/dgm/story/jerusalem.asp
f) Members of English-Speaking Christian
Communities in the Holy Land, predominantly American, sent an open
letter to US secretary of state Colin Powell on April 7, stating
that "The increased violence has underscored the failure of
successive American administrations to implement defined policies
for the resolution of this conflict" and calling on the US
government to "finalize a settlement to this conflict in accordance
with [United Nations] resolutions 242, 338 and 1397… Consistency
of will to move beyond the rhetoric of US policy and to implement
its stated goals will restore the credibility to the peace process
and to the role the US government seeks to play as the honest broker
of the peace process."
See http://umns.umc.org/02/april/154.htm
and the full text at http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/behindthenews/i-p-6.html.
3. Statements,
actions and reports from local Palestinian and Israeli peace and
human rights organizations
a) International
fieldworkers
in the Occupied Palestinian Territories from the Danish/Icelandic
Christian accompaniment programme, Christian Peacemaker Teams and
United Civilians for Peace, issued a joint statement on 5 April
describing how their efforts to meet those in need of relief and
medical care were undermined by actions of the Israeli army, and
urged the European governments to pressure both parties to start
negotiations based on the UN Resolutions and Saudi peace proposal.
LAW
- The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and
the Environment
issues almost daily updates on human rights abuses in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, most recently focusing on the investigation
of the Israeli army action in the Jenin refugee camp. A press
release
from early March also provides a vivid account of the harrassment
of Khader Shkirat, the general director of LAW - the Palestinian
Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment -
by the Israeli Intelligence and army in an attempt to find a fugitive
whom they thought was hiding in Shkirat's house. Urgent appeals
brought representatives of Palestinian and Israeli human rights
organizations, Israeli Knesset members, and representatives from
European Union consulates to observe and intervene in the threatened
demolition of his house, and the Israeli troops eventually left
the scene.
B'Tselem:
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied
Territories
issues daily documentation on human rights violations.
The
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions,
a non-violent, direct-action group comprised of many members of
Israeli peace and human rights organizations, has set up an on-line
survey to help plan and finance a rebuilding campaign "The
Right to Live in a Homeland: 1000 House Parties to Rebuild Palestinian
Homes." The survey is at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?2853L0SF37ME8MBTTJHKXGS4.
In calling for the campaign, ICAHD coordinator Jeff Halper states,
"The systematic demolition of Palestinian homes throughout
the Occupied Territories, together with the devastation of the Palestinian
infrastructure, goes far beyond mere retaliation for terrorist attacks."
Sabeel
Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center
issued a statement on March 12 calling for an immediate end of Israel's
occupation of the Palestinian territories as the only solution to
the seemingly unending violence in the Middle East. Calling for
interventions to "an end to the present deadly cycle of violence",
Sabeel
appealed for international protection
and return to the negotiating table, lifting up in prayer "the
multitude of non-violent methods that people are using to resist".
The Arab
Educational Institute,
affiliated to the Pax Christi Movement, has issued appeals to people
to put pressure on their governments to compel Sharon to withdraw
Israeli forces from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Recent
appeals
have focused on ending the Israeli siege of the Church of the Nativity
in Bethlehem.
On April 8, staff
of the East
Jerusalem YMCA
offices reported that the Israeli army blew up and destroyed the
entrance and the contents of the offices located in Ramallah. This
web site also features statements and actions by the World YMCA
and national chapters.
The Jerusalem
Center for Women
issued an open letter on March 8 commemorating International Women's
Day by calling for mutual recognition of individual and collective
rights, and an urgent appeal on March 16 noting that "there
can be no security for anyone if war crimes are committed with impunity".
Badil:
Resource Center for Palestinian Refugee and Rehabilitation Rights
calls the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
a "humanitarian catastrophe" particularly for the refugee
community, and calls on the international community to combine immediate
humanitarian assistance with international protection and pressure
on the Israeli government to abide by international law.
4. Statements
and actions of the global church and ecumenical family
a) World Council of Churches
The Ecumenical
Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) was
launched in February 2002 in Geneva by the World Council of Churches.
The mission of the EAPPI is "the accompaniment of Palestinians
and Israelis in non-violent actions and concerted advocacy efforts
to end the occupation." This includes: monitoring and reporting
on human rights violations, offering protection through non-violent
presence; supporting acts of non-violent resistance alongside local
Christian and Muslim Palestinians and Israeli peace activists; and
engaging in public policy advocacy. Over 40 churches and church-related
organizations participated in the development of the framework for
the EAPPI which is open to churches and ecumenical organizations
in the broad ecumenical movement
The World
Council of Churches sent an open letter on 15 March to WCC member
churches, regional and national councils of churches and ecumenical
partner organizations calling for an "immediate common effort...
to break through the stagnation of the international community [with
respect to the Israel-Palestine conflict] and to encourage action
that corresponds to words." The letter urges churches to strengthen
their involvement in the 2002 campaign to "End the Illegal
Occupation of Palestine" and in the EAPPI, and to call on governments
to support proposals brought to the UN Security Council for the
deployment of a monitoring body in the region.
A poster for the 2002 Focus of the
Decade to Overcome Violence, "End
the illegal Occupation of Palestine: Support a Just Peace in the
Middle East" is available through WCC International Relations
(Contact).
See also http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/news/press/01/48pre.html
The WCC
deputy general secretary, Georges Lemopoulos and Salpy Eskidjian
of the WCC International Relations team travelled to Jerusalem from
2-4 April to meet with the patriarchs and heads of churches and
Christian communities in Jerusalem and discuss ecumenical efforts
with regard to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The delegation
met with many church officials, PLO representatives, local human
rights defenders, Palestinians in Israel, medical and emergency
relief staff, representatives of international and local church-related
organizations and the Jerusalem Inter-Church Committee. The delegation
condemned the terrifying loss of Palestinian and Israeli lives and
"echoed the unified voice of the local church leaders in endorsing
the right of a people to resist the violence of military occupation
and to struggle for its end by non-violent means."
b) In early April, Pope
John Paul II met with the Israeli and US ambassadors and with
a representative of the Arab League and reiterated in public interventions
the Vatican's policy on the escalating crisis in the Middle East:
- "The unequivocal condemnation
of terrorism, from whatever side it may come
- disapproval of the conditions
of injustice and humiliation imposed on the Palestinian people,
as well as reprisals and retaliation, which only make the sense
of frustration and hatred grow,
- respect for the UN resolutions
by all sides,
- proportionality in the use of
legitimate means of defence, and
- the duty for the parties in conflict
to protect the sacred places with are very significant for the
three montheistic religions and the patrimony of all of humanity."
