Church Leaders' Inaugural Letter to President Bush

~January 21, 2005~

Dear Mr. President:

As leaders of Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Churches and Christian organizations with millions of members across the country, we encourage you to lead a political process that will end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As you begin your second term, the vision of a two-state solution is coming back into focus after having faded into obscurity.  Will Palestinians finally be free? Will Israelis be secure at last? As people of faith and hope, we say yes!

This is the time for you and for the 109^th Congress, and for friends of Israel and Palestine, to have the courage to be peacemakers, and to press both Israelis and Palestinians to seize the future; where each recognizes the other's right to exist and is willing to work together for security and economic well-being.

For the sake of our own country as well, Mr. President, we appeal to you. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become a threat to the people of the United States. Every day the conflict continues, hatred of the United States government is fueled. With each news report of Palestinian suffering -- whether the death of an innocent child, the demolition of a family's home, or the confiscation of farmland for the separation barrier -- popular support in Arab and Muslim countries for terrorism grows and the threat of attacks directed at the United States increases. The continuing conflict has also resulted in suffering and loss of life among Israeli citizens. We want Israelis, too, to live without fear or threat in their own country.

A hallmark of your campaign was the commitment to defeat terror and make our country more secure. We believe that the promise of peace in Jerusalem is the best defense against terrorism. We encourage you to maintain the faith, the courage and the resolve to work with other world leaders toward
negotiations that guarantee two viable states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side and sharing Jerusalem as their capital.

Finally, Mr. President, we urge you to follow the examples of the great prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, who declared that God calls all nations and all people to do justice to one another. We join you in praying for peace in the Holy Land and at home.

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Leonard B. Bjorkman Co-Moderator Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Marilyn Borst Director, Global Ministry Peachtree Presbyterian Church, Atlanta   Simone Campbell, SSS National Coordinator NETWORK, A Catholic Social Justice Lobby   Anthony Campolo President, Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education   Br. Kevin Cawley Deputy Province Leader Eastern American Province Christian Brothers   Sister Ardis Cloutier, OSF Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, MN   Marie Dennis Director Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns   Christopher J. Doyle President/CEO American Leprosy Missions Rev. Robert Edgar General Secretary National Council of Churches USA    Beatrice Eichten, OSF Vice President Leadership Conference of Women Religious   Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson General Secretary Reformed Church in America   Anne Griffis Chair, Action/Global Concerns Church Women United   The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold Presiding Bishop The Episcopal Church in America   The Rev. Mark S. Hanson Presiding Bishop Evangelical Lutheran Church in America   The Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey Alliance of Baptists   Rev. Wm. Chris Hobgood General Minister and President Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)   Rev. Kathryn J. Johnson Executive Director Methodist Federation for Social Action   The Rev. Phil Jones Director Brethren Witness/Washington Office   Mor Cyril Aphrem Karim Archbishop Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church   Ted Keating, SM Executive Director Conference of Major Superiors of Men   Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick Stated Clerk Presbyterian Church (USA)   Abbot Jerome Kodell, OSB Subiaco Abbey   Thomas Krosnicki, SVD Provincial Society of the Divine Word (Chicago)   Donald A. Kruse Vice-president, Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF)   Rev. Michael E. Livingston Executive Director International Council of Community Churches   Dr. Ronald J.R. Mathies Executive Director Mennonite Central Committee   Joellen McCarthy, BVM Peggy Nolan, BVM Mary Ann Zollmann, BVM Leadership Team Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Rev. John L. McCullough Executive Director & CEO Church World Service   Mary Ellen McNish General Secretary American Friends Service Committee   A. Roy Medley General Secretary American Baptist Churches, U.S.A.   Joseph Nangle, OFM Franciscan Mission Service   Ron Nikkel President Prison Fellowship International   Rateb Y. Rabie, KHS President, Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF)         Leonard Rodgers President/Founder Venture International   Andrew Ryskamp Executive Director, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee-US   Metropolitan Philip Saliba Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese   Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor Third Street Church of God, Washington, D.C.   Dr. Robert E. Sawyer Moravian Church Southern Province   Amb. Robert A. Seiple Founder/Chair Institute for Global Engagement.   Carole Shinnick, SSND Executive Director Leadership Conference of Women Religious   Ronald J. Sider President Evangelicals for Social Action   Rev. William G. Sinkford President Unitarian Universalist Association    of Congregations   James W. Skillen President Center for Public Justice    Glen Stassen Lewis B. Smedes Professor of Christian Ethics Fuller Theological Seminary   Richard E. Stearns President World Vision   Msgr. Archimandrite Robert L. Stern Secretary General Catholic Near East Welfare Association   Rev. John H. Thomas General Minister and President United Church of Christ   The Rev. Canon Richard Toll Friends of Sabeel—North America   Christine Vladimiroff, OSB President Leadership Conference of Women Religious   Joe Volk Executive Secretary Friends Committee on National Legislation   Rev. Dr. Donald E. Wagner Professor North Park University, Chicago.   Jim Wallis Executive Director Sojourners Corinne Whitlatch Executive Director Churches for Middle East Peace   James Winkler General Secretary General Board of Church & Society United Methodist Church   Bishop Gabino Zavala Bishop President Pax Christi USA