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Church leaders welcome American role in Mideast peace efforts
2002-161-1
6/25/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
American church leaders representing the nation's mainline Protestant churches, as well as Catholic groups, welcomed the renewed U.S. involvement in Mideast peace efforts as reflected in President George W. Bush's June 24 address.
While most of the media focused on the president's call for new Palestinian leadership, 'in reality he made significant demands of Israel, too,' said the Rev. Daryl Byler, director of the Mennonite Central Committee's Washington office. The president challenged Israel 'to take concrete steps to support the emergence of a viable, credible Palestinian state,' steps that 'would lead to an end of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory,' he added. 'I am pleased that the president recognizes that both parties must work hard to reestablish the peace process,' he said in a release from Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), a coalition of denominational offices and agencies responsible for monitoring peace efforts.
Byler and other church leaders praised the president for committing himself to a process that could end Israeli occupation and reach a negotiated settlement based on U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338.
'President Bush showed the American people an understanding of 'the deep anger and despair' felt not only by the Israeli people but also by the Palestinian people,' said CMEP director Corinne Whitlatch. 'In that context, and with the long history of this conflict, it makes sense that both Palestinians and Israelis could use more forward-looking leadership--persons who would show increased willingness to implement this far-ranging vision for peace.'
The Rev. San DeBoe of the Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes, chair of the CMEP board, said that he hopes the president enables Secretary of State Colin Powell to follow through with the peace process. 'President Bush showed that he understands the need for international involvement to move the process forward and demonstrated his trust in Secretary Powell to do that on behalf of the United States.'
'Palestinian reform cannot take place within the existing situation of curfews, closures, demolitions, assassinations, and military actions,' DeBoe added. 'Israel must guarantee freedom of movement within the West Bank and Gaza so that positive reform can happen and popular support for terrorist acts can end.' Byler said that the president 'was most eloquent in reminding us that the time has arrived for everyone in this conflict to choose peace, hope and life.'
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