Jewish Group, NCC Issue Postwar Statement
Episcopal News Service. April 29, 1991 [91108G]
Leaders of the National Council of Churches (NCC) and the organization representing U.S. Reform Judaism have issued a statement of shared concerns in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf war. In the statement, issued April 15, the NCC and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) called attention to "new opportunities for [Mideast] peace... through negotiation," while noting the human, economic, and environmental costs of the war. The joint statement urged Arab states to recognize Israel and to "enter into state-to-state negotiations under appropriate auspices"; supported the right of Palestinians to choose their own representatives for Palestinian-Israeli negotiations; called for an end to the Mideast arms race; and urged an equitable distribution of wealth as well as economic cooperation in the region. The NCC and UAHC joint statement also expressed hope that domestic issues such as homelessness and health care would be addressed with the same "determination and will" that the U.S. government mustered in confronting Iraqi aggression. The document was noticeable for its omissions as well, particularly the absence of any mention of the right of Palestinians to establish their own state in Palestine. The statement's signatories included the Rev. Joan Campbell, NCC general secretary; the Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, NCC president; and Dr. Dale Bishop, director of the NCC Middle East office.