News, articles and documents from
the Holy Land
Issue No. 126 - Saturday, 5 January 2002
Dear Friends, Brothers and Sisters,
As we begin the new you year,
I renew my Olive Branches in the same shape with all the documents I see
important to provide you for your knowledge and information, hoping that you
will find it useful and interesting. I feel that we have to make a difference
during this year by creating a new atmosphere for peace and reconciliation, not
only in this region but also in the whole world, recalling the message of the
Pope for the World Day of Peace when he says: “Even if it seems that the power
of evil is dominating the world, it will be transformed, with the grace of God,
to a world according the noble desires of the human heart full of true peace”.
The main event
of the last days was the Peace & Justice March from Bethlehem to Jerusalem
in which almost all the heads of churches took part. I will not comment on it
more but I will send you only two reports: the first written by Toine van
Teeffelen in his Bethlehem letter and the second is the report written by Gush
Shalom who joined us also in the Jerusalem Part of the March. I think that these
two reports can give you a clear idea about what happened. I was satisfied and proud
that we could organize and lead this march even if we didn’t realize all what
we wanted to do according our program, especially to cross the checkpoint to
Jerusalem and the human chain around Jerusalem, but still believe that the
message arrived to the world and still hope that the this year will be the year
of Jerusalem. I also believe that we have to intensify our nonviolent
activities in a creative way to attract the attention of the world and show the
other face of the Palestinian people which is pacific and asking only for his
freedom, dignity and Land.
Tomorrow will
begin Eastern festivities of Christmas, and the Orthodox Churches are supposed
to celebrate it in Bethlehem: The Greek Orthodox Church, the Syrian Orthodox Church,
the Coptic Church and the Ethiopian Church. The Armenian Orthodox Church will
be next January 19 according to their tradition. During the Mass of the Epiphany
in St Catherine Church, the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Giovanni Battistelli
we preside the procession to the Nativity Grotto in order to take back the
Statue of Baby Jesus which was laid down in the manger by the Patriarch during
the Midnight mass 13 days ago, this statue will remain in St. Catherine Church until
the next year in the specific place reserved under the alter of the Glorious
Virgin Mary at the right hand of the Church. This is a very beautiful tradition
which is specific to the Nativity Church.
You will find in
today’s Olive Branch the following documents:
1) The Homily of the Patriarch for the New
Year 2002 which was given during the mass for peace on the 1st day
of the year at the Concathedral Church of the Latin Patriarchate.
2) Two reports about the March: the first
written by Toine van Teeffeleen in his Bethlehem letter and the second written by
Gush Shalom who joined us also in the Jerusalem Part of the March.
3) MEETING WITH THE PRESS: Dutch initiative
to send civilian observers to Palestine and Israel.
I
would like to inform you that the Patriarch will be the guest of the LBC
Satellite Channel, live for one hour and a half, tomorrow, Sunday 6, at 9.00
p.m. You can see the show and ask questions also.
Wishing
you a wonderful New Year 2002 full of God’s Blessings in which you fulfill all
you wishes.
Fr. Raed Abusahlia
Homélie du nouvel An 2002
Excellence,
Mgr. Pietro Sambi, nonce apostolique
Frères
évêques,
Révérendissime
Père Custode, Pères Abbés,
Frères
et Soeurs
Je vous souhaite à tous une année nouvelle, pleine de
la grâce de Dieu et de sa bénédiction. Avec les paroles du livre des Nombres
(6,22-27) que nous venons de lire
ensemble, dans la première lecture, je vous dis: “Que Dieu vous bénisse et vous
garde. Que Dieu fasse pour vous rayonner son visage et vous fasse grâce. Que
Dieu vous découvre sa face et vous
apporte la paix”
Je
voudrais saluer Mons. Bernard Aubertin, évêque de Chartres, et Mons. Adriano
Caprioli, évêque de Reggio Emilia, présents parmi nous en signe de solidarité
et de fraternité. Merci pour votre présence.
Nous commençons l’année avec la contemplation du
mystère de la maternité de Marie, mère du Verbe Incarné. Nous commençons par
contempler sa beauté si proche de celle de Dieu, elle qui a porté le Verbe en
son sein et entre ses bras. Par cette contemplation, puisions-nous arriver à mieux
voir la présence de Dieu-Emmanuel en nous et dans tous les détails de notre vie
quotidienne. Puisions-nous par cette contemplation mieux vivre la filiation
divine réalisée en nous, comme nous le dit S.Paul dans la deuxième lecture (Gal
4,4-7): “Et la preuve que vous êtes des fils, c’est que Dieu a envoyé dans nos
coeurs l’Esprit de son Fils qui crie Abba, Père”.
