ELCA Synod Bishop Joins Interfaith Delegation to Middle East

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- An interfaith delegation's recent visit to the
Middle East could provide "a model and encouragement" for other
Christians, Muslims and Jews to work together to promote peace between
Israelis and Palestinians.
     That was one of the observations of the Rev. Margaret G. Payne,
bishop of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA).  Payne was one of 15 U.S. Christian, Muslim and Jewish
leaders who traveled Dec. 16-23 in Jordan, Israel and the West Bank.
     The trip was organized by the National Interreligious Leadership
Initiative (NILI), an organization of U.S. faith group leaders that has
spoken publicly about the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Payne represented the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, on the
trip.
     If more Christians, Jews and Muslims could work together for Middle
East peace, their collective voice could influence governments, she said
in an interview.  "This was a real witness to the joint work together of
Christians, Muslims and Jews," she said.  "Every place we went to visit,
we went as representatives of the three Abrahamic faiths."
      The visit included a week of praying together and meeting with
Jordanians, Israelis and Palestinians, according to a NILI news release.
Payne said the group had productive meetings with Israeli and Palestinian
citizens, U.S. Ambassador to Israel James B. Cunningham and Jordanian
leaders, whom she said are active in the peace process.
     "We met with some of the members of their parliament," Payne
said. "They, too, mentioned that witnessing such a mixed delegation was
unusual.  To them, this was a sign of hope that there can be joint
efforts toward peace."
     The interfaith delegation spent considerable time in discussion,
sharing observations and perspectives with each other during the visit,
she said.  The leaders were united in their view that construction of
Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory be frozen, and that
existing Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands be dismantled, she
said.
     "Even on the most emotional issues of refugees and Jerusalem, we
believe most Palestinians understand that they will have to accept a
negotiated solution regarding refugees that does not jeopardize the
Jewish majority in Israel, and most Israelis understand that they will
have to accept a negotiated solution regarding sharing Jerusalem that
includes provision for both Israel and Palestine to have their capitals
in Jerusalem," said Rabbi Paul Menitoff, executive vice president
emeritus, Central Conference of American Rabbis, in the NILI release.
     "Of course, it is the parties themselves that must make the
negotiated agreements for peace, but most people we met believe that
active, fully engaged U.S. leadership is essential to making that happen.
We are united in support of such U.S. leadership for peace," said Dr.
Sayyid Muhammad Syeed, national director, Islamic Society of North
America.
     The delegation called for active, fair and firm U.S. leadership in
2010 to restart negotiations for a two-state solution, involving an end
to occupation and security for Israel and Palestine, the release said.
     The religious leaders repeated NILI's goal to build on the Arab
Peace Initiative for comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, including peace
agreements between Israel and Syria, and Israel and Lebanon, the release
said. NILI leaders who organized the trip said they will seek high level
meetings with the Obama Administration to offer their support for U.S.
leadership for peace.
     NILI said the delegation was united in calling on the Obama
Administration and Congress to be catalysts, in cooperation with Egypt
and other parties, for achieving "an effective, sustainable ceasefire."
That includes international measures to prevent resupplying of rockets,
for allowing the flow of humanitarian and economic assistance to the
people of Gaza, for continuing efforts to improve the capacity of the
Palestinian Authority to increase security and economic development, for
further reducing the number of checkpoints, and for freezing settlement
expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, according to the news
release.
     Other Christian leaders who made the trip represented the Roman
Catholic Church, Greek Orthodox Church, Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ), National Baptist Convention, the Episcopal Church and the United
Methodist Church.  Other Jewish leaders represented the Jewish
Reconstructionist Federation and Reconstructionist Rabbinical
Association.  Other Muslim leaders were with the Islamic Center of
Southern Maryland, Georgetown University and the Council of Mosques,
USA.
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     Bishop Margaret Payne's blog about the interfaith Middle East visit
is at http://bishoppayne.blogspot.com/ on the Web.

     Information about the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative
is at http://www.nili-mideastpeace.org on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news