The holy father further called for
the entire church to dedicate Sunday, 7 April to prayers for peace
in the Middle East.
Pope
John Paul II spoke on
the telephone on 16 April with the Franciscan friars confined in
Bethlehem's Basilica of the Nativity to express his solidarity and
to thank them for their "Christian witness". "Courage!"
the pope said, "Continue the resistance and custody of the
holy places." On 21 April, Pope John Paul II made another appeal
for peace in the Middle East. He called for an end to the stand-off
between Palestinians and Israelis at Bethlehem's Nativity Church,
saying it was marked by "blackmail and an intolerable exchange
of accusations". The pope said the Bethlehem church and all
the holy sites should "quickly be restored to prayer and pilgrims,
to God and man".
Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, Vatican
secretary for relations with states, insisted on the need for
an independent military force to halt violence in the Middle East.
He made this proposal on 13 April in an interview with Vatican Radio.
The objective of such a force, he said, should be to "silence
weapons, create a climate of mutual trust, and make the two contenders
return to sit down at the negotiating table". He also called
for a solution to the siege of the Basilica of the Nativity.
For further information on Catholic
responses, see Olive Branch from Jerusalem, e-mail: nonviolence@writem.com
c) The general secretary of the
Conference
of European Churches, Keith Clements wrote to all CEC member
churches and associated organizations on 18 April, calling upon
them and the European Union to address more resolutely the issues
of peace and justice in Israel-Palestine. The letter transmitted
the declaration made by the patriarchs and heads of churches in
Jerusalem at their meeting with Mr Colin Powell, and urged European
churches to receive, study and act on this text in their own European
context.
d) The general secretary of the
World
Alliance of Reformed Churches, Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi, wrote to
Ariel Sharon, the prime minister of Israel, urging an immediate
halt to the current operations in the Palestinian territories by
the Israeli Defence Forces which "can bring neither peace nor
security." In a letter to the 215 member churches of the Alliance,
Nyomi calls on them to keep the people of the Holy Land in their
thoughts and prayers; to write to their governments, urging them
to put pressure on the Israeli government to turn from its present
course of self-defeating violence; and to write in similar terms,
or where possible, go in person to the Israeli embassy in their
countries. Nyomi has also written to Yasser Arafat, president of
the Palestinian Authority, expressing "dismay that his people
are suffering so dreadfully under military attack."
e) As the Israeli military continued
its operations in West Bank towns, the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) asked for the immediate withdrawal of
Israeli forces from Palestinian territory, and a stop to attacks
on civilians and civilian property including places of worship.
In a call to "step back from the path of war", the LWF
general secretary, Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, urged Israeli prime minister
Ariel Sharon to heed the voices of concern from the international
community. For more on this story, click on http://193.73.242.125/News/LWI/EN/955.EN.html
For other related information on the Israel-Palestine situation,
go to
f) On 15 April, the Executive Committee
of the Middle
East Council of Churches met to discuss the situation in Palestine.
Among the actions taken were: condemnation in the strongest possible
terms of Israeli actions against the Palestinian people; the expressed
desire that the presidents of the MECC jointly address an appeal
to all relevant governments and organizations in the world to use
all possible means to pursue peace; a request to the MECC general
secretary to continue supporting the Palestinian people and to take
appropriate action to secure financial assistance
for the Palestinian people; and a request to Christians in the
Middle East to pray for the people of the region in these times
of trial, and to ask that those in positions of power have the insight,
wisdom and righteousness to guide the political process.
g) The general secretary of the
Christian
Conference of Asia, Rev. Ahn Jae Woong, wrote to the UN secretary-general,
the prime minister of Israel, and the president of the Palestinian
People's Liberation Organization on 10 April. The letter expresses
CCA's grave distress at the horrifying escalation of violence in
the Occupied Territories, and further urges that the United Nations
immediately implement the UN Security Council Resolutions 1397 and
1402 (2002) in order to effect an immediate cease-fire, withdrawal
of occupation troops from Palestinian cities, and resumption of
the peace process.
h) The Middle East region of the
World
Student Christian Federation, called for acts of solidarity
with "a population subjected to the violence of occupation,
humiliation and denial of human rights" and for all parties
to fulfill their obligations. "The building of cooperative
and integrative relationships between the countries of the Middle
East is not possible so long as Arabs are denied the fullness of
their rights."
i) The international secretary of
Pax Christi
International, Etienne De Jonghe, wrote to the UN secretary-general
and to the president of the European Council on 29 March to deplore
the ongoing violence and the countless violations of human rights
and of international humanitarian law taking place in connection
to the conflict. The letter affirms the need for an international
peacekeeping mission, structured and composed to meet the circumstances
of the region. The letter to the European Union calls on the EU
member states to make possible the deployment of UN monitors or
peacekeepers in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
j) The International
Fellowship of Reconciliation, Pax Christi International, and
the network of peace churches "Church and Peace" organized
an ecumenical delegation of peace pilgrims from five European countries
to visit Israeli and Palestinian peace organizations in the Holy
Land from 8-13 April. The delegation met with many church and peace
organizations in the region, and affirmed that the only foundation
for any future peace for either side lies in a two-state solution
with secure boundaries, and with Jerusalem being the capital city
of both the State of Israel and the new State of Palestine.
k) On 5 April, a statement was issued
by Patriarch
Alexy II of Moscow and all Russia and the Holy Synod of the Russian
Orthodox Church on the situation in the Middle East. The statement
says that "today the Holy Land has been blasphemously defiled
with enmity and stained with blood… we are shocked by the abuse
of shrines, the use of buildings and territories which belong to
religious organizations for violent struggle". The statement
asks the leadership of the Russian Federation, the United States,
the United Nations and the European Union to exert every effort
to establish peace in the conflict region. The statement warns that
any further escalation of the bloodshed will not only involve destabilization
of the situation throughout the Middle East, but also create a real
threat of a clash between civilizations in other regions."
l) The Russian
Orthodox Church reported that the House for Pilgrims of the
Russian Orthodox Church in Bethlehem was occupied by Israeli servicemen
on 2 April. Requests by the church for them to leave have been ignored,
and there is concern about the wellbeing of four persons who remain
in the building. "All this imperils the life and safety of
the civilians and jeopardises the church property, which is there
to serve the believers who come to the city of the Nativity of Christ
as pilgrims." See http://www.russian-orthodox-church.org.ru/ne204033.htm.
Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia sent letters to president
Moshe Katsav and prime minister Ariel Sharon of Israel demanding
an immediate withdrawal of the troops from the territory, which
it owns. His Holiness the Patriarch also sent letters to Russian
president V. Putin, US president G. Bush and the UN secretary-general,
asking them to promote a solution to this problem.
m) Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew met with Christian, Islamic and Islamic
leaders in mid-April and signed a joint appeal that stated that
encouragement of military operations and terrorism "will transform
today's world into a hell and sow the seeds of hatred in future
generations". His All Holiness has directly appealed to world
leaders "to exhaust all possible means" to bring an immediate
end to the unrest and to bring back peace to the region and its
peoples.
n) In his Easter message on 31 March,
Aram
I, Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Cilicia) welcomed
the resolution of the Arab League during its last meeting. "Through
this resolution, the Arab world extended the hand of peace to Israel.
Israel should withdraw from the occupied Arab lands and recognize
the Palestinian state; in other words, they should act with justice.
Only then will the road to permanent and lasting peace open. We
hope that all the states in the region will act responsibly, avoid
terrorism and lead the region to peace through negotiations. The
major world powers should help to begin a peace process that will
establish total security in the region and mutual trust and cooperation
among all of its peoples".
o) The Middle
East Council of Churches Youth expressed their solidarity with
the Palestinian People on April 25. "We all want peace,"
They stated. "We all want the violence to end and for all fighters
to go home. But what if there is no home as a result of the demolitions,
no family because of the killings, and nothing to return to except
despair, to a fear that the future only holds more bloodshed, tears,
expulsions and inhumanity? Let us together advocate for peace with
a kind of redemptive justice that reinstates Palestinian humanity."
The statement includes recommendations for world youth communities.
p) The Greek
Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch has organized a Christian march
in solidarity with Palestine. HB Patriarch Ignatius IV of Antioch
acknowledged the growing sensitivity and respect of the world for
the pain of the Middle East. He asked the participants, "When
will it be time to see peace and justice prevailing in the land
of peace and justice? When will there be dignity for every house,
farm, family, parent, student... for all of those who don't yet
see any future other than giving their lives for the sake of the
truth?" Metropolitan George Khodr also contributed an article
to Raiati (the Mount Lebanon Bishopric weekly) on Palestine.
q) The General Lay Council of the
Coptic
Orthodox Church convened an extraordinary session presided by
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III to follow the deteriorating situation
arising in the Holy Land. The council "calls upon the churches
of the world to make any contacts with their powers to awaken the
international conscience for the protection of the unarmed oppressed
ones, retrieval of peace to the area and lifting the continuing
sieges to put an end to violence."
s) Churches
Together in Britain and Ireland's Middle East Forum have written
to the British prime minister and to the Israeli ambassador in London.
In the letter to the Israeli ambassador, the letter suggests that
"the answer is deceptively simple - withdraw. By that course,
Israel will put itself into a position to begin to win back relationships
which its current policies are so seriously jeopardizing."
The letter to the British prime minister expresses the hope that
the British government "is open to bringing more than verbal
pressure to bear on the Israeli government to change its current,
ultimately self-destructive policy and adhere to international law..."
t) The Archbishop
of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, said in a statement on 3 April,
"It is the ordinary citizens of both communities who are paying
the price of political failure." "We are witnessing an
increasingly polarized situation, in which dangerously simplistic
diagnoses provoke equally dangerous would-be remedies." He
called for an immediate cease-fire and redoubled efforts on the
part of the international community to find a lasting peace.
u) The Primates
of the Anglican Communion, meeting in Canterbury on April 14,
issued a statement denouncing "the shelling, suicide bomb attacks,
and military incursions as both evil and futile." In urging
leaders on both sides to break the spiral of retaliation, the statement
urges the Israeli government in particular to "cease activities
in the occupied territories that threaten the lives of so many innocent
civilians and put the human rights of so many communities at risk".
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ens/2002-093.html
The Anglican Archbishops' Council affirmed the primates' statement,
emphasized the humanitarian needs, and called for a "clear
condemnation of suicide bombing, as morally unacceptable, from leaders
of all faiths in the Middle East".
v) The Catholic Bishops' Conference
of England and Wales issued a "statement on the desperate situation
in the Holy Land on 11 April. "While public authorities have
the right and duty to defend their people... nevertheless, the invasions
of the Israeli forces into the Palestinian towns go far beyond the
limits of self-defence." The statement calls for implementation
of two recent resolutions of the UN Security Council, and commends
the courageous witness of the international peace observers. A report
of the statement can be found at http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/CN/02/020412.htm
w) The Church
of Scotland Overseas Board & Committee on Church and Nation
expressed outrage at the events in Israel and Palestine and called
for an immediate cessation of all hostilities in a statement on
3 April. The statement "condemns all violence and calls for
an immediate cessation of all hostilities and an early end to the
illegal occupation of Palestine… The terrible tragedy of violence
must cease. To be silent is to be complicit with the violence."
