MENUM: Middle East Network of United Methodists
Issues
and Information
Concern for peace and justice in the Middle East has long been with us yet
takes on new urgency with the events unfolding daily.
The United Methodist 2004 Book of Resolutions calls upon United Methodists
individually, in their local churches and through their boards and agencies
to seek a deeper understanding of the Middle East region and its people. In
order to develop this understanding it is essential to have ongoing information
that is fair, accurate and objective. Thanks to the internet, there is an enormous
amount of information available, some of it that seeks to discern truth, and
some that perpetuates old myths. It is the intent of MFSA to list web sites
and email resources that provide background, current information and possible
actions on the Middle-East that is fair and accurate. However, MFSA can not
warrant the accuracy of this information and does not necessarily endorse the
positions or actions advocated on these sites.
Sponsor a Workshop on Sharing Jerusalem at your church
End the Occupation Calls for End to Israel’s
Attacks on Gaza & LebanonGaza and Israel's Summer Rains
2. Morally Responsible Investment The
Christian Statements
- Anglican Parish Disinvests from the Central Board of Finance over Caterpillar Shares
- Anglican Church votes to sell shares in Caterpillar
- World Council of Churches Central Committee minute: - and suggests actions to encourage fair reporting.
- Episcopal Church in the United States of America:
- Global Ministries (the Common Board of the christian Church and United Church of Christ) document “The Palestinians, Israel and the Churches’ Economic Leverate”
- Presbyterian Church (USA) Statements on Ending the Occupation and Divestments
- The
Network of Christian Organizations in Bethlehem district
(NCOB) Statement.
Jewish Statements
- Israel Colation against House Demolitions Call for Sanctions
- Not in My Name Satement in support of selective divestment
- Jewish Voice for Peace in support of divestment
- European Jews for a Just Peace statement on illegality of settlement products
- New Profile: Movement for the Civilization of Israeli Society
3.
Fair Reporting in the US Press
Media images play a crucial role in influencing public opinion on the Middle
East. For a variety of complex reasons, media reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict has been extremely biased in favor of Israel. Critical to achieving
a fair and lasting peace in the area is having fair, accurate and objective
information. Several groups have been formed to watch and evaluate articles
and editorials of US news media.
- Palestine Media Watch - Provides information on how selected U.S. media report information from the Middle East (Pro-Israeli, Pro-Palestinian and Balanced) and suggests actions to encourage fair reporting.
- Media Monitors Network - Attempts to “seek the truth” and promote fairness and accuracy in news reporting on “hot topics” around the world including the Middle East.
- Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations - Includes information on important issues related to Palestine and the United Nations, as well as the work and official documents of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations.
- American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee - A civil rights organization committed to promoting a more balanced U.S. Middle East policy and serving as a reliable source for the news media and educators. It provides action alerts and calls on members to act on issues needing grassroots response.
- Arab American Institute - Provides information and resources especially for educators and the media on Arab Americans. They provide positive images of American Arabs to the media by noting their contributions and successes. AAI also monitors the media for negative language and profiling of American Arabs.
- Churches for Middle East Peace – Provides information and action alerts on Middle East issues. Includes links to church related sites, governmental sites, and non-governmental organizations concerned with the Middle East.
4. Land Confiscation, House Demolitions and the Poverty Wall
In the years since the 1967-six-day war brought the widely contested Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, thousands of Palestinians have watched their homes destroyed and more than 30,000 have been left homeless. This destruction, part of the Israeli government policy, enables illegal building of Israeli settlements and by-pass roads over the lands of Palestinian families. Currently, a high wall is being built to separate the two communities. The wall is being built by Israel in hopes of increasing the security of its citizens. However, the wall is being built on Palestinian lands and increases the poverty of the Palestinians by separating them from their farm lands, jobs and other resources.
- The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions - has a number of good sources on their website. Listed on the index on the left side of their homepage is “Matrix of Control,” a 10 page article that gives arguments against the settlements and other incursions into the territories as well as some interesting maps (reproduce well if you have a good color printer but black and white not so hot). This may help answer questions about what really happens when bulldozers and tanks knock down houses…and why…and what happens next.
- The Campaign Against House Demolition - A coalition of Israeli, Palestinian and American peace groups that seeks to ensure Palestinians right to live in their homes without fear of their houses being razed by the Israeli government.
