November 27, 2000

TO: CRC Directors

FROM: Karen Senter, Assistant Executive Vice Chair

RE: Response to Bishops’ Statement on the Middle East

As you may be aware, the U.S. Catholic Bishops, at meetings in Washington recently, approved a resolution entitled, "Returning to the Path of Peace in the Middle East." The Bishops’ statement addresses several important issues in a positive way. At the same time, concerns have been raised about the omission of other points that are seen as important to a full understanding of the situation at the present time. Attached is a copy of the Bishops’ statement. Also enclosed are responses issued by the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, and the National Synagogue Council. In dealing with any inquiries you may receive, and in discussions with community members or interfaith colleagues, you may wish to make use of these statements and to note the following:

The Bishops’ resolution makes a number of important positive statements.

  • It condemns the violence.
  • It calls for a return to the path of negotiated peace.
  • It deplores the actions of extremists, in the Middle East and elsewhere.
  • It condemns acts that are anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, or anti-Christian.
  • It calls on the U.S. to continue its efforts to revive the peace process in a way that "does not acquiesce to unilateral actions, which undermine negotiations."
  • It states that the demands of peace include "respect for Israel’s right to exist and flourish within secure borders."

It omits or does not fully clarify other points. For example:

  • The statement does not acknowledge the impact of the PA’s unwillingness to curb the violence, which must precede a return to negotiations.
  • It does not deal with the failure of the PA to protect religious liberties and religious sites, although the Church has frequently emphasized in past statements that such protections must be guaranteed.
  • The Bishops call for a Palestinian state but do not acknowledge the risks Israel was prepared to take in that direction and the important progress made as a result of Israeli overtures, subsequently spurned by the Palestinians.
  • The statement repeats the call, issued previously by the Church, for an "internationally guaranteed statute" to protect and ensure free access to religious holy sites, when it has in fact been Israel’s policy since 1967 to protect and to guarantee access to all religious sites.
  • The statement deplores the plight of Lebanon as a nation under occupation but does not make it clear that, at this point in time, Syria is the only occupying force in Lebanon.

As always, feel free to consult with the JCPA if you have questions about this material or need additional assistance.

 

Returning to the Path of Peace in the Middle East
U.S. Catholic Conference
November 15, 2000


We are shocked and saddened by the current disastrous events in the Middle East. In his November 7, 2000 letter to Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah described this ongoing tragedy: "Our people in the Holy Land are living gloomy days during which the dream of peace which seemed very close is now vanishing away. Violence, retaliation, fear, death, unemployment, the end of the peace process summarize our situation today."

We are deeply disturbed by efforts of extremists, in the region and abroad, who incite and intensify religious conflict through inflammatory rhetoric, and anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim and anti-Christian acts. The Holy Land must be a symbol of peace, love and unity, not a source of religious hatred and violence.

Despite the events of the past six weeks, it is not naive or utopian to insist that the season of peace in the Middle East has not passed, that Palestinians and Israelis are not inevitably destined for yet more years of conflict. Reviving the peace process in the Middle East is not only possible, it is the only realistic way forward. Muslims, Jews and Christians, Palestinians and Israelis cannot separate themselves into walled enclaves; they must find ways to live together, as equals and in dignity. This is impossible amidst an escalating cycle of provocations, threats, violence, excessive force, and reprisals, all of which only compound injustice and inflame hatred and fear. The only acceptable option is an end to the violence, respect for the basic human rights of all, and a return to the path of peace.

While the peace process has led to significant progress in some areas, it cannot be denied that it has also created deep resentment about unfulfilled promises and unmet expectations. Nonetheless, as the Holy Father recently said, "Only a return to the negotiating table on an equal footing, with due respect for international law, is capable of disclosing a future of brotherhood and peace for those who live in this blessed land ." He continued, "[A]ll individuals [must] see their fundamental rights guaranteed: both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people are equally entitled to live in their own homeland in dignity and security" (Letter to the Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, November 6, 2000).

A just peace demands speedy implementation of relevant UN resolutions and other provisions of international law, and the establishment of an internationally-recognized Palestinian state. A just peace equally demands respect for Israel's right to exist and flourish within secure borders. The future of the Middle East must be built on mutual respect, recognition and reconciliation, not hatred or exclusion or occupation. We urge the U.S. government to continue to work tirelessly to revive the peace process, and we pray that it will do so in a way that is truly balanced, does not acquiesce to unilateral actions which undermine negotiations, and that responds with respect to the legitimate claims and expectations of both parties.

