June 8, 2005

CHICAGO – The presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) thanked U.S. President George W. Bush for his recent public statements supporting the "Road Map" to Middle East peace and said Bush's May 26 meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was "an encouraging sign" of the Administration's effort to bring about peace in the region.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson wrote to Bush the day after the White House meeting with Abbas. Hanson is also president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a global communion of churches representing 66 million Lutherans worldwide.

Three ELCA synod bishops who returned from a visit to the region wrote a letter of their own to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in which they addressed specific concerns about the treatment of Palestinians.

Hanson and several other religious leaders have advocated for the "Road Map," a Middle East peace plan proposed by the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union. In his letter Hanson told the president that the ELCA and LWF have "deep ties" to the Palestinian Lutheran community and a commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East.

Bush pledged $50 million in aid to the Palestinians when he met with Abbas. Hanson said he called the Rev. Munib A.Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, following Bush's remarks.

"He (Younan) reminded me that the challenge now is to see the manifestation of that commitment for the life of the people in their local communities," Hanson wrote to Bush. "Several things – consistent with the Road Map – are essential in the movement toward peace: the end of all violence, cessation of the expansion of the settlements, removal of the checkpoints, a halt to the construction of the separation barrier/wall on Palestinian lands, aid for humanitarian relief and economic development."

Hanson urged Bush to continue his "strong public and private leadership, urging both sides toward such resolution."

Hanson also addressed a specific LWF concern to Bush, an Israeli tax case against Augusta Victoria Hospital, an LWF facility in East Jerusalem that serves Palestinians. The State of Israel went to an Israeli court to require that the hospital pay an employer's tax from which it had been exempt since 1967. In 2002 the court ruled in Israel's favor, which may mean the hospital could be required to pay an estimated $350,000 annually in employer's taxes, threatening the hospital's operations. The Israeli Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on the LWF's appeal of the case.

The hospital "is a marvelous example of the cooperation of people of differing faiths for the sake of the healing of humanity," Hanson wrote to Bush. "As your Administration is aware, an important decision on this case is scheduled to be made in September 2005. Anything that you or representatives of your Administration can do to urge the Israeli Government not only to resolve this lingering tax case but also to permit Augusta Victoria Hospital to continue its vital work would be greatly appreciated."

Synod Bishops Address Palestinian Treatment Concerns to Rice

At the invitation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, three ELCA synod bishops toured the Middle East May 9-19. The bishops were the Rev. Roy G. Almquist, Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, Norristown; the Rev. Kevin S. Kanouse, Northern Texas – Northern Louisiana Synod, Dallas; and the Rev. Gerald L. Mansholt, Central States Synod, Kansas City, Mo. The bishops traveled at their own expense, they said.

In a June 1 letter to Rice, the bishops said they are strong supporters of the State of Israel and its right to exist. They also said that they endorse the longstanding alliance between the United States and Israel.

The bishops said they "were profoundly distressed to discover the great harm that the people of Palestine are enduring as a result of the Israeli occupation and particularly Israel's recent actions that have established arbitrary limitations on the movement of Palestinian people among the West Bank, Jerusalem and the region of Gaza, a policy that has (been) encouraged and is symbolized by the erection of the ‘Security Wall.'"

The bishops said they spoke with church leaders and Israelis and Palestinians during the trip. Palestinians are suffering because of "arbitrary and discriminatory practices and policies by the State of Israel," the bishops said.

"In what we believe is a clear violation of international law, Israel is placing the Security Wall in such a way as to clearly sever Arab people from their fields and their livelihoods," the bishops wrote. "Israel refuses to grant reasonable requests for building permits for Palestinian people. At the same time, almost nothing is done to prevent illegal placement of Jewish settlements on Arab land and, once established, these settlers are granted many advantages, including protection through Security Walls and fences. The checkpoints that are a daily event for Arab people cause terrible disruptions and delays, even death, often for no apparent reason."

The bishops explained that they were writing to Rice because they believed the United States "is the only force" that can influence Israeli policies. They pointed out "unacceptable realities" such as economic distress and persecution which are threatening a Christian presence in the Holy Land; some religious sites, such as Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, are inaccessible to Christians and others who would like to visit them; the Security Wall, intended for Israel's security, which is a source of "anger and outrage among the Palestinians" and has the effect of stealing valuable land from the Palestinian people;" and the "highly arbitrary policy" of the State of Israel in destroying Palestinian homes which the bishops said "is a great source of pain and sadness."

The bishops said they "strongly condemn" acts of brutality and terrorism, focused on innocent civilians. They said they told Palestinians that such actions and the so-called second intifada are "futile."

The bishops also asked Rice to meet with ELCA and LWF officials about the tax case involving Augusta Victoria Hospital. "We call on you to encourage the Government of Israel to preserve the LWF's comprehensive tax exemption," they wrote.

"In the hope that it is not too late, we urge you and the Bush Administration to do all that you can to encourage Israel to stop the excessive acts that diminish the life of the Palestinian people and expropriate from them land that is vital for Palestinian expansion and agriculture," the bishops wrote. "We say in a precious American statement that we are committed to ‘liberty and justice for all.' That is what we seek for both the people of Israel and the Palestinian people," the bishops' letter concluded.

ELCA News Service