x) Aprodev,
the Association of World Council of Churches-related Development
Organizations in Europe, and CIDSE, Coopération Internationale
pour le Développement et la Solidarité, wrote to European
Union officials on 12 April. The letter notes that "as European
citizens, we are deeply aware of Europe's responsibility in the
present crisis", and urges the EU to use all lawful and peaceful
means at their disposal to promote peace. The letter further calls
for the immediate suspension of the "European Community-Israel
Association Agreement" in line with the European Parliament
Resolution on the Middle East adopted on 10 April 2002.
y) Christian
organizations in France called for international intervention
in the Middle East in a statement issued on 5 April. "We cannot
be quiet, given the state of war in the Middle East, and we unite
our voices for a return to negotiations in the framework of a just
and durable peace," they said. The statement calls on the international
community to intervene with Israeli leadership for the withdrawal
of the army from all Palestinian territories, to lift the blockade
on these territories, to ensure access by humanitarian personnel,
and to commit themselves to bring an end to the occupation and colonization
of the Palestinian territories in accord with UN resolutions. Organizations
signing the statement included Justice et Paix, CIMADE, Commissaire
de Terre Sainte, Acat France, Comité catholique contre la
faim et pour le développement, Pax Christi France, Secours
Catholique/Caritas France.
z) Archbishop
Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece has written to the ambassador
of Israel beseeching his government "to act with restraint
in order to conserve the moral capital that has accrued as a result
of the suffering of your people in the recent past". The letter
says that the church is particularly troubled by reports that Israeli
forces are threatening to violate the sacred space of the Church
of the Nativity.
aa) The Regional Coordination Office
of Southern
African Churches in Ministry with Uprooted People wrote to the
general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches in April,
supporting the statement issued by the patriarchs and heads of churches
and Christian communities in Jerusalem. The letter further asks
AACC to express its solidarity with churches in the Middle East,
to organize throughout Africa a day of prayer for Middle East peace
and reconciliation, to appeal to Israel to comply fully with the
demands of the UN Security Council, and to accompany American churches
as they seek to hold their government accountable and lobby for
genuine peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.
bb) The National
Christian Council in Japan wrote to the Israeli Embassy in Japan
on 29 March, expressing their sadness at the casualties of both
Israelis and Palestinians as a result of the continuous violent
conflicts between Palestine and Israel in the past two years. The
letter says that "We deeply regret that 'Christian nations'
have persecuted Jewish people for many years. We especially repent
that many Christians were merely onlookers during the cruel atrocities
committed under the Nazi regime. However, it will lead to a similar
Nazi genocide policy if the Israeli government continues to invade
the Palestinian ruled territory and take the land and water away,
destroy homes and build settlements which threaten Palestinian livelihood,
and kill Palestinians." The NCCJ also organized a rally to
"Stop Killing, End the Occupation" in support of Palestine
and peace/social justice from 20-21 April.
cc) The Anglican
Cathedral and Christian World Service of Aoteoroa/New Zealand
organized an all-day prayer vigil for Palestine-Israel on 19April
in Christchurch. Participants in the vigil signed a petition, "A
Call for Peace" which was handed to the Member of Parliament
for Christchurch.
dd) The Servicio
para la paz y justicia of Latin America issued a statement condemning
the massacre of Palestinians, and called for an Active Movement
of Non-Violence to be initiated to work toward an authentic peace
in the Middle East, respecting the resolutions of the UN, the withdrawal
of the Israeli Army from Palestinian territory, the withdrawal of
the Israelis from the settlements, and respect and freedom of movement
for Palestinian Authorities.
ee) On 16 April, the General Assembly
of the National
Council of Catholic Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) adopted a statement
"In favour of peace in the Middle East". The statement
says that the construction of peace can be a slow and costly process,
but constitutes the only way to follow... A people without a country
cannot live in peace, for which reason it is imperative to recognize
the right of the Palestinian people to their own territory."
The statement goes on to call on leaders world-wide and on the United
Nations to take the necessary steps to bring about a just and lasting
peace in the region.
ff) The primate of the Anglican
Church of Canada, the Most Rev. Michael Peers, on 8 April issued
a message on Israel and Palestine to Canadian Anglicans, inviting
members to take seriously the biblical call to peace with justice.
He provides a brief background to the conflict and the advocacy
efforts of the Anglican Church of Canada on this issue; those efforts
have the recurring theme of a call to prayer and "a renewed
sense of partnership with those who are put at risk by the violence
or oppression of others". He recounts that, in a letter to
a national paper, he wrote, "The current violence in Palestine
has deep roots, but Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory
in defiance of United Nations resolutions is at its heart…
Our church and our tradition abhor violence. But peace without justice
is as much a tragic illusion now as it was in the time of the prophet
Jeremiah: 'They have treated the wound of my people carelessly,
saying Peace, Peace, when there is no peace.'"
gg) The National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA sent a delegation
of 14 US church leaders to the Holy Land from 16-27 April to offer
pastoral support for Christians in the region and to support efforts
for a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The delegation, composed of Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican church
leaders, visited Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel/Palestine,
and was hosted by the Middle East Council of Churches and Jerusalem
church leaders. The delegation's statement, issued on April 30,
notes the findings of the delegation and the critical components
of a just resolution of the conflict, including: an end to the cycle
of violence; affirmation by all of the right of the State of Israel
to exist within secure borders; the establishment of an international
peacekeeping force; end of Israel's occupation of the West Bank
and Gaza; cessation of the building of new Israeli settlements and
of the expansion of existing settlements; addressing the disposition
of settlements that negate the geographic integrity of a viable
Palestinian state; the sharing of Jerusalem by the two peoples and
three faiths; the commitment by Israel to address the issue of the
right of return for Palestinian refugees.
hh) The Fellowship
of Reconciliation (FOR), an interfaith pacifist organization
in the United States, organized an Interfaith Peace-Builders Delegation
to Palestine and Israel April 12-26. The 16-member delegation travelled
to the region for the purpose of analysing US foreign policy in
the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, expressing solidarity with organizations
on both sides working for a non-violent end to the Israeli occupation,
and upon return, educating the US public and influencing US foreign
policy. The programme is co-sponsored by the Muslim Peace Fellowship
and the Jewish Peace Fellowship. A similar delegation is being planned
for June 28 to July 12, 2002.
ii) The World
Association for Christian Communication and the National Council
of the Churches of Christ in the USA organised a conference
on "Megaphones and Muffled Voices: What Constitutes Full and
Fair Media Coverage of Israeli-Palestinian Issues?" in New
York from 17-18 April. The conference included panels on topics
such as voices from the scene, developing a code of fair practices,
analysis of media coverage, and towards fair coverage.
jj) The faculty of the Holy
Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (Massachusetts, USA)
issued a statement on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on 16 April.
