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Gaza crisis:
responses and Reports
“G8 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,
Сhairman’s statement on the Middle East,”
St. Petersburg, Russia,
June 29, 2006
“We
reiterated our commitment for a negotiated, comprehensive, just and
lasting settlement in the Middle East. The G8 common goal remains
the creation of a viable, democratic and sovereign Israel and
Palestine living in peace and security side-by-side within
internationally recognized borders. Foreign Ministers acknowledge
democratic, fair and free parliamentary elections in the Palestinian
territories in January 2006. We call on the Government of the
Palestinian Authority to commit itself to the principles of
non-violence, recognition of the right of Israel to exist, and
acceptance of the previous Israeli/Palestinian agreements consistent
with the Quartet statements as of January 30, May 9, and June 17
2006. We welcomed Prime Minister Olmert's and President Abbas'
pledge to negotiations and urge both parties to avoid unilateral
measures which prejudice the final status of the Palestinian
territories. We call on the Palestinian government to bring
terrorist violence to an end and to take immediate measures to
liberate the abducted Israeli soldier. We condemn the extremist
groups responsible for these acts and all those who jeopardise the
prospects for peace. We call on Israel to exercise utmost restraint
in the current crisis. The detention of elected members of the
Palestinian government and legislature raises particular concerns.
We call upon all parties to protect all civilians and not to add to
their suffering. We urge them to assume their full responsibility to
restore security, allowing for the resumption of the peace process
and for returning to the Road Map. Concerns were expressed over the
severe humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories. We
reiterated firm commitment to continue providing assistance to the
Palestinian people. Foreign Ministers expressed support for the
temporary international mechanism and in this regard noted the
Quartet Statement of June 17, which endorsed this mechanism, and
encourage other donors, including other countries, to consider early
and substantial contributions…“
http://en.g8russia.ru/news/20060629/1164296.html
“The Gaza
Standoff”,
Bitterlemons.org, Edition 26, July 3, 2006 (Two Israeli and two
Palestinian viewpoints)
Crushing the options for a peaceful
solution,
Ghassan Khatib
Interim lessons of Operation Summer
Rains,
Yossi Alpher
Crushing Hamas,
Mahdi Abdul Hadi
The big question, Eyal
Megged
http://www.bitterlemons.org/previous/bl030706ed26.html
“International
Humanitarian and Development Aid Agencies call for immediate and
unobstructed access to provide for basic human needs”,
July 7, 2006
The undersigned
international non-governmental organizations express their grave
concern about the severe impact of recent actions in Gaza. In
particular, the damage to essential civilian physical infrastructure
has resulted in the complete destruction of Gaza's only electrical
power plant and damage to other basic services, including water
delivery and sewage treatment facilities. Civilians, and in
particular children, are entitled to special protection under
International Humanitarian Law, specifically the Fourth Geneva
Convention. It is not acceptable to target the vital civilian
infrastructure that supports them. The following agencies call for
the urgent protection of civilians in Gaza, as well as immediate and
unobstructed access for the delivery of critical humanitarian aid
and supplies necessary to provide for basic human needs.
Action contra el
Hombre Palestinian Territories
American Friends
Service Committee
Campaign for the
Children of Palestine
CARE International
Catholic Relief
Services
Comitato
Internazionale per lo Sviluppo dei Popoli- C.I.S.P.
GVC (Gruppo
Volontariato Civile - Italia)
Japan International
Volunteer Center (JVC)
Kvinna till Kvinna
Foundation
Medical Aid for
Palestinians – UK
Mercy Corps
Mennonite Central
Committee
Norwegian Church
Aid
Save the Children
Sweden
Save the Children
UK
Swedish Cooperative
Centre
The Lutheran World
Federation
World Vision
International
http://www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/NGOs_on_Gaza_July_2006.pdf
“Statements by
the United Nations Agencies working in the occupied Palestinian
territory”
(UNRWA,
UNICEF, WHO, OCHA, WFP, OHCHR), July 8, 2006
”The United Nations Humanitarian Agencies working in the occupied
Palestinian territory, are alarmed by developments on the ground,
which have seen innocent civilians, including children, killed,
brought increased misery to hundreds of thousands of people and
which will wreak far-reaching harm on Palestinian society. An
already alarming situation in Gaza, with poverty rates at nearly
eighty per cent and unemployment at nearly forty per cent, is likely
to deteriorate rapidly, unless immediate and urgent action is taken.
http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/opt/docs/UN/OCHA/Statement_of_the_Secretary.pdf
“Stop all the
Violence, Pursue a Just Peace”,
Statement by the
13 Patriarchs and Heads of Local Christians Churches in Jerusalem,
July 7, 2006
“…We condemn the
abduction of the Israeli soldier, the killing of the settler youth,
as we condemn the daily abduction and killing of tens of
Palestinians as well as the keeping of thousands of them in prisons.
