WASHINGTON, D.C., (ELCA) -- With another Middle East peace summit still in question, 20 Christian leaders sent an open letter to President Bill Clinton calling upon him to redouble efforts "to achieve a negotiated peace in the Middle East."
Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox and other church leaders asked Clinton to work for a peace "where ... the Jewish people no longer fear for their existence [and] the Palestinian people can gather their refugees to live with dignity and security in their own democratic state." Among those signing the letter was The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
The letter urges Clinton to "stand for a Jerusalem that is shared by its two peoples [Palestinians and Israelis] and by three religious communities [Jewish, Christian, Muslim]." The Christian leaders contend that the goal of "a warm peace" between Israel and its Arab neighbors can only be achieved in the context of a shared Jerusalem. It is "essential" that the two peoples who call Jerusalem their home and capital openly negotiate its future.
"Representatives of the three Abrahamic religions must also have a role in shaping the ultimate resolution of issues affecting historic Jerusalem and the commitment of the international community to guaranteeing the living presence of the three religious communities in the Holy City," the leaders told Clinton.
The letter stated that peace is not the reality of Jerusalem today. "If there is to be universal and whole-hearted celebration of the creation of the State of Israel this year, the reality of the dislocation and suffering experienced by the Palestinian people must be acknowledged, and questions of restitution, self-determination (statehood) and a just peace" need to be addressed and resolved openly.
In 1996 the ELCA Church Council urged that free access to Jerusalem be guaranteed for all people at all times and called on the international community to protect the unique historical l nature of Jerusalem as sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. ELCA members were called to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem, remembering the suffering and the hope of both Palestinians and Israelis and the challenges their leaders face as they work to move the peace process forward.
In 1995 the Rev. Herbert W. Chilstrom, Anderson's predecessor, and other high-ranking Christian leaders called on Clinton to press Israel to stop seizing land and constructing settlements in Jerusalem.
The letter is signed by the principal leader of American Baptist Churches, USA; American Friends Service Committee; Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs; Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Church of the Brethren; The Episcopal Church; The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers); Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers; Mennonite Central Committee; Missionaries of Africa; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA; Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.; Reformed Church in America; Roman Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes; Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations; United Church of Christ; The United Methodist Church.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