The statement notes that "History has shown that, left mostly
to themselves, the people of this war-torn and suffering land have
been unable to stem the waves of hatred and vengeance that engulf
periodic hopes of peace. Therefore, we earnestly call upon the international
community, as well as upon all countries in the region, to act immediately
to end the chaos of violence and then to address with unflinching
determination the core issues of grievances and conflict."
kk) The Wisconsin
Council of Churches (USA) adopted a statement on non-violence
which was sent to President Bush. The letter urged him to do all
in his power to end violence on all sides of the Israeli-Palestine
conflict, and states that the deployment of an international peacekeeping
team under the auspices of the United Nations is an important and
necessary first step in ending the violence and moving toward a
just peace.
ll) A group of non-governmental
organizations and churches (including inter alia the Quaker
UN Office, Mennonite Central Committee, United Methodist Office
for the United Nations, Church World Service, Presbyterian Church
SA, Loretto Community, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Anglican Consultative
Committee, Mercy International Association/Sisters of Mercy, and
United Church of Christ) wrote to the president of the UN Security
Council noting that for almost 35 years the Security Council has
been unable to take forceful and effective action to end Israeli
occupation and to end the illegal building of settlements. The letter
welcomes efforts by the secretary general to promote a ceasefire
and to explore immediate steps towards a resolution. The letter
concludes by saying: "But time is short! The Council knows
how to act forcefully and effectively and to make its will felt
in other circumstances. When will the Council act - in the interest
of Israelis, Palestinians, and the whole international community
- to enforce an end to the occupation, as its own resolutions require?"
mm) The Churches
for Middle East Peace, a Washington-based coalition of 16 Protestant
denominations, Catholics and ecumenical organizations, wrote to
members of the US congress on 18 April, asking them to "cease
any legislative initiatives designed to punish the Palestinian people
or limit their representatives to conduct much-needed diplomatic
efforts and negotiations toward implementing a cease-fire and negotiating
a peaceful solution." This was in response to introduced legislation
that would require the US president to impose sanctions against
the PLO and the Palestinian Authority. CMEP is also collecting signatures
for "A Christian Call for Peace".
nn) On 1 April, the presiding bishop
of the Episcopal
Church USA, Frank T. Griswold, issued an urgent plea for peace
in the Middle East. "Clearly the two parties in this tragic
conflict no longer have the means or the will to control events,"
he said. "I implore the United Nations, supported fully by
the United States, to send a peacekeeping force into occupied Palestinian
areas for the purpose of ensuring an immediate cease-fire."
oo) The United
Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ),
sent a joint letter to US President Bush on 1 April which calls
for the "intervention of the community of nations to help arrive
at a long-term resolution that is fair and just. An essential component
of a just solution is the end of the occupation, rightly affirmed
in the recent UN Security Council resolutions. The United States
is in a unique position to play the central role to this end, and
we believe that it must do so, and must not wait."
pp) A joint pastoral letter from
the Boards of Directors of the Covenanted Ministries of the United
Church of Christ to members and congregations to consider the
"way of peace" in responding to a number of global conflict
areas: the response to September 11, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Holy
Land. The letter addresses the right of Israel to secure borders
and the rights of the Palestinian people to sovereignty and self-determination.
The statement also cautions that "criticism of the policies
of the government of Israel should not give excuse for the latent
- and sometimes overt - anti-Semitism that has been such a scourge
in the past."
qq) The presiding bishop of the
Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, Rev. Mark S. Hanson, wrote to US
President Bush on 2 April, urging the US to "do everything
within its power to bring about a cease-fire in the Middle East
between Israelis and Palestinians and then work for sustained peace
with justice there." He also forwarded the appeal from all
eleven patriarchs and heads of the Christian churches in Jerusalem,
urging the US to help stop the violence.
rr) The president of the US
Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement on the Middle
East on 4 April which calls for an immediate cease-fire and return
to the "arduous task of negotiating a just peace, without delay
or pre-conditions. Only negotiation can lead to an end to violence
and occupation, a secure state for Israel and a viable state for
Palestinians." The statement also calls on the "US government
to use every means to persuade leaders on both sides to turn away
from actions which permit, incite or employ violence and to return
to the search for peace based on mutual respect and equal justice
for Palestinians and Israelis."
ss) The stated clerk of the General
Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church USA Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, issued a statement on the
crisis in the Middle East on 5 April. "Since 1967, our church
has called for the recognition of Israel's right to exist as a sovereign
state within secure borders, the right of the Palestinian people
to self determination, including the creation of a sovereign Palestinian
state, and the right of both peoples to live in peace as neighbours."
The statement goes on to "urge the United States, which is
recognized as a potentially key partner, to exert its positive influence
to end the occupation."
tt) The General Board of Church
and Society of the United
Methodist Church, issued a statement on 18 March, noting that
the church has "called for the implementation of United Nations
Security Council Resolutions #242, #338, #194, #267, #465 and #681
as first steps in settling the issues of borders and security, Jerusalem,
refugees' right of return and compensation, Israeli settlements,
water resources, and release of political prisoners and detainees."
The statement also calls for the creation of an independent Palestinian
state as soon as possible, calls on the United Nations to send an
international peacekeeping force and calls upon all entities that
serve as mediators in this conflict to seek the recognition and
implementation of international human rights and humanitarian laws.
uu) American
Friends Service Committee expressed its grave concern at the
deepening crisis in the Middle East on 4 April and called for a)
Israel to fully withdraw; b) Israelis and Palestinians to stop all
killings, c) the US government to support an end to occupation and
the placement of a UN international peacekeeping force and d) a
framework to monitor negotiations based on all relevant UN resolutions,
human rights principles, and international law.
