June 16, 2007

NEW YORK – In the wake of Hamas' takeover of Gaza and a regrouping Fatah's attempts today to rout Hamas pockets and secure control in the West Bank, global humanitarian agency Church World Service voiced concerns over the possible disintegration of the Palestinian people and called on the U.S. and international community to intensify diplomatic interventions.

In a statement issued yesterday (Fri June 15) Church World Service Executive Director and CEO Rev. John L. McCullough said, "We urge the U.S. to return Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to the region to provide full and unfettered diplomatic support for an accelerated solution to both the current crisis and the long-term cause of the Palestinian people."

McCullough said "The situation of violence and political polarity in Gaza and the West Bank has escalated to a level that not only threatens prospects for a peaceful two-state solution within the region but also the viability of day-to-day life for Palestinians."

Coincidentally if not ironically, CWS executive David Weaver is in Amman, Jordan, this week, attending an international conference for Middle East peace (June 17-21), convened by the World Council of Churches. Following developments, Weaver is maintaining daily contact with the churches in Jerusalem.

The Church World Service statement said the NGO "stands ready to increase its participation with other religious, humanitarian, civic and governmental entities, to unify and escalate our efforts in bringing peace to the Holy Land."

Today CWS acknowledged Israel's agreement to allow food and other basic supplies into the Gaza Strip to help avert a deeper humanitarian crisis and called on the warring factions to support peace accords and "follow international law, United Nations resolutions, human rights mandates, and the tenants of their faith to end the violence and reach accord."

From New York, McCullough said further today, "If other forces had wanted to destroy the strength and wholeness of a people, they couldn't have done it better themselves. The maelstroms of violence and continued, debilitating splintering and pitting of brother against brother are destroying the face of the Middle East and the lives of its people."

Jerusalem Bishop: ‘Could radicalize whole Middle East'

In a related statement from Jerusalem on Thursday, CWS partner in the region Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem Dr. Munib Younan warned that the current Palestinian split could evoke a seismic shakeup. "This could further radicalize the whole Middle East and perhaps tip us over a turning point [toward religious fanaticism] that would be hard to change," Munib said.

"If you want to bring an end to the horrific violence in the Middle East," he urged all, .".. get serious about implementing the two-state solution, begin immediate serious talks about these issues with all sides..."

Munib also pointed a searing finger at the West. "Why," he said, "if the West wants to foster democracy, did they reject the outcome of democratic elections held under occupation with little violence and boycott the new government?

"From Jerusalem I call on international leaders of the world to wake up and see that some of their policies have had devastating negative effects on this conflict and, in fact, the whole Middle East.

"What can one expect in Gaza," Munib said, "when you lock 1.5 million people into a tiny patch of land 20 miles long by 5-10 miles wide, virtually seal the borders except for a small fraction of trade and then completely stop the already meager salaries?"

Church World Service has a long history of relief, development and interfaith support work in the Middle East and last November, with a group of African American church leaders, met with a beleaguered President Abbas during a delegation to the Holy Land.

CWS continues to voice support for President Abbas and also the right of the Palestinian people to elect their government. But, McCullough says, "Hamas and Fatah have a moral obligation to resolve this current crisis through constructive engagement and representative government. They share the responsibility for the sufferings of a people who have suffered far too long, and for the Palestinian blood that now soils the earth.

"We are asking people of good heart throughout the world to join Church World Service in prayer for all the people of this troubled region," McCullough said.

For text of complete statement, see: http://www.churchworldservice.org/news/MiddleEast/2007/statementongaza.html.

Church World Service