Church Leaders Plea to Prime Minister Sharon and President Arafat
Episcopal News Service. June 25, 2001 [2001-168L]
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