I write to share with you the deep concern of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), growing out of our long partnership with and work for the well being of Christians and people of other faiths in the Middle East.
President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20400
Dear President Bush:
I write to share with you the deep concern of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), growing out of our long partnership with and work for the well being of Christians and people of other faiths in the Middle East.
On April 14, you announced a departure from former U.S. international policy and a reversal of long-held and current international policies toward Israel and Palestine. This departure continues a dangerous trend toward unilateral interventionism that inflames anti-American sentiment and nurtures militant religious fanaticism around the world. Your remarks seem instead to constitute a disengagement from the peacemaking process and an endorsement of a course of action that can only lead to more desperate violence and the prolonging of conflict in the region.
In 2003, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) adopted a comprehensive policy statement addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict.
This policy:
strongly urges the United States to take seriously its leadership role to begin a peace initiative that will end Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem and fulfill the stated goal of a two-state settlement based upon the pre-1967 boundaries as directed by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 242;
emphasizes the need to listen carefully to the legitimate needs of both the Israelis and the Palestinians, and to require both to adhere to the same standards of nonaggression;
urges the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to reach an understanding that includes the right of return of Palestinian exiles to the region. By departing from long-held U.S. and international policy, the United States is failing to take a leadership role in establishing a lasting peace for the common good of the two peoples and three faiths that are deeply rooted in Palestinian and Israeli lands. We fear that you may be undermining a future peace and putting our own security at risk.
With deep commitment to the constructive role that the United States can play in the Middle East, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) urges you to reconsider giving your support to ill-considered policies advocated by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. We urge you to reclaim your role as a leader capable of using the influence of the United States to pressure Palestinian and Israeli leaders to turn from violence and re-engage in the hard work of moving toward a just peace.
Sincerely,
Clifton Kirkpatrick
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