All human beings, Israelis and Palestinians, have the same dignity
and must be equally treated…It is against law and reason to keep
going in the way of death. The moral imperative is clear. Stop all
the violence. Stop the killing. Protect the life and dignity of the
people. Begin negotiations. Break this murderous chain of violence
in which we are ensnared. And listen to God's call : ‘Depart from
evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it’ (Psalm 33:15). 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. ‘ What does the Lord require
of you...To do Justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God’
(Micah 6:8).”
http://www.cmep.org/Statements/Jerusalem_Churches_Gaza_Statement.pdf
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update on holy land christians
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Palestinian
Christians Receive Attention at House Hearing
The Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International
Operations of the House International Relations Committee convened a
hearing on
June 30th on "The Plight of
Religious Minorities: Can Religious Pluralism Survive?". The
hearing was not specifically focused on the
Holy
Land, but included a wide range of religious freedom issues
throughout the Middle East such as the plight of Assyrian Christians
in Iraq and Coptic Christians in Egypt. However, the situation of
Palestinian Christians received serious and thoughtful attention in
testimony given by Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL) and Fr. Firas Aridah,
a Catholic priest from Our Lady Mother of Sorrows Parish in the West
Bank village of Aboud, and in the question and answers given
throughout the hearing. Below are excerpts from their statements.
“Statement of
Chairman Henry J. Hyde”,
Hearing on
the Plight of Religious Minorities: Can Religious Pluralism
Survive?, June 30, 2006
“Over the course
of the past three years, I have become increasingly engaged in the
challenges facing Christian institutions and their communities in
the Holy Land. The more I learn, the more I realize how central
their situation is to the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. The plight and security of Christians in the Holy Land is
complex and nuanced. There are historical, current and future
obstacles that threaten the survival of their community. A community
not able to survive in the land of its origin would be a historical
injustice. We must do all we can to preserve the indigenous
Christian community in the Holy Land…Jerusalem is a universal city
sacred to the three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam. The coexistence of the core narratives of the three
monotheistic religions is not only what makes Jerusalem unique, but
is also the foundation of the stability of the city, if not the
entire region. Maintaining the Holy City’s indigenous and
multicultural identity is critical to preserving the declining
pluralistic nature of the Holy Land’s many fabrics. The Department
of State’s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
documents the destabilizing impact which the construction of the
separation barrier in Jerusalem is having on its inhabitants. Local
Christians view the barrier as something that is seriously damaging
religious freedom in the Holy Land, impeding their access to
important holy sites, and tearing at the social fabric of Christian
life by destroying the important linkages between Jerusalem and
Bethlehem…”
http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/109/hyde063006.pdf
Also see Hyde’s
“Staff Report on the Holy Land” which was submitted for the record
at the hearing:
http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/109/Staff_Report.pdf
“Testimony by
Father Firas Nasib Aridah”,
Parish Priest, Roman Catholic Parish of Our Lady Mother of Sorrows
Aboud, West Bank, Hearing on the Plight of Religious Minorities: Can
Religious Pluralism Survive?, June 30, 2006
“…I am a Jordanian
priest serving the Roman Catholic Parish of Our Lady Mother of
Sorrows Church in the village of Aboud in the West Bank since 2003.
I oversee all the community and educational activities at the
parish, and have worked to strengthen interfaith alliances among the
Christian and Muslim residents of Aboud. We have good relations with
the Jewish settlements nearest to us: Beit Ayre and Ofarim…I will
limit my testimony to the challenges that the Palestinian Christians
of Aboud face to survive and remain in the Holy Land. Many of these
present challenges have been created by Israel’s construction of the
security barrier. The barrier will confiscate around 1,500 acres of
Aboud’s land. As a result, Aboud will be physically separated from
surrounding villages and its land… Despite the difficulties, I
believe that pluralism can survive in Israel and Palestine. The
village of Aboud is a positive model of peaceful co-existence…We can
live together. However, this is only possible when each human being
is accepting of the other without conditions. Then they can live in
peace. If conditions are imposed and only one way is mandated, this
is not the way of God. Each human must be treated fairly. The
Israeli occupation must end. Violence and terrorism must stop.