- B’Tselem – The Israeli Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories focuses on educating the Israeli public and policy makers about human rights in the West Bank and Gaza. Provides current data about demolition of homes, sealing of houses as punishment and family separation as well as the numbers of Palestinians killed, deported, etc.
- American Friends Service Committee – AFSC has a long history of providing information on the Middle-East and working to bring peace to the area. A current project to halt home demolitions is a housing reconstruction project, in hard hit areas of Gaza and the West Bank, that helps with the costs of repairing damaged homes or finding alternative housing.
- Jerusalem Forum - An Amman based organization, Jerusalem Forum is geared to education about the Palestinian people and their land, both past and present. They use first-hand accounts and provide factual materials and documentation from credible sources.
- Sabeel An ecumenical liberation theology movement among Palestinian Christians that seeks to deepen their faith and lead them to act for justice and love, to work for the unity and renewal of the church, and to transform society. Sabeel strives to promote a more accurate international awareness regarding the identity, presence and witness of Palestinian Christians as well as their contemporary concerns.
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Church Council of the ELCA affirmed a strategy for ELCA engagement in Israel and Palestine and acknowledged an "urgent" call from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) for action regarding the construction of an Israeli separation wall on Palestinian territories. Information about the ELCA's engagement in the Middle East is available here.
5. Israeli/Palestinian Security and Economy
The security of both Israelis and Palestinians depends upon a peaceful coexistence of two historic populations that includes justice and self-rule for both groups. The human and civil rights of both groups must be respected. The US aid to Israel that has allowed its government to occupy the land and often mistreat the indigenous population of Palestinians must be seen as the larger threat to security than the terrorist responses of a few oppressed Palestinians. Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign aid, receiving more than $6 billion annually—or about $8 million every day. While this allows Israel to have a standard of living comparable to the US, its long-term economy and that of the Palestinians depends upon peace and mutual trade agreements.
- Jewish Peace Fellowship – The Jewish Peach Fellowship strongly supports Israel’s security and at the same time recognizes the right of Palestinians to their own country. They provide news and information about violence and injustice and seek social justice.
- Rabbis for Human Rights – Established in 1988 in response to abuses of human rights by the Israeli military authorities in the suppression of the Intifada, RHR is an organization of some 90 ordained rabbis that seeks to give voice to the Jewish tradition of human rights, both in Israel and the territories. RHR has helped numerous individuals, publicized causes, engaged in civil disobedience, lobbied the Knesset and participated in a landmark high court case limiting the scope of the army to abuse human rights under the guise of security. RHR is the rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel.
- Middle East Council of Churches The MECC is a meeting place for the indigenous churches of the Middle East region and a facilitator of their common response to mutual needs. MECC has coordinated programs of service to Palestinian Refugees, emergency relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Lebanon and ecumenical relief services in response to the Gulf War.
- Applied Research Institute Jerusalem - Founded in 1990, ARIJ, promotes sustainable development in the occupied Palestinian territories and the self-reliance of its people through greater control over natural resources. Their web site provides facts and information on the politically induced changes to Palestine’s land and natural resources resulting from the occupation. This includes land expropriation, house demolitions, uprooting of trees, stone quarrying, water allocation and sewage disposal.
- MIFTAH - Miftah is a Palestinian, Jerusalem-based, independent institution committed to fostering the principles of democracy and effective dialogue based on the free and candid exchange of information and ideas. Established in January 1999, Miftah's underlying premise is the integration of several processes: Palestinian nation-building and empowerment on the basis of the principles of democracy, human rights, rule of law, and participatory governance; international reconciliation and cooperation; the gathering and dissemination of information and the active participation in the global dialogue as an equal partner.
- Palestine Center for Rapprochement Between People Established as a group in 1988, PCR works to promote grassroots dialogue and joint work between Palestinians and people from different nationalities. Its main objective is to encourage peaceful solutions to the Palestinian cause through disabling existing stereotypes and prejudice.
UMC
Stance on Middle East
Where
the United Methodist Church Stands
Book of Resolutions
The General Conference of the United Methodist Church, which meets every four years, is the only body that speaks for the church as a whole. The 2004 General Conference passed the following resolution on the Middle East that was submitted by the Middle East Network of United Methodists of the Methodist Federation for Social Action. The resolution was voted out of Committee with 78 votes in favor, 0 votes against and 26 not voting. It was passed by the General Conference on May 1, 2004 by a vote of 877 for and 19 votes against.
