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The Heads of churches and
church-related organizations in the CMEP coalition wrote the below letter
to President Bush about the situation in Gaza. They appeal to the
President for the “urgent protection of Gaza’s civilians” and for the
sustained intervention of the United States to work for a diplomatic
solution to the crisis.
Another letter, addressing the
Hezbollah-Israel conflict, from the Heads of churches and church-related
organizations is in preparation and is expected to be released tomorrow,
Friday July 21st. That letter, also to President Bush, calls
for an immediate cease-fire and the initiation of intense diplomacy in
concert with the international community. You can expect another email
message later today asking you to contact your members of Congress to
appeal for a ceasefire.
Each letter will be faxed to key
officials at the National Security Council, the State Department, Israeli
embassy and PLO mission in Washington.
CMEP has posted on the website
letters to the President and
statements from some churches that we
have received, as well as statements from
church-related humanitarian and development organizations. If a letter/statement from your church
or church-related organization is available, CMEP encourages you to print it and fax it to your
members of Congress with a short cover note asking for their attention.
You can find Congressional fax numbers at:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt?command=congdir.
Church Leaders' Letter on
Gaza Crisis
Letter
in PDF format
July 20, 2006
The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear President Bush,
Mr. President, while attention is rightly focused on the
Hezbollah-Israel conflict, we write with growing concern for the
situation in Gaza and appeal to you to do everything possible to calm the
crisis and restore hope for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. We
condemn the capture by Palestinian militants of Cpl. Gilad Shalit and pray
that he will be released by Hamas without further delay and returned
safely to his family.
The escalating violence and regional dimension of the
conflict is alarming. It is urgent that you call on all the parties to
restrain from using force and, rather, to trust a diplomatic process.
We urge the sustained intervention of the United States at
the highest level with both Israeli and Palestinian officials and with the
cooperation of Egypt and the Quartet. We ask you to work closely with
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz toward a
diplomatic solution which will not further impoverish and burden ordinary
Palestinians. Our churches and institutions in Gaza struggle in despair
to try to meet the needs of the people – both Muslim and Christian. We
endorse the call by the church-related humanitarian and development aid
agencies for the urgent protection of Gaza’s civilians, as specified by
the Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as immediate and unobstructed access
for the delivery of critical humanitarian aid and supplies necessary for
basic human needs.
As religious leaders in the United States, we are deeply
moved by the July 7 statement by the Bishops and Patriarchs of Jerusalem.
They condemn the abduction of the Israeli soldier and the killing of the
young settler by Palestinians, but consider Israel’s response – the
destruction of bridges and a power station, the deprivation and deaths of
civilians and arrests of Palestinian officials – as without proportion.
“Things have gone too far. We call on the International community to
intervene and insist on a diplomatic solution to this conflict. All
Authorities must change course, and with unflinching International
pressure and presence, they have to negotiate in order to reach the just
and definitive peace.”
We share and support your vision of a two-state solution.
If the Hezbollah-Israel crisis, which threatens to expand into a regional
war, continues it could end all hope for a solution that brings peace and
security to Israel and the future state of Palestine and their suffering
peoples.
We hold you in our prayers as you seek a way toward peace
in these challenging times.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robb Davis
Executive Director
Mennonite Central Committee
Marie Dennis
Director
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Rev. Robert Edgar
General Secretary
National Council of Churches USA
Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson
General Secretary
Reformed Church in America
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
Executive
Director
Alliance of
Baptists
Bishop Janice Riggle Huie
President
United Methodist Council of Bishops
Very Rev. Dominic Izzo, OP
President
Roman Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's
Institutes
Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Presbyterian Church, (USA)
Rev. John L. McCullough
Executive Director & CEO
Church World Service
Mary Ellen McNish
General Secretary
American Friends Service Committee
Stanley J. Noffsinger
General Secretary
Church of the Brethren
Bro. Mark Schroeder, OFM
President, Franciscan Friars (OFM)
English Speaking Conference, JPIC Council
Rev. William G. Sinkford
President
Unitarian Universalist Association of
Congregations
Rev. John H. Thomas
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
Joe Volk
Executive Secretary
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Rev. Sharon E. Watkins
General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
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