Dans la troisième lecture de l’évangile de S. Luc, nous méditons les deux attitudes à
prendre face au mystère du Verbe qui nous a été révélé: méditer, comme la
Vierge Marie qui conservait toutes ces choses en son coeur, et annoncer tout ce
qui leur a été dit, comme les bergers.
2. Avec cette méditation du mystère du Verbe incarné,
et en compagnie de la Vierge Marie, nous commençons notre année nouvelle. Et
avec ce mystère que nous portons en nous, nous faisons face aux dures réalités
de notre vie quotidienne.
Le message du Saint-Père, en ce premier jour de l’an,
est consacré à la paix, basée sur la justice et le pardon. Il commence par
rappeler les événements du 11 septembre, et affirme que le mystère du mal ne
saura avoir la dernière parole, car l’histoire du salut reste garant de
l’espérance pour l’humanité La lettre s’adresse à tous, chefs et grands de ce
monde, comme aux petits et aux faibles de ce monde, et à chacun et chacune de
nous, ici en Terre Sainte, qui ne cessons de vivre le drame du mal dans le
conflit qui déchire nos deux peuples.
Le Pape fait référence à son expérience personnelle
avec le mal, ayant eu à faire avec deux régimes politiques totalitaires: le
régime nazi et le régime communiste. Il dit: “Des souffrances que j’ai connues
dans ma jeunesse, m’ont toujours interpellé et stimulé ma prière”. Fruit de
cette prière, il arrive à la conclusion que la paix peut s’établir par la justice
et le pardon. Puis il précise que le pardon ne s’oppose pas à la justice, mais
à l’esprit de vengeance. La justice est le respect des droits et devoirs et
l’équitable distribution des biens. Vu que les hommes et les peuples ne peuvent
arriver à une justice parfaite, le pardon est une invitation permanente à une
guérison en profondeur des blessures causées.
Il invite les chefs et les grands de ce monde à
réfléchir sur les exigences de la
justice et du pardon. Il définit le terrorisme, et le condamne. Mais il affirme
aussi, qu’on ne peut punir des collectivités et des peuples pour le terrorisme
d’un groupe ou d’un individu. D’un autre côté, la collaboration internationale
dans la lutte contre le terrorisme doit aussi comporter un engagement spécial, au
niveau de la politique, de la
diplomatie et de l’économie, afin de résoudre avec courage et détermination les
situations d’injustice dans lesquelles les droits sont foulés aux pieds et les
injustices des personnes ou des peuples trop longtemps tolérées. Il mentionne
spécialement le drame de notre terre sainte. Dans la rencontre avec les Evêques
d’Iraq, mi-décembre, il avait mentionné aussi leur blessure due à l’embargo qui
pèse depuis plus de dix ans sur le pays et le peuple irakien.
3.
Puisions-nous voir la justice et la pardon rétablir la paix dans ce pays. Puissent
les souffrances du pays être les nôtres et non celles des autres. Puisions-nous
voir que le pays a besoin non seulement de pitié et de compassion mais de
justice et de dignité humaine. Hier, tous les chefs des Eglises, nous avons
fait une marche, pour dire la présence de l’Eglise à côté des fidèles et de
leur lutte pour leur liberté et
leur pain quotidien, et pour dire au monde, qu’il y a une injustice dans
cette terre qui a duré trop longtemps, comme l’a dit le pape, et qu’il faut
guérir. Aux officiers israéliens qui ont arrêté la marche à la barrière
militaire nous avons offert la branche d’olive, les priant de la faire parvenir
à M. Sharon, avec le message clair, qu’il est temps de mettre fin à l’injustice
qu’il tient à prolonger, au dam des deux peuples à la fois, palestinien et
israélien. Nous espérons que le message puisse arriver; mais c’est Dieu qui
agira au moment voulu. En attendant l’heure de Dieu, nous continuerons à agir,
à prier et à remplir nos coeurs de justice et de pardon, comme nous invite le
Saint Père à le faire.