We join
with Palestinian Christians as well as our Jewish and Muslim brothers
and sisters in feeling a deep sense of rootedness to the land which
has special meaning for our three religious traditions. We celebrate
the diversity of religious customs and traditions throughout the
Middle East.
Jerusalem is sacred to all the children of Abraham: Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
We have a vision of a shared Jerusalem as a city of peace and reconciliation,
where indigenous Palestinians and Israelis can live as neighbors and, along
with visitors and tourists, have access to holy sites and exercise freedom
of religious expression. The peaceful resolution of Jerusalem's status is crucial
to the success of the whole process of making a just and lasting peace between
Palestinians and Israelis.
We seek for all people in the region an end to military occupation, freedom
from violence, and full respect for the human rights of all under international
law.
WHEREAS, the prophet Isaiah cautioned against coveting the lands and homes of one's neighbors: Ah, you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one but you, and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land! (Isaiah 5:8); and
WHEREAS, the continuing confiscation of Palestinian land for construction of settlements and the building of a separation wall violates basic understanding of human rights, subverts the peace process, destroys the hope of both Israelis and Palestinians who are working for and longing for peace, both Israelis and Palestinians, and fosters a sense of desperation that can only lead to further violence; and
WHEREAS, continued and often intensified closures, curfews, dehumanizing check points, home demolitions, uprooted trees, bulldozed fields, and confiscation of Palestinian land and water by the government of Israel have devastated economic infrastructure and development in the West Bank and Gaza, have caused a massive deterioration of the living standards of all Palestinians... and an increasing sense of hopelessness and frustration; and
WHEREAS, targeted assassinations, suicide bombings and attacks against civilians by both Israelis and Palestinians heighten the fear and suffering of all; and
WHEREAS, people in the United States, through their taxes, provide several billion dollars in economic and military assistance to the State of Israel each year, which allows for the building of bypass roads and settlements which are illegal according to the Fourth Geneva Convention;
WHEREAS, the church continues to work with ecumenical and interfaith bodies to advocate for Palestinian self-determination and an end to Israeli occupation; to affirm Israel's right to exist within secure borders; to affirm the right of return for Palestinian refugees under international law; to call for region-wide disarmament; to urge Israelis and Palestinians to stop human rights violations and attacks on civilians, such as targeted assassinations and suicide bombings; and to urge the U.S. government to initiate an arms embargo on the entire Middle East region;
Therefore,
be it resolved,
That The United Methodist Church opposes continued military
occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, the
confiscation of Palestinian land and
water resources, the destruction of Palestinian homes, the continued building
of illegal Jewish settlements, and any vision of a "Greater Israel" that
includes the occupied territories and the whole of Jerusalem and its surroundings.
Be it further resolved, that we urge the U.S. government to end all military
aid to the region, and second to redistribute the large amount of aid now given
to Israel and Egypt; to support economic development efforts of nongovernmental
organizations throughout the region, including religious institutions, human
rights groups, labor unions, and professional groups within Palestinian communities.
The United Methodist Church requests that the government of the United States,
working in cooperation with the United Nations and other nations, urge the
state of Israel to:
- cease the confiscation of Palestinian lands and water for any reason;
- cease the building of new, or expansion of existing, settlements and/or bypass roads in the occupied territories including East Jerusalem;
- lift the closures and curfews on all Palestinian towns by completely withdrawing Israeli military forces to the Green Line (the 1948 ceasefire line between Israel and the West Bank); dismantle that segment of the Wall of Separation constructed since May 2002 that is not being built on the Green Line but on Palestinian land which is separating Palestinian farmers from their fields.
- We also urge the Palestinian Authority and all Palestinian Religious Leaders to continue to publicly condemn violence against Israeli civilians and to use non-violent acts of disobedience to resist the Occupation and the illegal settlements.
We urge all United Methodists in the U.S. to:
- advocate with the U.S. administration and Congress to implement the above steps;
- encourage members of each congregation to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from all perspectives by inviting speakers to church events, reading books, using audio visual resources in educational forums, and getting information from websites, provide financial support to the Palestinian people through contributions to the General Board of Global Ministries;
- support, and participate in, the work of international peace and human rights organizations to provide protection for Palestinians and Israelis seeking nonviolently to end the occupation; and
- reach out to local synagogues, mosques and Christian faith groups by engaging in interfaith and ecumenical dialogue on how to promote justice and peace in the Holy Land; and
- That the General Board of Global Ministries, working together with the General Board of Church & Society and interfaith organizations, develop advocacy packets for use in local congregations to promote a just and lasting peace and human rights for all in the region.
