CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Leaders of North American Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Churches -- including the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) -- urged President Clinton to promote sharing of Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians and among Jews, Christians and Muslims in the negotiations Clinton is facilitating.
In a Sept. 6 letter to Clinton, the 15 leaders criticized the administration for lack of attention to Christian concerns and international law as it affects Jerusalem.
"At this time we do not view the administration's attention to the American churches' interests, concerns and recommendations or those of the Jerusalem churches' interests and rights to be adequate," the church leaders said.
Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem is "illegal according to international law," the leaders said. They urged the Clinton Administration to place higher consideration of the significance of Jerusalem to the international community and to show higher regard for international law that addresses Jerusalem's status. They said this is essential for "a political agreement to be broadly endorsed and enduring."
The letter commended Clinton for blocking, thus far, the congressionally mandated move of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The church leaders discouraged him from threatening to move the embassy before an agreement is reached.
The proposal of Jerusalem's church leaders to create an internationally guaranteed special statute for the governance of Jerusalem was endorsed by the church officials. This would "allow Jerusalem to be an open city which transcends local, regional or world political troubles," they said.
The current Israeli practice of requiring Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza to acquire Israeli permits to enter Jerusalem is a "totally unacceptable and discriminatory practice," the church leaders said. They also criticized Israel's continued building of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land in and near Jerusalem during Clinton's leadership of the peace process.
The letter reaffirmed the efforts of churches to promote sharing Jerusalem between the Israelis and Palestinians and among Christians, Jews and Muslims. The church leaders said the idea is "based on our steadfast commitment to an equitable solution for Jerusalem that respects the human and political rights of Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the three religious communities." The churches' interests extend to the communities of believers as well as to the holy sites, they added.
Joining Anderson in signing the letter was the Rev. Andrew Young, president of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., of which the ELCA is a member. Four leaders of ELCA full- communion partner churches signed: the Rev. Wesley Granberg- Michaelson, general secretary, Reformed Church in America; the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, presiding bishop, The Episcopal Church; the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.); and the Rev. John H. Thomas, president, United Church of Christ.
Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, president, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, also signed.
Others who signed were John A. Buehrens, president, Unitarian Universalist Association; C. Wayne Carter, general secretary, Friends United Meeting; Stephen Glodek, SM, president, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes; the Rev. Richard L. Hamm, president, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada; Ronald J. R. Mathies, executive director, Mennonite Central Committee; the Rev. Judy Mills Reimer, executive director, Church of the Brethren; Metropolitan Phillip Saliba, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America; and Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, ecumenical officer, United Methodist Council of Bishops. -- The full text of the letter to President Clinton is on the Web at http://www.loga.org.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
- - -
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