Any peace settlement between Israelis and Palestinians must address the future of the Holy City of Jerusalem. During his historic visit to the Holy Land, our Holy Father witnessed to the universal religious significance of Jerusalem, calling for Jerusalem to be "a City of Peace for all peoples" (March 23, 2000). The Holy See believes the difficult issues of territory and sovereignty should be resolved by negotiations. It also has repeatedly urged "an internationally guaranteed statute for the most religious parts of this unique city" (Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, March 9, 1999). Such a statute would provide guarantees for equality of rights for all residents, freedom of religion for all, and free access to and protection of the Holy Places.

While attention is rightly focused on the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, a comprehensive Middle East peace must address the situation in Lebanon as well. We are dismayed by the deteriorating situation in some areas of that country, and we fully support the call of the Maronite Patriarch and bishops for an open national dialogue. We share with them a heightened concern over the flight of young people from the country. It is gravely troubling that, a decade after the close of the civil war, Lebanon is not yet a fully sovereign state. We call on the government of the United States to work energetically for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon, and for respect for its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence.

In the pursuit of a just peace for all in the region, the Christian presence in the Holy Land must not be forgotten. We fear that the continuing fighting and growing despair about the future will further marginalize the Christian community and will accelerate the departure of Christians from the Holy Land. These endangered Christian communities in the Holy Land merit, in a special way, the support and solidarity of Christians around the world.

We join our Conference president, Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, in asking the faithful to pray from the beginning of Advent to Epiphany for a genuine peace in the Holy Land, and in recommending voluntary fasting and abstinence on Fridays during the same period, in accord with our call in The Challenge of Peace (1983).

With our Holy Father and our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and we ask Jews, Christians, and Muslims to join us in beseeching God Most High that by his grace "justice and peace may embrace" (Ps. 85) in the sacred land we all love. What people cannot do by themselves, God in his mercy can surely bring to fruition.

 

 

ADL Dismayed by Catholic Conference Statement on Mideast Conflict

New York, NY, November 17, 2000 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed dismay at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement on the situation in the Middle East, saying it "sidesteps the underlying problem of the Palestinian Authority’s unwillingness to curb the violence."

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

We are dismayed by the position taken by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops on the situation in the Middle East. In their efforts to deal with this issue even-handedly, they sidestep the underlying problem of the Palestinian Authority’s unwillingness to curb the violence or to protect Jewish holy sites from being vandalized and desecrated. We appreciate their calls for a return to negotiations and for secure borders for Israel, but this cannot happen without the full cessation of hostilities on the part of the Palestinians.
Furthermore, the Catholic Bishops call for international guarantees for the protection of religious holy sites, but access to these sites have never been denied under Israeli sovereignty. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for when the Arabs have had control of these sites.




American Jewish Committee Disappointed in American Catholic Bishops Statement

NEW YORK, November 15, 2000…The American Jewish Committee issued the following statement, reacting to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement on the Middle East adopted today in Washington:

"The American Jewish Committee is disappointed for what is omitted in the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ message, "Returning to the Path of Peace in the Middle East."

"Anyone following the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks should know that the Palestinians were well on their way to establishing an independent state, and Israel had made far-reaching proposals over the summer toward reaching a permanent peace agreement and an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

"Israel’s outstretched hand for peace was spurned by the Palestinians who, led by their political and religious leaders, launched the campaign of violence against Israel seven weeks ago, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah as Jewish worshipers gathered at Judaism’s holy site, the Western Wall.

"Notwithstanding that recent history of progress, the NCCB statement also calls for "an internationally-recognized Palestinian state." But it does not specifically call upon the Palestinian Authority to fully respect the religious liberties of its citizens in the proposed state, even though this important issue was enunciated in an earlier Vatican statement.

"That is all the more troubling given the Palestinians’ desecration of Jewish Holy Places including the ancient synagogue in Jericho and Joseph’s Tomb, and the calls by some Muslim religious leaders for attacks on Jews worldwide. These obscene words and deeds simply can not be tolerated by religious leaders and we are deeply disappointed that the NCCB did not address this sinister and odious issue.

"Also disturbing is the failure of the NCCB to mention the willful strategy of firing on a Jewish neighborhood from Beit Jalla, a predominantly Christian neighborhood in Jerusalem.

"We would have hoped an organization such as the NCCB would speak out on behalf of the Palestinian children, too many of whom have died senselessly in recent weeks, because the Palestinian Authority sent them into harm’s way in confrontations with Israelis.