4. En plus de la paix et de la justice à faire,
et qui est de notre responsabilité à tous, fidèles et chefs des Eglises, nous
menons notre vie pastorale, pour approfondir notre foi et réfléchir à notre
avenir. Ici, l’éducation que nous donnons dans nos écoles, dans nos homélies,
dans nos groupements de jeunes ou autres, l’éducation religieuse doit à la fois
s’ouvrir et s’approfondir. S’approfondir, afin d’avoir une foi qui produise les
actes, et non des actes superficiels sans racines et sans attitudes
chrétiennes. Croire en un Dieu, en un Jésus-Christ que nous connaissons et que
nous acceptons pour compagnon dans tous les choix de notre vie à tout moment. Et
nous ouvrir, afin d’accepter notre
vocation dans notre terre, avec tout son drame, afin de ne pas nous considérer
comme des étrangers dans le drame. D’ailleurs les événements, les barrières
militaires, les humiliations, les privations, tout cela nous remet malgré nous
devant la vérité de notre vie et de notre foi, pour nous dire que le drame est
vôtre; il n’est pas le drame des autres. Donc dans ce drame vous devez avoir un
rôle. Et, vous religieux, religieuses, curés, c’est dans cette vision que vous
devez éduquer les jeunes qui vous sont confiés.
Pour cela, le plan pastoral,
fruit du synode, explique bien cette nouvelle attitude. Il faut y réfléchir. Cette
nouvelle année, si elle ne nous porte pas la paix, la justice et le pardon,
elle doit nous porter, avec le plan pastoral, et dans l’éducation que nous
donnons à nos fidèles, une meilleure compréhension et un approfondissement de
la foi, de sorte que chacun et chacune se sente chez soi au milieu du drame qui
comporte la mort et l’humiliation, en même temps que la réclamation de la vie
et de la liberté.
Frères et soeurs, je vous souhaite une bonne et
heureuse année.
Puisse
la Vierge Marie nous accompagner, nous guider et renouveler notre confiance et
notre espérance. Amen.
+ Michel Sabbah
Patriarche Latin
de Jérusalem
LETTER FROM
BETHLEHEM:
THE 31/12
JUSTICE AND PEACE MARCH
By Toine van Teeffelen
The march begins
as a relaxed gathering in front of Nissan’s restaurant in Bethlehem. In fact,
it never lost its strangely joyful, optimistic, and colorful character.
Strange, because the circumstances in the Palestinian territories are so
desparate. Many marchers wear caps in green, yellow and black on which are
written the demonstration’s main demands “Open Jerusalem” and “End occupation.” Hundreds of olive branches, large and
small, point into the air. A thousand colorful balloons float over the
marchers’ heads. Many hundreds of wishes are attached to them, sent to
Bethlehem by members of Pax Christi International and others. (Some of them had
already been read and attached to a Christmas tree during an earlier ceremony
at Shepherd Fields led by the Latin Patriarch). There are banners, with phrases
such as “Free Palestine,” “Peace is the Fruit of Justice,” and “Now and NEXT
YEAR IN JERUSALEM,” the traditional Jewish cry of longing that has gained such
a sense of urgency for present-day Palestinians.
When people
start to walk the number swells to over 3000. (As 1500 caps have been
distributed, it is possible to make a reasonable estimate). A group of
community leaders, authorities and representatives of NGOs walk in the heart of
the march. They include the Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah, president of Pax
Christi International, several bishops from different denominations, the Mufti
from Bethlehem, the governor and mayor of Bethlehem, two members of the
Palestinian Legislative Council, and the Minister within the Palestinian
Authority for Christian Affairs. There are also members of political factions.
And of course many Palestinians, primarily from Bethlehem, Beit Sahour and Beit
Jala, who form the backbone of the demonstration. Some villagers have come too,
although it is very difficult, if at all possible, to nowadays travel between
the villages around Bethlehem and the town itself. Among the internationals are
Nobel Peace Price winner Mauread Maquire from Northern Ireland, and Luisa
Morgantini, the indomitable Italian Europarlamantarian who since many years
stands at the front of solidarity activities in support of a peaceful
co-existence of Palestine and Israel. Around them, many hundreds from Italy,
France, Belgium and other countries, as well as nuns, priests, and a Buddhist.
When ribbons are distributed with a sign on it of “international observer,” a
few internationals decline the offer arguing that they wish not to be observers
but participants. Bethlehem scouts are present, not in their uniform but with
just their yellow tie around the neck. In fact, young and old are present, and,
somewhat remarkable for present-day demonstrations in Palestine, many women, too.
