Gaza crisis must be resolved, Christian leaders urge Condoleezza Rice

CMEP writes Secretary of State ahead of Middle East visit

By Matthew Davies, March 02, 2008 [Episcopal News Service] Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has written to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ahead of her March 3-5 trip to the Middle East, asking that she "take urgent action to address the still unresolved Gaza crisis." 

The leaders of U.S. Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches and church-related organizations that make up CMEP bemoaned the "continuing violence and suffering experienced by Palestinians and Israelis" that "is hindering progress on the peace process" and also creating "conditions that pose a particular threat to the small Christian community in Gaza." 

Israel's blockade of Gaza, which began on January 17, has created severe fuel and food shortages, causing humanitarian hardship throughout the territory. Israeli officials have said the blockade has been necessary to put pressure on militant Palestinians to stop firing rockets into southern Israel.

The February 29 CMEP letter, signed by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, notes particular concern for innocent civilians caught up in the conflict. "The blockade of Gaza and the frequent occurrence of rocket attacks against southern Israel cannot be tolerated," the letter said. "The blockade results in power outages, water and food shortages and a lack of adequate access to medical supplies that create a humanitarian crisis felt by all Gazans, while rocket attacks on Israel have targeted civilians indiscriminately and made normal life impossible in the areas affected."

Rice will travel to Egypt to discuss peace process negotiations and the situation in Gaza with government representatives, followed by meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders "to support their ongoing bilateral dialogue and the serious effort underway to achieve agreement this year on the establishment of a Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel in peace and security," according to a February 28 press statement from the U.S. Department of State. 

The CMEP leaders registered their concern about the possibility of "a larger military confrontation" if action is not taken soon. They welcomed Rice's February 22 statement "announcing additional U.S. resources to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza and recognizing that improvements on the ground are necessary to the peace process. We join together to ask you to work with the international community to achieve a ceasefire, end the blockade, and establish real security at Gaza's borders." 

The Ahli Arab Hospital, one of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem's oldest institutions, has been severely affected by the blockade as it relies on fuel to operate its generator and steam boiler to enable it to remain open and continue to serve the community. 

"The current closure and separation of Gaza has increased violence and humanitarian hardship," the CMEP letter states. "It also is not compatible with the vision of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state living in peace alongside a secure Israel for which [Rice] and President Bush have so eloquently called." 

The CMEP leaders noted "particular distress" about the February 15 bombing of the Gaza YMCA, where gunmen overpowered two guards and blew up its library, destroying thousands of books. "Though authorities in Gaza have denounced this action, it follows the killing of a Christian bookseller last fall and is symptomatic of the deteriorating social conditions and instability that threaten the safety of all the residents of Gaza," the CMEP letter said. "A reduction of tensions in Gaza and the easing of daily life will strengthen the tiny Christian community just as progress on the peace process will help sustain Christian communities elsewhere in the region. Such steps are vital to preserving the cultural and religious pluralism that has long enriched the Middle East." 

Urging Rice to use her upcoming visit "to resolve the Gaza crisis and enable substantive progress forward on peace negotiations," the CMEP leaders said: "We believe that all the children of Abraham should be able to live in the 'land of milk and honey' free of violence and insecurity and with the ability to provide a positive future for their families."

A pdf of the CMEP letter is available here.

-- Matthew Davies is editor of Episcopal Life Online and Episcopal Life Media correspondent for the Anglican Communion.

» Respond to this article

Browse by Topic:

Browse by Topic »   Anglican and Global Relations   Children, Youth and Young Adults   Congregational Ministries   Ecumenical and Interfaith   Education   Ethnic Ministries   Executive Council   FEAST: Faith, Environment, Action, Science, Technology   General Convention   House of Bishops   Liturgy and Music   Millennium Development Goals   Peace and Justice   Presiding Bishop   Program, Budget and Finance   Women and the Church