American churches call for the end of Israeli occupation

American churches call for the end of Israeli occupation By Edward Calis
An Ecumenical 10-person delegation sponsored by the Episcopal Peace Commission at the National Cathedral visited the Israeli Embassy April 23 and met with the Israeli Minister of Public Affairs, Rabbi Moshe Fox and handed him a statement calling for mutual renunciation of violence in the Holy Land. The Israeli Ambassador was absent at that time. The statement will also be given to the Palestinian National Authority representative in Washington, DC on May 1. More than 30 American and Middle Eastner supporters gathered outside the embassy to receive the delegation and hold a prayer vigil calling for peace in the Holy Land. The statement calls for an end to oppressive conditions imposed on the Palestinians and it cites the military occupation and settlement expansion as the root causes of the violence. The proposed simultaneous and mutual renunciation of the violence is an effort to interrupt the slide toward open warfare. Bishop Theodore Schneider, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Washington Synod told Via Dolorosa that the statement would surely raise consciousness of concern. "Violence begets violence, " he said. Bishop Schneider added , "Someone is asking what can we do to stem the spread of violence which has gun from stones and rifles to machine guns and rockets. I think that is similar to what we [the United States] did in Vietnam and didn't work." Bishop Theodore Schneider Francis Pickels, from the United Church of Christ in Bethesda, Maryland said, "We are concerned about the occupation, we are concerned about the right of return, we are concerned about the terrible treatment of the Palestinian people under the occupation. The closures, the demolition of houses and uprooting trees. It is outrageous." Charles Demere, an Episcopal priest from Washington, DC said that it was a miracle that five different denominations of religious leaders agreed on a such controversial statement. "Last time we prayed and look what happened," stirring a laugh in the crowd. Letters from both Palestinians and Israelis were read to the public reflecting the suffering of the people there as a result of the excessive Israeli violence. A letter from Palestinian Rev. Alex Awad from Bethlehem read by Helen Grant from American Committee on Jerusalem called on the American people to help in urging the Israelis to stop shelling Palestinian villages with bombs and missiles. He also called on them to help the Palestinian people realizing their dreams of an independent state and to urge Israel to let go from the occupied territories. Another letter was read from Iyad Sarraj, a Palestinian peace activist and psychologist from Gaza, saying that the main victims of this conflict were the children. Sarraj insisted that non violence is the way to resist an occupation. "Liberation of the Palestinians from the Israeli occupation of their land, from the humiliation and suffering will happen when the Israelis are liberated from their fear and insecurity. I believe that the Palestinians should take the initiative, along the road, of non violent resistance to the occupation." Jim Vitarello, a Washingtonian peace activist read an article from American Rabbi Michael Lehrner who wrote, "The Palestinian people should learn from and follow the examples of Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela. All those struggles have won because the non violence of the oppressed touched something deep in the hearts of the oppressors. Violence on the other hand, unites the occupiers' community and gives justification for using violence against the oppressed." Vitarello added that Rabbi Lerner is a very courageous person and that he has been threatened numerous times by the Jewish community for his progressive statements. "I believe that there is a growing number if not the majority of the Jews in this country who believe like we do. They are the most progressive people in the United States," Vitarello said. The Episcopal Diocese of Washington delegation members include, The Rt. Rev. Allen Bartlett, Assisting Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington; Bishop Theodore Schneider, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Washington Synod; Bishop Viken Aykazian, Armenian Apostolic Church; Dr. J. Philip Wogaman, Senior Pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church, WDC; Fr. Peter Ruggere, Maryknoll Office of Justice and Peace; Dr. Duncan McIntosh, Executive Minister, DC Baptist Convention; Rev, Theodore K. Nance, National Capital Presbytery; Dr. Wallace Charles Smith, Senior Minister of Shiloh Baptist Church; Mr. Jack Edmonston, Unitarian Universalist Association; Mr. John Salzberg, Friends Meeting of Washington. STATEMENT The following is the full statement issued by the delegation: "We grieve over the fear and suffering that seem to pervade the lives of all those living in Israel and the Occupied Territories. We deplore the violence that maims and kills persons on both sides of the conflict. We maintain that a fundamental cause of the violence is the illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the expansion of settlements in that area. This occupation and settlement construction are in violation of the Geneva accords and U.N. Security Council resolution 242, both of which have been agreed to by the United States Government. This illegal occupation regrettably provokes the Palestinians to use violence to regain their lands, and the Israelis to retaliate with excessive force. We deplore violence on either side. We think that it is counterproductive. Violence unites and hardens the opposition: non-violence divides and softens it. Occupation can lead to abuse of human rights and confiscation of property. Efforts to right these wrongs do not morally justify actions of snipers or suicide bombers. Each party to the conflict has a gift to give the other: security and independence, and a future of increasingly, friendly cooperation. We commend those on both sides who continue to work for peace. We call for an extraordinary effort toward reconciliation of differences. Specifically, we call for simultaneous and mutual renunciation of violence. We call for the ending of closures that prevent Palestinians from access to food, medicine, jobs, schools and places of worship. We call for the ending of home demolitions, collective punishment and the uprooting of olive groves. We call for a commitment to end the occupation. We affirm that a just peace requires adherence to international law and continued effort in peace making by all parties. We pray to the God of the three Abrahamic faiths to bring peace to this land." 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American churches call for the end of Israeli occupation
By Edward Calis

An Ecumenical 10-person delegation sponsored by the Episcopal Peace Commission at the National Cathedral visited the Israeli Embassy April 23 and met with the Israeli Minister of Public Affairs, Rabbi Moshe Fox and handed him a statement calling for mutual renunciation of violence in the Holy Land. The Israeli Ambassador was absent at that time.

