The Evangelical Lutheran Church inAmerica is very disturbed by the November 18 announcement by Secretary of StateMichael R. Pompeo that the Administration unwisely is changing current U.S.policy by stating that the “establishment of Israeli civilian settlements inthe West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law.”
Our church has consistently calledfor an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory, thecessation of all settlement activities and withdrawal from settlements onPalestinian territory to the 1967 boundaries, a negotiated, final statusagreement between Israel and the Palestinians and the establishment of andinternational support for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state. We willcontinue to work with ecumenical and inter-religious partners who share thesecommitments. In the long term, we wish to see Israelis and Palestiniansco-existing in justice and peace, as citizens of viable and secure Israeli andPalestinian states.
The Administration’s announcementmakes the realization of these outcomes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflictmore difficult and distant, rather than advancing the cause of peace. The announcement, like earlier ones on theconflict, gives no evidence of having been developed in consultation with thosewho will be most adversely affected by this policy, namely the Palestinians inthe occupied territory. Instead, it willgive a “green light” to further settlement activity and a worsening of theconditions of occupation, including intensified military and police measuresand the further diversion of natural and other resources that benefit onlysettlers.
By reverting to the policy of theReagan Administration, the new policy ignores facts that have been created onthe ground since 1989 (from a settler population then of close to 200,000 to anestimated more than 700,000 at present in the West Bank and EastJerusalem). It also discreditsinternational law such as various provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention --to which Israel is a party -- about theobligations of an occupying power as well as the prevailing internationalconsensus about settlements, most recently articulated in Security Councilresolution 2334 of 2016 (to which all UN member states are bound according tothe UN Charter).
Our distress with this announcementis primarily its impact on the daily life of Palestinians, especially oursisters and brothers in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the HolyLand, but also their Christian and Muslim neighbors. We are also concerned withpolicy changes that further distance the United States from the prevailinginternational consensus on the path toward a negotiated solution to theIsraeli-Palestinian conflict, including respecting human rights standards andinternational law.
God’speace,
The Rev. Elizabeth A.Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical LutheranChurch in America
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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