GBCS The General Board of Church and Society analyzes issues of concern to members of the United Methodist Church and encourages actions that assist humankind to move toward a world where peace and justice are achieved. Currently GBCS is supporting a initiative for Peace in Iraq.
Mission
Interpreters
Mary and Peter Davies, returned missionaries from Israel/Palestine continue
to work as mission interpreters through the General Board of Global Ministries
around the country with various groups to coordinate educational trips, responsible
tours, and Volunteers-In-Mission trips to Palestine. Mary reports that they
are finding many people willing and interested in hands-on kinds of relationships.
For information about their work and/or how you can be involved contact them
by telephone at 320-354-7258 or by email at daviesmary@hotmail.com.
United
Methodist Liaison in Jerusalem
The Reverend Sandra K. Olewine is a missionary of the General Board of Global
Ministries of The United Methodist Church assigned to Catholic Relief Services
in Jerusalem, Israel/Palestine. As the United Methodist Liaison, Sandra's responsibilities
include documentation, interpretation and writing on Middle East issues. Through
her work, Sandra communicates the vision and concerns of the churches of Jerusalem
and Palestine to the United Methodist Church worldwide.
In addition, with other GBGM mission personnel assigned within the region,
she serves as staff for the United Methodist Visits program. Through this program,
Sandy facilitates the opportunity for United Methodist visitors to Jerusalem
to engage in worship, dialogue and study with persons who live in the region:
Palestinians, Israelis,Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Through this important
work, which she also coordinates for Roman Catholic visitors, Sandra helps
facilitate understanding of historical and current developments both to visitors
and to the world at large.
Sandra's assignment also includes serving as one of the associate pastors of
the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, located in the Old City of Jerusalem,
where she serves on Sunday mornings as liturgist and occasional preacher. Sandra
Olewine is available for Covenant Relationship support in California/Pacific
Annual Conference, Western New York Annual Conference.
Missionary code: 12858Z
To inquire about being placed on her email address list, contact her directly
at solwine@annadwa.org.
United
Methodist Deacon in Israel
Joyce Wilson, a 2003 Deacon in Full Connection in the Eastern Pennsylvania
Conference is currently living in East Jerusalem with her husband who is director
of the YMCA there. Joyce sends out a letter to members of her conference and
to others who are interested about her observations and experiences living
in Jerusalem. She includes pictures of things she writes about. To receive
these occasional letters, contact Joyce Wilson at jdw225@bezeqint.net.
Suggested Guidelines
On occasion,
a local church, church organization, or group of churches plans
trips for members and other friends. Such planned ventures include
work camps, visits to other churches, or trips to a particular
site of special importance to the denomination.
Sometimes a local congregation or church group will organize a trip to a foreign
land, perhaps even to the Holy Land. When church leaders plan such a trip,
they should recognize that a church-sponsored tour is different from a standard
group tour. We believe that there are some important factors to keep in mind:
- The trip ought to provide regular worship opportunities.
- Community building and caring for the welfare of the individual traveler is important.
- Christians ought to be sensitive to the values and cultures of the people they visit.
- The behavior of the group and it’s individual members will give foreigners a picture of American Christianity.
- Instead of providing a “Been here, done that!” experience, a church-sponsored trip should enrich the faith of each traveler.
- People of faith in other countries are eager to meet American Christians and share their own experiences as children of God.
Current Opportunities to Visit Palestine and Israel
-
GBGM trip to Middle East for United Methodists January 2007
The General Board of Global Ministries is coordinating a study tour of Palestine and Israel Jan. 15-26, 2007, "Seeking Peace & Pursuing Justice." The trip is an opportunity for United Methodists to engage in mission study and justice advocacy in a "land longing to be holy." The trip will specifically relate to the 2007/2008 Mission study on Israel/Palestine. GBGM is hoping annual conferences or regions will send teams of 6-15 people together as a delegation, but will also accommodate individuals. Costs are $1,000 (includes accommodations, all meals, in-country transportation, tips, fees, honorariums, supplies and materials) plus approximately $1100 airfare, and initial $50 deposit must be made by Oct. 30 to secure a place. Make check (for $50) to BWC Treasurer and mail to Asbury UMC, P.O. Box 2007, Shepherdstown, WV 25443 and put "Mission Study 2007" on memo line. For information, contact Rev. Rudy Bropleh at (304) 876-3112 or e-mail to monsio@adelphia.net. To register or for more information, also contact Una Jones at (212) 870-3792 or ujones@gbgm-umc.org. -
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) Delegations to Israel/Palestine
May 24-June 5, July 26-August 7, October 7-19 (Franciscans), and November 19-December 1, 2006.
