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NCCCUSA Letter to President Abbas and Prime Minister Sharon
~May 24, 2005~
May 24, 2005
President Mahmoud Abbas
Palestinian Authority
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
State of Israel
Dear President Abbas and Prime Minister Sharon:
Greetings in Peace, Salaam, Shalom!
On behalf of the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches USA,
I write to you out of our deep concern for the well being of the people
who live in the Holy Land. Many years of conflict have passed, and yet we
still remain hopeful that peace may one day come to the land where we,
along with the Christian communities in Israel and Palestine, confess God
visited creation in the person of Jesus Christ.
In all these years of conflict, the National Council of Churches USA,
which is composed of 36 churches that collectively represent nearly 50
million Christians, has advocated for a peaceful resolution that includes
the Palestinians' right to their own state, as well as Israel's right to
exist with security. We continue to see a viable two-state solution as
the only equitable resolution to this conflict. And we continue to
condemn any and all violence that prevents the attainment of this goal.
Earlier this year, a National Council of Churches USA delegation of
religious leaders visited Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and other places
in Israel and Palestine. Delegation members agreed with many observers
that, despite the disheartening conditions under which Israelis and
Palestinians now live, there is indeed a glimmer of hope for a peaceful
resolution of the conflict. With this in mind, we support Palestinian
leadership in calling for an end to suicide bombings against Israeli
citizens, and we applaud Israeli disengagement from Gaza, as first steps
toward such a resolution. Indeed, we consider the Israeli occupation of
Palestinian territories since 1967 to be at the heart of this enduring
conflict.
As a result of the visit to Israel and Palestine, the National Council of
Churches USA extended invitations to both of you to meet with U.S.
religious leaders when you visit our country, so that we might better
understand our respective positions. We are pleased to have the
opportunity for Rev. Robert Edgar, General Secretary of the National
Council of Churches USA, and other church leaders to meet with Mr. Abbas
later this week in Washington. We continue to hope for a meeting in the
near future with Mr. Sharon.
Please understand that, as people of faith, we seek peace and justice for
all people in the Middle East. We are cognizant of the difficulties that
stand in the way of peace, but we nonetheless believe in the words of the
Prophets that the pursuit of justice is the duty of all those who call
upon the Lord.
Those with political authority and those in positions of religious
leadership have a special responsibility to work for peace with justice.
May God strengthen us all to live up to this responsibility, for the sake
of all Jews, Christians, Muslims, and people of other faiths who live in
the Holy Land.
Sincerely,
Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr.
NCC President |
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