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Not long after I got back from church this morning I turned on MSNBC. As usual there was a breaking news blurb across the screen, "US blocks UN Security Council action calling for cease fire in Gaza". The rational the Bush administration uses for this is that Hamas is unlikely to follow any request for calm.
Well if it's unlikely then it wouldn't hurt to allow the UN request for cease fire to go ahead.
This US government, the Bush administration makes all Americans complicit in any killing of civilians that Israel does in Gaza.
Israel says this is going to last a long time. They're fighting "terrorism".
I guess when we preemptorially invaded Iraq a sovereign nation that had done nothing to us we gave all rogue nations the precedent they needed to do the same and fight "terroism".
And in actions such as this in Gaza Israel is acting as a rogue nation would.
An Urgent Appeal for Immediate Cessation of Hostilities in Gaza
Update: IOCC Works to Bring Relief to Gaza
Although it remains difficult to get supplies into Gaza, IOCC [International Orthodox Christian Charities] is working with organizations that have significant operations inside the territory and who are in touch with government officials and United Nations personnel to gain access. [IOCC Representative Dirk] Lackovic-van Gorp reports that the greatest need now is life-saving drugs and medical supplies to equip hospitals which have been forced to turn away the injured.
Help IOCC speed relief to families who have been caught in this conflict. Visit www.IOCC.org, call 1-877-803-4622, or mail a check or money order payable to "IOCC" and write Middle East Relief in the memo line to: IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, MD 21263-0225.
And during this time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, please join us in praying that His peace may reign in the Holy Land and throughout the world.
We of The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America join most of the world in decrying the loss of life and extreme human tragedy unfolding in Gaza before our eyes.
In light of this, we make an urgent appeal to all of the faithful of The Antiochian Archdiocese to immediately contact their elected representatives. Urge them to exert the considerable influence of the U.S. Government to end these hostilities and engage the various parties in a meaningful dialogue to forge a just and lasting peace. At the same time we ask you to keep all of the victims of this tragedy in your daily prayers.
Please click here to contact your U.S. Senators, Members of Congress and the President.
Statement on Gaza Violence and Bishops' Visit to Middle East
December 31, 2008
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
"For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this." (Isaiah 9:5-7)
In this New Year, we turn again to the Lord of hosts – praying urgently for the justice, righteousness and peace hailed by the birth of the newborn babe in the manger, the humble child, the Prince of Peace.
In these days of terrible violence, death and destruction in Gaza and southern Israel, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) joins its voice with all in the region and around the world who call for an immediate ceasefire. The continuing loss of life, infliction of serious injury and devastation of property will only deepen hatred and divisions, and will serve no good end. Lamenting the recent escalation of violence, only negotiations, leading to a two-state solution, will bring about a durable peace with justice for both Israelis and Palestinians.
The ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) are carefully monitoring events in the region as their bishops prepare for their upcoming Academy visit, the planning for which began two years ago. Bishops of both churches have met several times this week by phone, and are united in their assessment that the trip is timelier than ever and should proceed. In keeping with the 2005 ELCA "Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine," the trip emphasizes accompaniment with its Lutheran partners in the region, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF). In this very difficult time, the bishops hope that their presence can be a source of comfort to these partners and manifest support for these ministries.
ELCA congregations are invited to join with the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, including Bishop Munib Younan of the ELCJHL, who have called for this Sunday, January 4, to be "a day for justice and peace in the land of peace." The ELCA joins them in calling upon, "officials of both parties to the conflict to…refrain from all violent acts, which only bring destruction and tragedy, and urge them instead to work to resolve their differences through peaceful and non-violent means." And the ELCA joins them in praying, “for the victims, the wounded and the broken-hearted. May the Lord God Almighty grant all those who have lost loved ones consolation and patience. We pray for all those living in panic and fear, that God may bless them with calm, tranquility and true peace.”
The ELCA and ELCIC bishops invite the continuing prayers of their church members for building peace among Christians, Jews and Muslims and all of the region’s peoples. On behalf of their churches, the bishops offer to their Christian sisters and brothers and to all people affected by the conflict, their steadfast support and their efforts and prayers for peace to prevail and healing to begin.
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Respond to violence in Gaza and Israel
Violence between Hamas and Israel has resulted in an alarmingly high and increasing number of deaths. Innocent people stand in harm’s way in Israel and in Gaza. The people of Gaza already faced a desperate situation before this conflict, with a significant lack of food, medicine, fuel and electricity due to the Israeli blockade. The hospitals are struggling to care for the wounded from the current crisis.
Presbyterians have a deep concern for a just peace and security for all the region’s people, rooted in our long-standing witness in the Middle East.
Violence and destruction will not have the final word. As God’s people, celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace, we are called to work for peace. Learn how you can respond through prayer, financial support of humanitarian efforts and advocacy.
Churches urge U.S. action to restore cease fire in Gaza
Written by staff reports
December 29, 2008
UCC-supported Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 22 national church bodies, is urging prompt action by the U.S. government to end the Gaza violence.
In a letter to President Bush, CMEP urged the U.S. government to take action to restore the cease fire between Israel and Gaza. A copy of the letter also went to President-elect Barack Obama.
"We at CMEP mourn the losses suffered," said CMEP Executive Director Warren Clark. "Looking forward, we call on the Bush Administration, along with international partners, to take a proactive role now to restore the cease fire, end the blockade and restore security to Gaza's borders."
Here is the text of the letter:
December 29, 2008
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
During your presidency, we have often written to you, both recognizing the important steps you have taken to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict and asking you to do more to achieve peace. As representatives of twenty-two U.S. national churches and church organizations we write today with an unprecedented sense of urgency and foreboding because of the current Gaza violence.
