12 HOLY LAND CHRISTIAN, CATHOLIC LEADERS CALL ISRAELI, PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENTS TO PEACE
4/5/2006
Catholic Online, CA
April 5 2006
JERUSALEM (Catholic Online) – Twelve church leaders representing
Christian faith communities here have called on Israeli government
officials to resume to peace negotiations and on Palestinian leaders
to send a clear message of peace to Israeli citizens.
The leaders issued the March 29, 2006, statement after the Israeli
voters went to the polls to elect a new Knesset. “This election
does not end the concerns over a possible continuation of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict for long time to come,” they said.
“The vast majority of the Israelis and Palestinians are tired of the
conflict and eager to live in security, peace and justice.”
Among the 12 who issued the statement were Latin-rite Patriarch Michel
Sabbah and Franciscan Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who as “custos”
of the Holy Land is in charge of Christian sites there, as well as
Paul Nabil Sayyah of the Maronite Patriarchal Exarchate, Pierre Malki,
exarch for the Jerusalem Syrian Catholics, and Archimandrite Mtanious
Haddad of Greek Catholic patriarchal exarchate.
Other religious leaders represented Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic
Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox,
Episcopal and Evangelical Lutheran churches in Jerusalem.
Calling Israeli government officials “the dominant decision-makers
for the time being in the Holy Land,” the religious leaders said they
were concerned about “Israeli intentions to proceed in implementing
unilateral measures in the West Bank, while seemingly ignoring the
Palestinians and their democratically-elected leadership” from Hamas.
“We urge the elected Israeli leadership to demonstrate courage and
wisdom by resuming the peace process with the Palestinians,” the
leaders said.
“Unilateral measures will probably bring some temporary solutions, but
such measures will not end the mutual mistrust and misunderstanding
between the two peoples living in this beloved and blessed land,”
they said.
Referring to Hamas’ refusal to drop its stated goal of working toward
the destruction of the state of Israel, the religious leaders urged
“the Palestinian leaders to send a clear message of peace to the
Israeli citizens.”
“Our prayers are with all peoples and leaders, especially those who
will work for peace and justice in the Holy Land based on international
law and resolutions and not on unilateral dictations or violence,”
they said. “As Christian leaders, we are determined to do all we can
to promote peace, mutual understanding and justice amongst all.”
They said that they hoped that there will be “a similar determination”
from Jewish and Muslim leaders here.