There must be no more settlements on Palestinian land. My prayer is
that God will touch each heart to bring peace and justice and love
to our Holy Land.”
http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/109/ari063006.pdf
For
Excerpts of Q&A During Hearing, go to:
http://www.cmep.org/documents/Q&A_Religious_Minorities_House_Hearing_6-30-06.htm
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Jerusalem
Church Leaders Invite Members of Congress to the Holy Land
The following
letter was sent to all Members of Congress regarding the situation
of Palestinian Christians and was printed on the letterhead of the
13 Patriarchs and Heads of Local Christian Churches in Jerusalem.
“Letter from
Jerusalem Churches Leaders to Congress”,
Signed by
+Michel SABBAH, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, +Mounib YOUNAN,
Evangelical Lutheran Bishop, +Riah ABU AL-ASSAL, Episcopal Church of
Jerusalem and the Middle East— on behalf of the 13 Patriarchs and
Heads of Local Christian Churches in Jerusalem, June 28th
2006
“Greetings of
Grace and Salaam from the Holy City of Jerusalem. During the last
several months, there has been renewed attention to the situation of
Palestinian Christians. We as the leaders of the Palestinian
Christian community welcome and appreciate the desire to support
Palestinian Christians. At the same time, we believe that much that
has been said does not represent the reality we face. Nor does it
address the true causes of the suffering and hardships of our
community endures each day. We would like therefore to take this
opportunity to invite a delegation of the United States Congress to
come to Jerusalem and visit the Palestinian Christians in the Holy
Land. Coming and experiencing firsthand the hardships of a community
living under an illegal military Occupation will allow you to assess
the situation from the point of view of those who suffer. The visit
would provide opportunities to meet with Church leaders, women,
children, youth, lay leaders and ordinary Palestinian Christians
from all walks of life and all denominations. We welcome your
interest and, even more, we would welcome the opportunity to meet
and talk with you here in our home. There has been massive migration
to other countries of Palestinian Christians largely due to the
illegal Occupation. Our future as a vital religious community in our
own land requires a solution to the conflict that will allow both
peoples to lives side by side in justice, peace and security.
Please come to Jerusalem and see for yourselves.”
http://www.cmep.org/documents/Jerusalem_Churches_Letter_June_06.pdf
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Palestinian
Christians: The People and the Churches and the Challenges
“Living Stones
in Ruins”, Drew Christiansen, S.J., Popoli (an Italian
language journal), forthcoming
Churches for
Middle East Peace has made this forthcoming commentary available
with Fr. Drew Christiansen’s permission. Drew Christiansen, S.J. is
editor in chief of America, a U.S. Jesuit weekly. For 14 years, he
advised the U. S. bishops on Middle East policy and he is currently
a member of CMEP’s Leadership Council.
“…The
Israeli-Palestinian conflict pervades every other aspect of life in
the Holy Land. The current phase of the struggle has put the
churches under extreme pressure. Most of the Christian faithful
regard themselves as Palestinians, and whether they live in Israel
or Palestine, they are affected by the struggle…The Al Aqsa
Intifada (2000) seriously affected the Christians in Bethlehem
and the neighboring towns of Beit Sahur and Beit Jala. The outlying
districts became battlegrounds between roving Muslim militias and
the Israeli Defense Force. Heavy Israeli incursions disrupted
commerce and destroyed much of the infrastructure newly renovated
for the Great Jubilee. Successive Israeli security measures,
including the Security Barrier or Wall separating Israel from the
West Bank, have resulted in the confiscation of Palestinian land,
particularly in Christian neighborhoods. In addition, in the chaos
of the armed uprising, Christians town-dwellers suffered from the
collapse of law and order. Gangs and militias were
indistinguishable, and crime was rampant. As relatively well-to-do
town dwellers, Christians were subject to extortion, kidnaping,
robbery and murder. The same kind of lawlessness could be found in
Muslim-on-Muslim crime in Jenin and Nablus, but because the victims
in Bethlehem were Christians, the offenses there were often put down
to religious persecution. The rise of Islamic fundamentalism is a
second threat to Christians in the region…In the Palestinian
Territories, Islamic militancy has been a growing challenge.
Contrary to some reports, the Palestinian Authority has not been
responsible for persecution of Christians or the failure to protect
them. The Authority has tried to protect Christians, but the influx
of devout and militant Muslims from the countryside into the towns
and cities has led to unofficial harassment and discrimination on
the local level…”
http://www.cmep.org/documents/Living_Stones_in_Ruins.htm
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Jerusalem News
New plans are
afoot to redraw Jerusalem’s boundaries, which has resulted in a
large number of Palestinians relocating so as to be on the side of
the separation barrier with access to East Jerusalem’s
institutions. A new policy is also being implemented by Israel that
will make entry in and out of Jerusalem more difficult for many
Palestinian residents of the city. While legitimate security
concerns must be taken into account, these actions undermine
Jerusalem’s historically multi-cultural and multi-religious nature
and will have a long-term negative impact on the peace process.