As people of faith, we care deeply about the welfare of both Israelis and Palestinians and deplore the violent deaths of those caught in this conflict. We reject all justifications for the unconscionable Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza into Israel. We similarly reject the Israeli response as disproportionate and believe that it is likely to strengthen extremists and undermine moderates in the region. While we appreciate Secretary Rice's statement of December 27 calling for an immediate cease-fire, there must now be prompt action by your Administration to help bring about an end to the violence.
It is not enough for the United States to urge "Israel to avoid civilian targets," particularly in light of Israel's stated intention to continue, expand, and intensify its current offensive. If this spiraling violence continues, both Palestinians and Israelis will suffer and the risk of a broader confrontation will increase. There can be no military solution to this conflict. Only a political solution will bring a durable peace to both Palestinians and Israelis.
In addition to the escalating hostilities, the continued closure of Gaza with the cutoff or delay of vital food, fuel, electricity and adequate access to medical attention for the residents of Gaza must be addressed quickly and responsibly. We are confident that U.S. engagement, together with international partners including Egypt, can help restore the cease-fire, end the border blockade, and establish real security at Gaza's borders.
We recognize that while the immediate renewal of a ceasefire in Gaza and southern Israel is essential, in the long-term only the realization of a just and lasting two-state solution can provide a secure and prosperous future for all the people of the Holy Land. That is the vision of peace you began with the Road Map and continued at Annapolis over a year ago to which we continue to be committed.
Our prayers are with you as well as with all those Palestinians and Israelis who are suffering, living in fear or have lost loved ones in this difficult time. Sincerely, Warren Clark Maureen Shea Executive Director Chair, Executive Committee Churches for Middle East Peace Churches for Middle East Peace Thomas, Watkins sign letter to Bush urging 'decisive U.S. leadership' in Middle East Leaders of the UCC and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have signed a letter to President Bush calling for “immediate, visible and decisive The Rev. John H. Thomas, UCC general minister and president, and the Rev. Sharon Watkins, the Disciples’ general minister and president, were among those who signed the Dec. 31 letter from leaders of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East. “The toll in human deaths and suffering, the negative effects on progress in negotiations for peace and the risks of wider war caused by this escalation of violence cannot be allowed to continue,” the letter reads. The full text of the letter is below. December 31, 2008 President George W. Bush We write as leaders of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace to urge you to take immediate action to help end the escalation of violence between Hamas and The toll in human deaths and suffering, the negative effects on progress in negotiations for peace and the risks of wider war caused by this escalation of violence cannot be allowed to continue. Immediate, visible and decisive As religious leaders, we will encourage our faith communities to support active
Written by staff reports
December 31, 2008
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President,
Statements from around the Communion on the Situation in Gaza.
Related Categories: ACO
'Watching the news, I could not help but join in the tears of Jesus, who wept over the land of his birth, and prayed for peace to reign' the Archbishop of Cape Town said.
Archbishop of Canterburys’s statement on Gaza
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has made the following statement regarding the current situation in Gaza:
The spiralling violence in Gaza tragically illustrates the fact that the cycle of mutual threat and retaliation have no lasting effect except to reinforce the misery and insecurity of everyone in the region. I want to express my grief and sympathy for the innocent lives lost in this latest phase of violence. People of all faiths in this country will want to join their voices to the statements of the Christian Muslim Forum and the Council of Christians and Jews in urging a return to the ceasefire and efforts to secure a lasting peace. We must unite in urging all those who have the power to halt this spiral of violence to do so.
Those raising the stakes through the continuation of indiscriminate violence seem to have forgotten nothing and learned nothing. It must surely be clear that, whilst peace will not wipe out the memory of all past wrongs, it is the only basis for the future flourishing of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. The recent statement by the Patriarchs and Heads of Church in Jerusalem reflects a clear awareness that there can be no winners if the current situation is allowed to persist. Its continuation can only condemn ordinary Palestinian and Israeli citizens to the prospect of another year of fear and suffering.
Urgent humanitarian needs have arisen through the attacks on Gaza and Israel and they demand a generous response to local appeals for support, such as that issued by the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem for its hospital in Gaza. But this humanitarian response, both local and international, needs to be matched by redoubled efforts in the political sphere.
The prophet Zechariah declared, "Not by might and not by power, but by my spirit says the Lord of Hosts". The New Year is an opportunity for a new initiative that will set the tone for what lies ahead. Religious leaders, most particularly those of the region, have an urgent responsibility in supporting the search for peace and reconciliation. But it is the political leaders and opinion-formers who hold the key to implementing the necessary changes that can bring hope. Can they not agree a period of truce as the New Year begins, so that the communities of the Holy Land may once again explore how common security might at last begin to replace the mechanical rhythms of mutual threat? Might the outgoing and incoming Presidents of the USA combine to make such an appeal and pursue its implementation?
The Anglican Communion worldwide stands alongside other religious communities and humanitarian organisations in its commitment to supporting any such initiative. Without such a sign of hope, the future for the Holy Land and the whole region is one of more fear, innocent suffering and destruction.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The statement by Imam Dr Musharraf Hussain and The Rt Revd Dr Richard Cheetham, Co-Chairs of the 'Christian Muslim Forum' is available at: http://www.christianmuslimforum.org/subpage.asp?id=325
The statement by The Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, Chair of the 'Council of Christians and Jews' is available at: http://www.ccj.org.uk/
The statement by the Patriarchs and Heads of Church in Jerusalem is available at: http://www.lpj.org/newsite2006/news/2008/12/gaza-message-en-headschrches2008.html
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