The statement will also be given to the Palestinian National Authority representative in Washington, DC on May 1.

More than 30 American and Middle Eastner supporters gathered outside the embassy to receive the delegation and hold a prayer vigil calling for peace in the Holy Land.

The statement calls for an end to oppressive conditions imposed on the Palestinians and it cites the military occupation and settlement expansion as the root causes of the violence. The proposed simultaneous and mutual renunciation of the violence is an effort to interrupt the slide toward open warfare.

Bishop Theodore Schneider, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Washington Synod told Via Dolorosa that the statement would surely raise consciousness of concern. "Violence begets violence, " he said.

Bishop Schneider added , "Someone is asking what can we do to stem the spread of violence which has gun from stones and rifles to machine guns and rockets. I think that is similar to what we [the United States] did in Vietnam and didn't work."

Bishop Theodore Schneider
Francis Pickels, from the United Church of Christ in Bethesda, Maryland said, "We are concerned about the occupation, we are concerned about the right of return, we are concerned about the terrible treatment of the Palestinian people under the occupation. The closures, the demolition of houses and uprooting trees. It is outrageous."

Charles Demere, an Episcopal priest from Washington, DC said that it was a miracle that five different denominations of religious leaders agreed on a such controversial statement. "Last time we prayed and look what happened," stirring a laugh in the crowd.

Letters from both Palestinians and Israelis were read to the public reflecting the suffering of the people there as a result of the excessive Israeli violence.

A letter from Palestinian Rev. Alex Awad from Bethlehem read by Helen Grant from American Committee on Jerusalem called on the American people to help in urging the Israelis to stop shelling Palestinian villages with bombs and missiles. He also called on them to help the Palestinian people realizing their dreams of an independent state and to urge Israel to let go from the occupied territories.

Another letter was read from Iyad Sarraj, a Palestinian peace activist and psychologist from Gaza, saying that the main victims of this conflict were the children. Sarraj insisted that non violence is the way to resist an occupation.

"Liberation of the Palestinians from the Israeli occupation of their land, from the humiliation and suffering will happen when the Israelis are liberated from their fear and insecurity. I believe that the Palestinians should take the initiative, along the road, of non violent resistance to the occupation."

Jim Vitarello, a Washingtonian peace activist read an article from American Rabbi Michael Lehrner who wrote, "The Palestinian people should learn from and follow the examples of Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela. All those struggles have won because the non violence of the oppressed touched something deep in the hearts of the oppressors. Violence on the other hand, unites the occupiers' community and gives justification for using violence against the oppressed."

Vitarello added that Rabbi Lerner is a very courageous person and that he has been threatened numerous times by the Jewish community for his progressive statements.

"I believe that there is a growing number if not the majority of the Jews in this country who believe like we do. They are the most progressive people in the United States," Vitarello said.

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington delegation members include, The Rt. Rev. Allen Bartlett, Assisting Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington; Bishop Theodore Schneider, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Washington Synod; Bishop Viken Aykazian, Armenian Apostolic Church; Dr. J. Philip Wogaman, Senior Pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church, WDC; Fr. Peter Ruggere, Maryknoll Office of Justice and Peace; Dr. Duncan McIntosh, Executive Minister, DC Baptist Convention; Rev, Theodore K. Nance, National Capital Presbytery; Dr. Wallace Charles Smith, Senior Minister of Shiloh Baptist Church; Mr. Jack Edmonston, Unitarian Universalist Association; Mr. John Salzberg, Friends Meeting of Washington.

STATEMENT
The following is the full statement issued by the delegation:
"We grieve over the fear and suffering that seem to pervade the lives of all those living in Israel and the Occupied Territories. We deplore the violence that maims and kills persons on both sides of the conflict.
We maintain that a fundamental cause of the violence is the illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the expansion of settlements in that area. This occupation and settlement construction are in violation of the Geneva accords and U.N. Security Council resolution 242, both of which have been agreed to by the United States Government.
This illegal occupation regrettably provokes the Palestinians to use violence to regain their lands, and the Israelis to retaliate with excessive force.
We deplore violence on either side. We think that it is counterproductive. Violence unites and hardens the opposition: non-violence divides and softens it. Occupation can lead to abuse of human rights and confiscation of property. Efforts to right these wrongs do not morally justify actions of snipers or suicide bombers. Each party to the conflict has a gift to give the other: security and independence, and a future of increasingly, friendly cooperation. We commend those on both sides who continue to work for peace. We call for an extraordinary effort toward reconciliation of differences. Specifically, we call for simultaneous and mutual renunciation of violence. We call for the ending of closures that prevent Palestinians from access to food, medicine, jobs, schools and places of worship. We call for the ending of home demolitions, collective punishment and the uprooting of olive groves. We call for a commitment to end the occupation.
We affirm that a just peace requires adherence to international law and continued effort in peace making by all parties. We pray to the God of the three Abrahamic faiths to bring peace to this land."

Page reads: 1765