5. Inter-religious
statements and responses from other faith communities
a) The International
Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ),
an umbrella of 36 organizations world-wide engaged in dialogue between
Christians and Jews and increasingly with Muslims, issued a statement
on April 25 renewing its appeal to political and religious leadership
in the region and elsewhere to bring an end to the violence in the
Middle East and "find a just solution to restore civil life
to the people in Israel and Palestine". Included in the appeal,
the ICCJ called upon:
- the government
of Israel to end all military activity in the occupied territories
- the Palestinian
leadership and all responsible people among the Palestinians to
combat and end terrorism and its infrastructure
- both sides to
cooperate with a UN Jenin commission
- all people of
good will to counteract the growing re-emergence of anti-semitism
- all Jewish, Christian
and Muslim communities to support increasingly necessary efforts
for encounters and mutual understanding among the three religions.
The statement calls
for an end to "the damaging abuse of religion to legitimise
hatred and violence" and calls upon religions to "lead
the way towards peace and justice".
b) The Interreligious
Coordinating Council in Israel
made an Emergency Appeal to Religious and Political Leaders on April
4 to end the violence on both sides and return to the path of peace
through dialogue and negotiations, ending mutual blame and abide
by agreements already reached.
c) Support is growing
among US religious leaders for a declaration signed in January by
leaders of the three Abrahamic faiths that calls for a "religiously
sanctioned cease-fire" in Jerusalem and the Holy Land. The
First
Alexandria Declaration of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land
was originally issued in Alexandria, Egypt, on January 21. In addition
to a cease-fire "respected and observed on all sides",
it also calls for "the implementation of the Mitchell and Tenet
recommendations, including the lifting of restrictions and return
to negotiations" on the part of Israelis and Palestinians.
Signers of the Alexandria Declaration include the Sephardi chief
rabbi in Israel, a representative of Israel's Chief Rabbinical Council,
the deputy foreign minister of Israel, the sheik who heads the Palestine
Authority's religious courts, the sheik who leads the world's supreme
Sunni Muslim institution, the Orthodox, Armenian, and Latin (Roman
Catholic) patriarchs, and the Anglican bishop in Jerusalem. http://www.episcopalchurch.org/ens/2002-078.html
d) Rabbi Michael
Lerner has proposed to the Tikkun
Community
a Strategy for Ending the Occupation: Spring 2002. The central goals
in the strategy include:
1. ending the oppression of the Palestinian people
2. providing greater security and less likelihood of terror for
Israel
3. re-crediting Judaism and the Jewish tradition in the eyes of
Jews who wrongly identify Israel's policies with Judaism
4. protecting the Jewish people from the growing global anger and
anti-Semitism that are being fanned by Israel's treatment of Palestinians
5. re-crediting the global hopes for a world of peace and justice
which are undermined by views that see this particular struggle
as an example of the intractable nature of antagonisms and thus
the futility in trying to heal or change the world.
Tikkun (a Hebrew word which means "to transform, heal and repair")
is a community for affiliated and non-affiliated Jews and others
who share the community's core vision of how "to create a world
based not only on economic justice, peace and human rights, but
also on love, caring, ecological sensitivity and an ability to respond
to the world with awe and wonder".
e) An inter-religious
call for US actions
to help make peace in the Middle East has been drafted in close
consultation among several Jewish and Christian leaders and is being
sent out with their endorsement to others in their communities.
"In the Name of God, Seek Peace and Pursue It" calls for
the creation of an international force to protect both sides from
violence, and for a regional peace conference to take up the Saudi
proposals for regional peace. It states that the US should "secure
an agreement on the emergence of a viable Palestine and a secure
Israel". Organizers of the statement wish to publish it in
a leading American newspaper.
f) The Shalom
Center,
a network of American Jews who draw on Jewish tradition and spirituality
to seek peace, pursue justice, heal the earth, and build community,
have published five articles on Judaism and non-violence, including
essays by Buber, Heshel, and Rabbi Samuel Aaaron Tamaret.
g) Christian,
Muslim, and Jewish Australians,
including the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the Australian
Federation of Islamic Councils and the National Council of Churches
in Australia, issued a joint call for "A Time for Peace"
on 11 April to reaffirm their shared commitment to peace and respect
for human dignity, and condemning any form of violence arising in
Australia on account of the conflict in the Middle East, including
expressions of racism, and acts of vandalism on places of worship.
6. Summaries of
inter-governmental response
a) United Nations: The UN Security
Council passed three resolutions on the conflict over the last month,
namely SCR 1402 (30/3), 1403 (4/4) and 1405 (19/4). The most substantive
is SCR 1402 which calls on both parties to move immediately to a
cease-fire and for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Palestinian
cities. Resolutions 1403 and 1405 welcome, in addition, the mission
to the region by the US secretary of state and the UN general secretary's
initiative to establish a fact-finding mission on the Jenin refugee
camp. SCR 1405 also calls for immediate access to be given to humanitarian
and medical organizations to reach the Palestinian civilian population.
The fact-finding mission on Jenin,
headed by the former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, had been
scheduled to visit the region at the end of the month. However,
Israeli reservations on its composition and mandate, and a decision
by the Israeli cabinet of non-cooperation have meant that it has
been put on hold. In addition to initiating the Jenin mission, the
UN secretary general has further elaborated on the idea of establishing
a multinational force for the Middle East for consideration by the
Security Council.
Middle
East updates on the work of the Security Council and the Secretary
General
United Nations Security Council
resolutions:
1397
of 12 March
1402
of 30 March
1402
of 4 April
United
Nations General Assembly resolution 181 of 1947
b) In Geneva the 58th
Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has
passed four resolutions relating to Israel/Palestine, namely on
the right for a sovereign and independent Palestinian state, on
Israeli settlements in the occupied territories and on grave human
rights violations by Israel. The Commission also took a decision
to send high commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson to the
region with the purpose of reporting back to the session on the
human rights situation. However, due to Israeli objections on grounds
of safety and timing, the mission never materialized.