“Beware of
imitations”, Daniel Seidemann, Ha’aretz, July 11, 2006
”There are increasing signs that the government is making plans to
redraw Jerusalem's boundaries. According to the plan taking shape,
the neighborhoods that are on the ‘edge’ of the city will be removed
from its boundaries ‘in order to improve the demographic balance,’
which is clearly tilting in favor of the Palestinians…The
residents of East Jerusalem are afraid of becoming inhabitants of
the Third World, and they are voting with their feet: They are
thronging to the parts of Jerusalem that are inside the fence…Removing
the peripheral neighborhoods from Jerusalem and placing them outside
the city will concentrate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the
mouth of the volcano - the Old City and its environs. Similarly,
Israel will require an international stamp of approval in order to
carry out the plan. Under the current circumstances, it is doubtful
whether the international community will allow Israel to appropriate
the ultimate arena of the conflict…The plan currently in the works
does not bode well for the chances of a peace process. No physical
barrier, no matter how sophisticated, and no unilateral step will
help - except perhaps in the short term. Israel's national goals -
to put an end to the violence, to achieve international recognition
and, finally, to end the conflict - will be attained only by means
of a political border cutting through the heart of Jerusalem and not
its environs, a border that will be consensual rather than dictated.
Beware of imitations.”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/736828.html
“IDF bars East J'lem residents from using Bethlehem crossing”,
Akiva Eldar, Haaretz,
July 1, 2006
“The security
services recently began implementing a policy that makes it harder
for East Jerusalem residents to travel to certain West Bank cities.
According to orders issued by the head of the Israel Defense Forces'
Central Command, Major General Yair Naveh, the main crossing between
Jerusalem and Bethlehem is now closed to Palestinians who hold
Israeli identity cards. An IDF spokesman confirmed that enforcement
of the orders issued by the Central Command in October 2000, which
forbade holders of Israeli identity cards to enter Area A (the Oslo
Accords' term for areas under full Palestinian control) for security
reasons, is now stricter. The spokesman added that requests to enter
Area A are handled on a case by case basis. However, Defense
Minister Amir Peretz's office said that he was not aware of any such
decision. In practice, the policy is being implemented at only one
crossing, albeit a central one. However, the intention is to expand
enforcement to other crossings. The new policy is upsetting East
Jerusalem's 237,000 residents, the vast majority of whom are not
Israeli citizens, as their lives are intertwined with the nearby
West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem, whether by family ties,
commercial interests or culture. These residents are being cut off
from their environs by the new IDF policy. Thus Christians from East
Jerusalem, for instance, who wish to visit the holy sites in
Bethlehem now have to go to the Qalandiyeh crossing, north of the
city, where the Israel Police have said that they are unable to
implement the policy…”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/733241.html
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in difficult times, Israelis and palestinian continue to work for
peace
The article
below describes some of the challenges facing Israeli-Palestinian
peacemaking, as well as efforts that provide hope that peace is
possible. The article’s author, Landrum Bolling, Mercy Corps
director at large, is also the creator of a new 30-minute film,
Searching for Peace in the Middle East. Sponsored by the Foundation
for Middle East Peace, the film reveals the hopes and fears of
Israeli and Palestinian citizens and explores the issues that still
divide them. It also describes in a compelling way a broad common
ground of yearning for peace, pointing the way toward a resolution
of the conflict that meets the fundamental needs of both
societies. To obtain a free copy of the film, send an email to
info@fmep.org or for more information go to:
http://www.fmep.org/searching_for_peace_in_the_middle_east.html.
“Combatants in
Pursuit of Peace”,
Landrum Bolling, Mercy Corps, June 24, 2006
“The political
climate in this tense capital of the divided so-called Holy Land, as
I have known it over the past 40 years, has never been worse than it
is today. The Israelis are suspicious, hostile, hate-filled toward
the Palestinians -- and contemptuously self-righteous. ‘Everything
that has gone wrong is the fault of the Palestinians. We can't make
peace because the Palestinians don't want peace; they only want to
drive the Jews into the sea.’ So say many angry, cynical Israelis.
The Palestinians are bitter, angry, hate-filled toward the Israelis
-- and contemptuously self-righteous. "Everything that has gone
wrong is the fault of the Israelis. They don't want peace with us.
They don't even want to talk with us or negotiate. They only want to
keep us imprisoned under a harsh military occupation that makes our
daily lives more unbearably miserable than they have ever been since
the State of Israel was created." So say many despairing, cynical
Palestinians. Such deep-seated feelings, nourished and passionately
held by many people on both sides, make it difficult to get any
serious discussion of peacemaking under way these days. Each side
can put forth strong arguments for their pessimism -- and for fixing
blame on their adversaries…Yet in the midst of this seemingly
hopeless madness, there are courageous, independent-thinking
individuals: Palestinians and Israelis, who are saying ‘Enough of
this craziness. There is another way.’…”
Mercy Corps Website
