The delegation expressed the hope that
the international conference will involve not only Israel and the
Palestinian Authority, but also all of Israel’s neighbors, i.e.,
Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as Saudi Arabia, and that
the conference agenda will address all the important issues related to
resolving the conflict, including Israeli-Palestinian final status
issues related to borders and security arrangements, settlements,
refugees and Jerusalem. The delegation also raised the idea that the
National Interreligious Leadership Initiative, representing 37 Jewish,
Christian and Muslim leaders, including heads of twenty-five national
organizations, might do something public, possibly including a meeting
with the President, to demonstrate public support for the goals of the
international conference.
Taking note of recent high level,
official Syrian and Israeli interest in talks, the fact that Syria is
an endorser of the Arab Peace Initiative, and that U.S. hosted
Israeli-Syrian negotiations in 1995 and 2000 achieved substantial
progress toward a peace agreement, consistent with the Baker-Hamilton
Report recommendations, the religious leaders urged that the United
States offer to facilitate restarting Israeli-Syrian negotiations as
part of preparation for the Fall meeting.
The leaders expressed support for
Secretary Rice’s ongoing initiative of meeting regularly with Israeli
and Palestinian leaders to achieve specific improvements on the ground
and to develop common understandings about possible mutually
acceptable solutions for final status issues, including refugees and
Jerusalem. While appreciating the challenges and noting that there
has been some progress on security cooperation and release of
Palestinian prisoners, the delegation expressed the view that the U.S.
needs to press harder for more speedy progress on specific steps by
both sides, including the Palestinian Authority disbanding militias
and confiscating illegal weapons and Israel removing illegal outposts,
halting settlement expansion, and improving freedom of movement. The
religious leaders pledged united support for determined U.S. efforts
to achieve substantial progress in the coming weeks on these steps and
on principles to resolve final status issues as part of creating a
positive context for the international peace conference.
In a follow-up letter to Under
Secretary Burns, the religious leaders also urged that the United
States immediately work for a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza and the
West Bank, a goal that in recent months Prime Minister Olmert,
President Abbas and Hamas leaders all have supported. The religious
leaders believe that a ceasefire would not only reduce suffering and
relieve fears on both sides, but also would create a context in which
other essential steps would be politically more possible. Recalling
the frustration that former Quartet Representative James Wolfensohn
experienced in part due to the narrowness of his mandate and given the
integral relationship between halting violence and generating economic
progress, the leaders urged that Tony Blair, as the new Quartet
Representative, be directly involved in efforts to achieve a
comprehensive ceasefire.
. While the religious
leaders expressed understanding and support for current U.S. policy of
working with President Abbas and they support increasing effectively
monitored humanitarian and development assistance to Palestinians in
the West Bank and in Gaza, they believe the split in governance
between Gaza and the West Bank is not consistent with the goal of a
durable, negotiated peace between the Palestinian people and Israel.
Appreciating Secretary Rice’s July 18 statement that, “There is one
Palestinian people and there should be one Palestinian state,” the
religious leaders delegation urged that in the lead-up to the
interntional conference, the United States should quietly support
efforts to form a united Palestinian government – whether by
negotiations or new elections – that can represent Palestinians in the
West Bank and Gaza and is committed to rejecting violence, respecting
previous agreements, and negotiating a two-state solution with Israel.
The religious leaders thanked Under
Secretary Burns for this dialogue process and said they looked forward
to meeting in September as preparations for the Fall peace meeting go
forward. The leaders emphasized that there is substantial majority
support in churches, synagogues and mosques across the country for
active, fair and firm U.S. leadership for Arab-Israeli-Palestinian
peace. They reiterated their offer to arrange a public manifestation
of support for the international peace conference this fall.
*The National Interreligious Leadership Delegation that met with
Under Secretary Burns included:
Archbishop Aykasian Vicken, Armenian Orthodox Church in America; Dr.
Stephen Colecchi (for Cardinal McCarrick), United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops; Bishop John Schol and Rev. James Winkler, United
Methodist Church; Rev. Canon Brian Grieves, The Episcopal Church;
Catherine Gordon (for Rev. Cliff Kirkpatrick) Presbyterian Church USA;
Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism;
Rabbi Amy Small, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; Dr. Sayyid
Syeed, Islamic Society of North America; Dawud Assad, Council of
Mosques, USA; and Ronald Young, Consultant, National Interreligious
Leadership Initiative (NILI).
The
December ’06 National Interreligious Leadership Initiative consensus
statement, “Arab-Israeli-Palestinian Peace: From Crisis to Hope,”
endorsed by 37 Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders, including heads
of 25 national organizations, is available by E-mail from: usicpme@aol.com