World
Council of Churches at the 58th Session:
Text
of intervention
c) European Union: On April 10 the
European Union (together with the UN, US and Russia) issued a statement
calling for an immediate halt to Israeli operations and a withdrawal
from the Palestinian territories. It also called on President Arafat
to make the maximum possible effort to stop terror attacks against
Israelis. On April 15, the EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxemburg
supported the US peace mission, but did not back the earlier call
by the European Parliament for suspending the EU-Israeli Association
agreement. At the EuroMediterranean meeting in Valencia on April
23, the EU expressed support for the continuity of PNA as a 'germ'
of a Palestinian state, reiterated Israel's obligation to comply
with international law, and emphasized that any dialogue between
the two sides is now very important. In addition the EU high representative
for foreign affairs travelled to the region and held talks with
President Arafat and Israeli officials on April 24.
April
12 letter from WCC general secretary
Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser to the European Union
Spanish
presidency - till June
2002
EU
high representative for foreign affairs
Joint statement by the EU, the USA,
Russia and the UN on the Middle East (10 April 2002) :
http://ue.eu.int/pressdata/EN/declarations/70137.pdf
EU statement to the current session
of the UN Commission on Human Rights:
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/NewsRoom?OpenFrameSet
European Parliament resolution on
10 April: http://www.europarl.eu.int/home/default_en.htm
d) Arab League: In a unanimous declaration
at its Beirut Summit, the Arab League stated on 28 March that peace
must be just and comprehensive and based on the 'land for peace'
principle. Based on the proposal by the Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah,
they propose the withdrawal of Israel to the June 1967 borders,
a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem and the establishment
of a Palestinian state on the territory occupied since 1967 with
East Jerusalem as its capital, in return for considering the conflict
over, signing peace agreements with Israel and normalising relations.
7. Humanitarian
Relief and related issues: Summaries and Links
The ongoing violence in Israel,
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is causing widespread suffering
and is disrupting life in many communities. Aid agencies are responding
to this situation and try to deliver relief goods to the affected
people. The summaries and links below highlight the humanitarian
situation and the humanitarian needs in the conflict area.
a) The United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP) reports that it has airlifted nearly 40 tons of
high-energy biscuits for displaced Palestinians caught up in the
fighting in the West Bank. The planeload of biscuits arrived in
Tel-Aviv from Italy. The biscuits will be distributed immediately
to displaced people as well as to institutions that have been completely
cut off and are without cooking facilities.
"The situation is particularly
worrying for those Palestinians who have escaped from the fighting.
They have had to leave their destroyed homes to take refuge in churches,
mosques and other public buildings where they cannot cook. As a
temporary measure, we will distribute high-energy biscuits until
the situation improves and they can get a hot meal," said Khaled
Adly, director of WFP's Cairo regional bureau.
For more on the story, click on
http://www.wfp.org/index.asp?section=2.
This link takes you to the UN's World Food Programme Newsroom webpage.
Click on the link for Latest Press Releases.
b) As humanitarian needs grow in
the Middle East, humanitarian convoys are gaining access to the
beleaguered occupied areas of Palestine with difficulty. Read the
full
story on Disaster News Network (DNN) - a web news service that
tells the story of disaster response and suggests appropriate ways
the public can help survivors. It also facilitates information-sharing
among disaster responders. The not-for-profit organization was founded
in early 1996 to create content for social justice-related websites.
c) Action
by Churches Together (ACT) International has for many years
been involved in humanitarian assistance in the Palestinian Territories.
In August 2001, the general secretary of World Council of Churches
(WCC), Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, said that ACT should remain the focal
point for humanitarian assistance in this region. For more, click
on http://act-intl.org/news/dt_nr_2001/nrpt0101.html
In the last month, ACT members have
been actively involved in providing such humanitarian relief. On
several occasions, the world-wide alliance of churches and related
agencies has been part of humanitarian relief convoys to the West
Bank. The executive secretary of International Christian Community
(ICC), Ramzi Zananiri, writes that for him, the result of the shelling
of the buildings in the West Bank town of Ramallah was not the only
sign of destruction. Another sign was the expression on the face
of a young girl hiding behind a pole, as the convoy drove past.
"It felt terrible to see so lively a city now totally empty
- turned into a war zone. It has become a ghost town," he writes.
For more on this story, go to: http://act-intl.org/news/dt_nr_2002/upm_e0202.html
Earlier in April, ACT members met
in Beirut, Lebanon, to discuss the crisis in the Middle East. For
more on the meeting and the despair people feel at having been forced
to live as refugees for more than half-a-century, click on http://act-intl.org/news/dt_nr_2002/dtpt0202.html
or http://act-intl.org/news/dt_nr_2002/dtpt0102.html
d) Dominic Nutt, a Christian
Aid emergencies journalist, gives a first-person account of
working in Bethlehem. He writes: "We walked into Bethlehem
wide-eyed and anxious, like new-born deer making our first steps
away from our mothers. I was accompanied by a gaggle of Danish journalists
and an American human rights worker called Eve. With us was a Palestinian
guide, Michele, a calm 32-year-old woman fluent in English, French
and Hebrew.
It was 10.30am and the streets were
deserted and quiet, apart from the occasional rattle of gunfire
and a few distant explosions coming from the town centre. The curfew
was due to be lifted for a few hours in half an hour, something
that happens every three days under Israeli control…"
For more on this story, click on
Christian Aid, an agency of the
churches in the UK and Ireland that works wherever the need is greatest,
irrespective of religion, regularly updates its work in the Palestinian
Territories at: http://www.christian-aid.org/middle_east/index.htm.
