ELCA Presiding Bishop Meets with Bush Security Advisor

ELCA PRESIDING BISHOP MEETS WITH BUSH SECURITY ADVISOR
02-224 JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), joined with other religious leaders to communicate concerns about the Middle East situation in a White House meeting Sept. 16 with Dr. Condoleezza Rice, national security advisor to President George W. Bush.
With Hanson were the Rev. Frank T. Griswold, presiding bishop and primate, The Episcopal Church, New York, the Rev. Wilton D. Gregory, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C., and bishop of the Diocese of Belleville, Belleville, Ill. The meeting was scheduled for about 20 minutes but lasted about 45 minutes, Hanson said in an interview following the meeting.
"It was a substantive, respectful, free-flowing conversation," said Hanson. "We were all very engaged and focused on our concerns about the Middle East." Toward the end of the discussion, the bishops voiced current concerns about Iraq and the possibility of U.S. military action against the regime of Saddam Hussein.
The bishops "extended our appreciation for the Bush administration's call for a two-state solution," in the Middle East, Hanson said.
The three bishops issued a joint statement summarizing the meeting. They "urged that the Bush administration take new steps to end the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and to restart peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians," the statement said.
The bishops noted their churches have significant relief and development programs in the Middle East. They "urged Dr. Rice to press for immediate and concrete measures to alleviate a grave and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza," the statement said.
The bishops reiterated their long-standing condemnations of suicide bombings and all forms of violence against civilians on both sides; welcomed the (Bush) administration's commitment to both a safe and secure Israel and a viable, independent Palestinian state; and urged the administration to take concrete steps to achieve these twin goals in the context of new peace negotiations, according to their statement.
On the situation with Iraq, the bishops welcomed the Bush administration's engagement of the international community about the situation, while expressing "serious moral concerns" that each had stated earlier about the possibility of military action to overthrow the government of Iraq.
The bishops gave Rice copies of previous public statements that each has made on the Middle East and Iraq, Hanson said.
In a separate but related matter, Hanson raised concerns about the current situation involving Augusta Victoria Hospital, a Lutheran World Federation medical facility located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Though it serves all people, most of its clients are Palestinians. Since last year, the hospital has been involved in a court case related to payment of taxes with the Israeli government, and a ruling is expected soon from an Israeli judge.
Since it was founded more than 50 years ago -- and after the State of Israel expanded its borders in 1967 to include the hospital property -- Israel has honored a written agreement that Augusta Victoria remain exempt from taxes, including an employer's tax. The Israeli government recently questioned the policy, and the case went to court. Should the judge's ruling go against Augusta Victoria, the hospital may owe some $4 million in back taxes, interest and penalties to the State of Israel, plus annual taxes of about $350,000. If required to pay the taxes, hospital services would be severely curtailed or it could be forced to close.
Hanson delivered to Rice a letter expressing concern about the Augusta Victoria Hospital case from the Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (and Palestine), Jerusalem.
"The tragedy in this rising humanitarian crisis is that it could become much worse if we had to close Augusta Victoria Hospital," Hanson said. "We asked the U.S. government to be more assertive with the Israeli government in this matter."
Hanson's visit to the White House was his second this month. On Sept. 6, he was among a group of 25 religious leaders who met and prayed with Bush in advance of the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html