March 19, 2009
By Matthew Davies

Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani, Greek Catholic Archbishop Elias Chacour and Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan were granted permission to enter Gaza March 10 to make a pastoral visit to the Al Ahli Arab Hospital, an institution of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.

Dawani and Younan had both been denied entry into Gaza by Israeli authorities on February 4 despite having been informed that their request for permits had been granted.

While Israel withdrew its military and settlers from Gaza in 2005, it continues to maintain control over entry into the Palestinian territory via land, air, and sea. A March 10 press release from the U.S. Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., said the bishops had been denied entry because they "are legal residents of the State of Israel," adding that "Israeli citizens and legal residents are prohibited from entering the Gaza Strip for security reasons and out of concern for their safety."

However, the Jerusalem diocese had reported in a February 4 press release that "the stated decision by the Israeli authorities to deny them entry was that they were both Palestinians, even though both hold Jerusalem Israeli identification."

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Bishop Mark Hanson wrote a joint letter to His Excellency Sallai Meridor, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., on February 5 expressing their "grave concern" about the bishops' denial of entry and noting that the purpose of their visit was pastoral.

"We hope that, having discovered the cause of their denial, you will assure that they will be permitted to enter as soon as possible to offer support and pastoral care to the people they serve," the bishops said.

The Israeli Embassy's March 10 release said that its Minister Counselor Martin Peled-Flax had told reporters that "it is indeed unfortunate that both the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seized upon the February 4 incident in order to imply that Israel was denying Palestinian clergymen the ability to perform their pastoral duties. It is truly a shame that both of the American church bodies chose to turn what was a resolvable issue into an excuse for disseminating a baseless and slanted account of the incident."

The embassy release said that on March 10 "a special pastoral exemption was made for both bishops so that they could fulfill their religious duties." Maureen Shea, director of government relations for the Episcopal Church, had also contacted the Israel Embassy. She said, "Our hope is that having found these entry issues resolvable, the Israeli authorities will continue to grant permission for pastoral visits as Gazan Christians rebuild their lives."

During their visit, the three church leaders "made their way through the badly damaged area of northern Gaza to the hospital, which has served over 400 casualties during the recent crisis," a March 19 news release from the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem said.

The Al Ahli Arab Hospital serves as a beacon of hope to Gaza's embattled Palestinian community. Throughout Israel's 22-day military offensive, which ended January 18, the hospital tended to the wounded despite challenges of being surrounded by conflict, diminishing medical supplies, and staff fatigue.

Home to 1.5 million people, Gaza is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, but its Christian community numbers fewer than 3,500.

"The Christian presence must be empowered and must remain in the Holy Land," said Dawani during his visit, encouraging Gazan Christians to "look forward and build up what has been destroyed, to keep faith and hope in the future, and carry on living in hope of a more normal situation despite all the hardships they have been facing."

The three church leaders visited staff and patients in the hospital, "reassuring all of their concern and support," the diocesan news release said. "Taking time to pray in the hospital church for the dead and wounded in the January conflict, as well as for peace in the region, bishops Dawani and Younan, and Archbishop Chacour toured the hospital grounds, with gratitude for the minimal structural damage despite the windows which blew out."

The increased demands on the hospital have stretched its capability beyond its normal capacity. "Nevertheless, the entire hospital staff continues to provide exemplary care for all in need, regardless of faith or ability to pay, in keeping with the highest standard of medical ethics," the diocesan news release said.

During their visit, the bishops also stopped at a clinic belonging to the Near East Council of Churches Refugee Works, where Director Constantine Dabbagh offered a report of their work, outreach efforts and the building damage endured during Israel's military operation.

Speaking to media about their visit, the bishops explained that they came to show their support, "thank the medical staff, and to pray for peace in the region and reconciliation between the Palestinians and the Israelis."

Episcopal News Service
Matthew Davies is editor of Episcopal Life Online and international correspondent of the Episcopal News Service.