The agency has also issued a statement - a call for action on the
Occupied Palestinian Territories - for the immediate suspension
of EU Association Agreement with Israel unless basic human rights
are restored in Palestinian territories.
e) For an overview of Lutheran World
Relief's response to the crisis in the Middle East, click on http://www.lwr.org/emergencies/02/mideast.html
f) ReliefWeb,
a project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA), offers an overview of all humanitarian agencies'
work in the Palestinian Territories.
g) Alertnet provides global news,
communications and logistics services to the international disaster
relief community and the public. Reuters 150 years' experience reporting
from disaster zones around the world allows AlertNet to give disaster
relief organizations reliable information, fast. Anyone can access
the public pages, which carry a live newsfeed from Reuters, together
with articles describing how relief agencies are responding to the
latest humanitarian crises. For more on the humanitarian crisis
in the Middle East and emergencies elsewhere, click on: http://www.alertnet.org/
h) For more on the conflict in the
Middle East and issues of human rights from the perspective of Human
Rights Watch, click on: http://www.hrw.org/mideast/is-ot-pa.php
i) The United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) provides
education, health, and relief and social services to 3.9 million
registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, the Syrian Arab
Republic, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. UNRWA continued its
emergency operations despite closures, obstacles to movement and
a rapidly deteriorating security situation. For more information
on theirr activities, visit the UNRWA
website for the overview. In the news section is an overview
of the latest UNRWA operations concerning the humanitarian situation
in the Palestinian Territories, for example, news about an UN convoy
with humanitarian aid that was prevented by the Israeli military
authorities from leaving Nablus: http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/index.html#latest
j) On 17 April, the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) asked the Israeli authorities
to grant foreign rescue teams immediate access to the Jenin refugee
camp so that they could help clear the rubble there. ICRC and Palestine
Red Crescent Society (PRCS) staff have been working in the camp
since 15 April, after being kept on standby for six days in the
town of Jenin. Part of the camp looks as if it has been struck by
an earthquake.
k) Lutheran World Federation (LWF),
member of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, presents
documentation
on the Israel-Palestine Situation on its website. LWF also runs
the Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem, which provides much-needed
medical assistance to Palestinians.
8. Resources and
links for information and action
a) The history of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict is long and complex. The telling of history is also very
politically charged, and even the most seemingly objective source
has its own perspective. Those wishing to learn more of the background
to the conflict need to look at a variety of sources. The following
provides a start:
BBC
News
The United
Nations web page on the question of Palestine
The Middle
East Research and Information Center provides a primer on Palestine,
Israel and the Arab-Israeli Conflict in pdf format.
b) For news on daily developments,
we need to move beyond national or regional news networks for a
wider perspective, looking particularly at local sources. Such sources
include:
Alternative
Information Center:
The AIC is a Palestinian-Israeli organization which disseminates
information, research and political analysis on Palestinian and
Israeli society, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while
promoting cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis, based on
the values of social justice, solidarity and community involvement.
The Palestine
Monitor was set up by the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO)
to be an information clearinghouse.
Ha'aretz
Daily Newspaper is based in Tel Aviv
Israel-Palestine
Center for Research and Information,
founded in Jerusalem in 1988, is the only joint Palestinian-Israeli
public policy think-tank in the world. It is devoted to developing
practical solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
c) For background information, facts,
maps and research documentation on the Occupied Palestinian Territories,
see the following sites:
PASSIA:
Palestinian Academic Society for Study of International Affairs
The Applied
Research Institute of Jerusalem
Al-Awda,
The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
Al-Awda Christian Outreach is an
activist list to reach the Christian Community in support of Palestinian
human rights, especially the rights of refugees. To join, individuals
can send a blank message to Al-Awda-Christian-Outreach-subscribe@yahoogrous.com
e) The Christian
Peacemaker Teams, a project of the Mennonite
Church USA, Mennonite
Church Canada, Church of
the Brethren, Friends
United Meeting and other Christians, have had a presence in
Hebron since 1995, and continue to issue daily journals of eyewitness
reports, interpretive articles, prayer and worship resources, and
photos.
CPT also organizes the "Campaign
for Secure Dwellings" - an effort to link churches and
congregations with the realities of specific neighbourhoods or villages
in the Occupied Palestinian territories that face home demolition,
land confiscation or other threats to the security of families.
f) United Civilians for Peace
reports from the second delegation of Dutch monitors in the Occupied
Territories can be found at http://www.unitedcivilians.com/
and in English at http://www.unitedcivilians.com/Reports%20in%20English.htm
g) Since the beginning of March,
Christian accompaniers seconded by DanchurchAid and Icelandic Church
Aid have been in Israel-Palestine under the Danish/Icelandic Christian
Accompaniment Programme. The programme is a pilot project for the
Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).
The eight accompaniers have been regularly writing reports on what
they experience and observe in the Occupied Territories, particularly
the recent Israeli military incursions and human rights violations.
They have also been escorting LWF Augusta Victoria ambulances and
health workers through checkpoints, as well as humanitarian convoys
to the occupied territories, most recently the Joint Humanitarian
Relief of the Christian Organizations convoy to Jenin on April 25.
Contact email: rudolf_h@netvision.net.il
h) The Palestinian
Centre for Rapprochement between People - Beit Sahour is
part of the International Solidarity Movement and organizes non-violent
actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
i) Wi'am
- Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center based in Bethlehem
has worked on traditional conflict resolution practices to resolve
community differences.
j) The
Other Israel is a bimonthly publication that aims to provide
extensive coverage of the diverse struggles waged by the Israeli
peace movement at large. It also contains commentaries on events
in Israel and the Middle East from a perspective in which the interests
of Israelis and Palestinians are ultimately reconcilable.
k) A number of US churches and church-connected
organizations have formed the Church World Service and Witness Middle
East Forum which provides a weekly e-mail newsletter to update on
developments related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the
churches' efforts for peace. The newsletter provides information
about upcoming meetings and events, new resources, the prayer vigil
for peace in the Middle East, the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme
in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), media strategies and advocacy initiatives
of Churches for Middle East Peace. To receive the newsletter, complete
the form at www.loga.org/mideastforum/signup.htm.
l) Network for Alternative Travel
regularly provides a listing of alternative tours, resources, and
action items related to the Holy Land. See www.HolyLandAlternatives.net
or contact BJBailey1@aol.com
m) A Style Sheet on the Palestinian-Israeli
Conflict (an alphabetized listing of terms and their meanings) is
available at www.ameu.org.
Sign on, press "archives" and then "current issue".
n) Human R | 