"Finally, we are disappointed in the bishops’ reference to Lebanon. While the American bishops appropriately urge "the withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon," they do not mention Syria by name, the one country that still has its armed forces in Lebanon – and truly is the occupying power in Lebanon. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in May, where Hizbollah terrorists continuously threatened Israeli communities along the border.

"Our disappointments in the NCCB statement is all the greater because the American Jewish Committee has worked in close cooperation with the NCCB on a host of shared concerns and issues for nearly four decades and we do look forward to strengthening this relationship in the future.

"Hopefully, in the future the NCCB will speak out on these profoundly important points. By so doing, it will help achieve the just and lasting peace in the Middle East that all people of good will ardently seek."

 

National Council of Synagogues

Union of American Hebrew Congregations United Synagogue of America

Central Conference of American Rabbis The Rabbinical Assembly

3080 Broadway ¨ New York, NY 10027 ¨ 212/280-6000

2027 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. ¨ Washington, D.C. 20036 ¨ 202/387-2800

 

M E M O R A N D U M

November 27, 2000

To: Conservative and Reform Congregations

Other Interested Parties

From: National Council of Synagogues

Rabbi Joel Zaiman

Rabbi Michael Signer, Judith Hertz

Re: National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Statement on

"Returning to the Path of Peace in the Middle East"

As you may know, last week the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) held its annual meeting in Washington. They issued a number of major new policy statements, including a groundbreaking paper on criminal justice issues.* They also issued a statement reacting to the current crisis in the Middle East. That statement, "Returning to the Path of Peace in the Middle East," is a constructive and irenic restatement of the Catholic Churches approach to the Middle East. (The statement is available online at http://www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/middleast.htm. It is also available from our offices.)

Overall, the statement is a balanced one, in places aggressively so. For example, the statement notes that the Bishops are "deeply disturbed by efforts of extremists, in the region and abroad, who incite and intensify religious conflict through inflammatory rhetoric, and anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim and anti-Christian acts." The statement argues that "Muslims, Jews and Christians, Palestinians and Israelis cannot separate themselves into walled enclaves; they must find ways to live together, as equals and in dignity." It also quotes Pope John Paul II’s observation that "Only a return to the negotiating table on an equal footing, with due respect for international law, is capable of disclosing a future of brotherhood and peace for those who live in this blessed land."

On Jerusalem, the NCCB statement is a restatement of the Church’s previously articulated policy. It says, "The Holy See believes the difficult issues of territory and sovereignty should be resolved by negotiations. It also has repeatedly urged ‘an internationally guaranteed statute for the most religious parts of this unique city’ (Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, March 9, 1999). Such a statute would provide guarantees for equality of rights for all residents, freedom of religion for all, and free access to and protection of the Holy Places." This, of course, is not the view of the Israeli government, but nor is it an attack on Israeli sovereignty or a call for internationalization.

In key passages, the NCCB’s language is quite constructive: "A just peace equally demands respect for Israel’s right to exist and flourish within secure borders. The future of the Middle East must be built on mutual respect, recognition and reconciliation, not hatred or exclusion or occupation. We urge the U.S. government to continue to work tirelessly to revive the peace process, and we pray that it will do so in a way that is truly balanced, does not acquiesce to unilateral actions which undermine negotiations, and that responds with respect to the legitimate claims and expectations of both parties." The call for continued American leadership is particularly welcome.

We had not originally thought to comment on the statement, which is a rather modest reformulation of existing NCCB policy. But since the NCCB statement has come under some criticism, notably from the American Jewish Committee (their press release is available on their website at http://www.ajc.org/press/default.htm?show.asp?ID=158) and the Anti-Defamation League (their press release is available on their website at http://www.adl.org/frames/front_news.html) , we thought it would be helpful to share these quick reactions. (The AJCommittee and ADL statements are also available from our offices.) Although we do not take issue with the substance of their concerns, we believe they miss the nature of this NCCB statement. This is not a major statement, and it should not be expected to cover the waterfront. It needs to be read in context of the Church’s other, more detailed, policy papers, which address most of AJComittee and ADL’s concerns.

It is worth noting that this statement, and others by the Catholic Church, stand in stark contrast to the much more one-sided statements coming from some Protestant denominations. We urge you to reach out to the Catholic leadership in your communities, to begin (or continue!) a dialogue on these issues.

The NCCB statement notes that "Despite the events of the past six weeks, it is not naive or utopian to insist that the season of peace in the Middle East has not passed, that Palestinians and Israelis are not inevitably destined for yet more years of conflict. Reviving the peace process in the Middle East is not only possible, it is the only realistic way forward." To that we might add only, "amen."