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Church leaders Plea to Prime Minister
Sharon and President Arafat
~June 2001~
(These Church leaders met with Sec. of State Powell
following their visit to Palestine and Israel in December 2000. Their
letter to Secretary Powell, dated June 6, 2001 and the statement from
their delegation’s visit, dated December 2000 are also located on
cmep.org)
June 2001
We write to both of you today to express our support for the current
efforts to bring a cessation of violence in Israel, the West Bank/ East
Jerusalem and Gaza. We are deeply disturbed by the loss of life and
injuries sustained during these past months. We plead for continuing
public statements and actions from both of you to end the bloodshed and
urge you to act and speak in the spirit of reconciliation.
The end of violence must mean from you, Mr. Prime Minister, the end of
disproportional responses to the violence, especially the use of attack
helicopters and F-16 fighter jets. Further, we call upon you to end the
destruction of Palestinian homes and trees and the restriction of travel
between Palestinian towns. Such practices make life insufferable for the
Palestinian people. Far from preventing violence, these measures incite
it. We further implore you to end the single most provocative behavior
of all, settlement building and expansion, including "natural" expansion
and the building of settler roads. Finally, we urge you to contain
provocative settler behavior. We believe you have the greater number of
options allowing you to do more to end the violence than you have chosen
so far. We call upon you to rise to the mantle of courageous leadership
for peace and security that your current position demands.
The end of violence must mean from you, President Arafat, the strongest
measures within the confines of human rights, to contain those who
encourage and resort to terrorist actions such as suicide bombings and
the use of mortars to attack civilians. While we understand the rage of
the Palestinian people, we are also aware that many Jews live in fear of
these terror tactics as well as the inflammatory rhetoric that comes
from some Arab sources. These heinous acts of violence are counter
productive to any hope for a just peace. We understand the right of the
Palestinians to resist the Occupation, but implore you to emulate other
great leaders who used nonviolent action to bring about change. We know
such leadership requires great courage and statesmanship and see in you
the qualities necessary to succeed. We are preparing to join those who
will accompany the Palestinian people during the months ahead, including
Israeli Jews, physically and spiritually, people from many places who
stand for an end to the Occupation but who also embrace the principle of
non-violence.
Our plea to stop the violence is but a cry to stop the suffering and end
the siege of fear and anger that now grips both of your communities. No
good purpose is served by continuing this vicious cycle that dehumanizes
your people as well as the other. We look to you both to take courageous
steps forward to negotiations that can promptly establish a sovereign
Palestine free from Occupation and an Israel at peace and security with
her neighbors.
Bishop Dimitrios of Xanthos
Ecumenical Officer
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
The Very Rev. Brother Stephen Glodek, S.M.
President
Catholic Conference
of Major Superiors of Mens' Institutes
and Provincial, Marianist Province of New York
The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
Bishop Donald J. McCoid
Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod
Chair, Conference of Bishops of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Rev. John L. McCullough
Executive Director
Church World Service
Bishop William Oden
Immediate Past President
The Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church |
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