During the first several days, delegates will meet with representatives of Israeli and Palestinian peace and human rights groups in Jerusalem and Bethlehem to gain perspective on the conflict. They will tour the "security wall" separating Israel from the West Bank and visit Palestinian families whose homes and livelihoods are threatened by expanding Israeli settlements. They will experience firsthand CPT's work of violence-deterrence and human rights documentation in the city of Hebron and surrounding areas, and challenge the structural violence of the Occupation through nonviolent public witness. Delegates raise $2000 U.S. to cover costs. For more information and to apply, visit CPT's website . -
Global Exchange Palestine & Israel Reality Tours
2006 Tour Schedule: June 18-28; August 13-23; December 3-13
Global Exchange delegations to Palestine and Israel strive to further the U.S. public's understanding of the region's realities by giving people first hand experiences of what life under Occupation is like. By meeting with people from various sectors of Palestinian and Israeli society, you hear the most recent and direct accounts of current events and explore the historical and political perspectives that divide the two peoples. Join a delegation to become a more effective media spokesperson for a just U.S. foreign policy in the region, to become a better informed community or student advocate, or to more effectively speak to your members of Congress with first-hand testimonials.
For a detailed delegation itinerary and an application click here or contact ceanna@globalexchange.org . -
"Meet Palestine" International Voluntary Work Camp
July 12-30, 2006
The international summer work camp will bring together 20 young people from around the globe who are interested in creating a better world. We are specifically targeting people who are working with organizations led by young people that address issues concerning humanity and social justice. We strongly encourage highly motivated and serious young men and women to apply. For more information contact Info@zajel.org or click here. -
Fellowship of Reconciliation Interfaith Peace-Builders Delegations
July 15-29: Led by Maia Hallward & Don Christensen
November 4-18: Led by Scott Kennedy
Fellowship of Reconciliation's Interfaith Peace-Builders sends delegations to Israel and Palestine so that U.S. citizens can see the conflict with their own eyes. Participants have the opportunity to learn directly from Israeli and Palestinian nonviolent peace/human-rights activists, to spend time in Palestinian and Israeli homes, and to experience the situation of Palestinians living under military occupation. For more information click here. -
Sabeel International Young Adults Conference
July 28-August 5
The goals of this conference are to provide an opportunity for Palestinian and International young adults, including Palestinians raised abroad, to meet, to share stories, and to learn about Palestinian culture; to provide an opportunity for International young adults to know about the lives of Palestinian young people and to become more aware of the political realities; to help Palestinian young adults from different communities meet each other; to encourage Christian young adults to become more active for justice in their communities when they return home. The target age for this conference is 18-26 year olds. For more information visit Friends of Sabeel North America. -
Cycle for Peace
August-September, 2006
In August 2006, cyclists from all over the world will leave central London and embark on an amazing journey across Europe to the Middle East, on the second historic Peace Cycle to Jerusalem! Cycling through 12 different countries they will meet with politicians and public to raise awareness of the 38 year occupation and call for justice and peace in Israel and Palestine. After touring parts of Israel and the West Bank, the cyclists will finally ride into Jerusalem in September 2006. Peace Cycle is calling for individuals, charities, peace groups & faith organizations to support this unique event! Start planning your contingent today! For more information click here -
International Solidarity Movement Freedom Summer offers internationals an opportunity to stand in solidarity with Palestinian communities resisting the occupation, to act as human rights monitors, and to work in the media office. Freedom Summer will run from July 2-August 5th with volunteer training sessions each weekend. Click here for more information.
Conferences and Education on Middle East Issues
Members
of Voices in the Wilderness, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition,
the Middle East Children's Alliance, and affiliates of the International
Solidarity Movement take to the road in a colorfully decorated
full-size
school bus for nonviolent education and action against war and occupation
in Iraq and Palestine and for justice and universal human rights.
It is endorsed by groups such as Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR)
and Pax Christi.
For more information and
to view the Wheels of Justice itinerary visit http://www.justicewheels.org
The Fourth Annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days March 10-13, 2006
Articles on Palestinian Displacement Available Free from University of Oxford