Women do often not participate in present-day demonstrations due to a feeling
that their safety would not be guaranteed in case of a confrontation with
soldiers. The presence of the internationals – who joined several other
Palestinian demonstrations and activities in the month of December – as well as
the religious leaders provides at least some protection. Divided into national
groups who walk in front, besides or at the rear of the march, the
internationals join hands as soon as we reach the soldiers. Doing so, they form
a large protective circle around the Palestinians. We notice the absence of
people some of whom apparently do not anymore believe in demonstrations or who
are desparate, which is a quite common and understandable feeling among people
here. After so many years not being able to enter Jerusalem, what difference
could one march make?
*
* *
Near the Caritas
hospital, the march is stopped by a cordon of soldiers. Although we are clearly
inside Bethlehem town, the march reaches area C near Rachel’s Tomb, controlled
by the Israeli army. A negotiating delegation talks with the commander and
consults with the decision-making group consisting of the Patriarch, the Mufti,
and other authorities. Father Raed Abusahlia, the chancellor of the Patriarch,
speaks to the crowd out of the loudspeaker car, repeatedly emphasizing the need
to leave space, not to push oneself through the cordon, and to keep the
demonstration non-violent. Some internationals would wish to pressure
themselves through the cordon, but comply to the appeal not to do so. From atop
of the side walls rows of cameramen and photographers watch the soldiers who
look relaxed but somehow unaccustomed to be watched from above (usually Israeli
soldiers occupy the higher places). Later on I watch on local TV a girl
painting an Israeli armored vehicle with the colors of the Palestinian flag.
People sing the slow refrains of “We Shall Overcome.” It is a strange and
striking contrast, persons with balloons and olive branches standing in front
of soldiers and military cars. Initially the commander proposes to allow a
small group to pass through to the checkpoint for making prayers, a proposal
which is refused by the demonstrators. However, after a while all marchers are
finally allowed to proceed to the checkpoint, over a kilometer further north.
A hundred meter
before the main checkpoint the crowd is stopped once again, and “negotiations”
re-start. The organizers had informed the police in Jerusalem and the army
about the demonstration but had not asked for a permit. (They did so out of
principle, as the march is not conducted in Israeli, but in occupied
territory). Then the final decision of the army: The marchers are not allowed
to enter Jerusalem. In front of the checkpoint and the soldiers, a prayer
service is held. Prayer and religious songs as resistance. Some soldiers
receive an olive branch from a Palestinian child. A Franciscan friar gives a
candle of peace to the soldiers. The patriarch and bishops conduct prayers, in
Arabic and English, quoting the well-known phrase from the Old Testament about
the transformation of swords into ploughshares… Afterwards, some of the
international wishes are read and the balloons lifted into the air, as a
collective New Year’s wish. Palestinian boys from the neighborhood offer a cup
of tea. An Israeli soldier is filming the march from above a jeep. I see that
some of the Palestinian demonstrators are leaving. Perhaps the time-length of
the march (over three hours) takes its toll or some are concerned about being
filmed.
*
* *
After a while,
the march reaches its conclusion and Palestinian marchers go back to Bethlehem.
The religious authorities from Jerusalem go back to Jerusalem to join the
second half of the march. What do the internationals do? It is an emotional
dilemma. Do they “break ranks” with the Bethlehemites by trespassing the
checkpoint with the help of the international passports their co-demonstrators
do not have? Most do, because their presence is needed for the march down in
the Old City. At the Freres School’s courtyard just inside the New Gate several
hundreds of protesters are waiting, including members from the Israeli peace
movement. In front of the march walk religious leaders as well as Sari
Nusseibeh, responsible for Jerusalem Affairs within the PNA, and Uri Avnery,
veteran leader of Gush Shalom [Bloc of Peace]. Previously, the heads of the
churches in Jerusalem had jointly stated their support for the march. After a
walk through the narrow and picturesque streets of the Old City, the group
arrives at the courtyard of St Anne. There a quiet ceremony takes place, during
which among other things a well-known peace poem of Faisal Husseini, the late
leader of Palestinian Jerusalem, is recited by his daughter. Israeli and
Palestinian demonstrators mingle, a rarity these days. On the order of the
Israeli police, the planned human ring around the old city is cancelled.
The organizers
are satisfied with the publicity of the march. There is international coverage
by a number of European TV stations, including BBC, RAI and Swiss TV, and
probably others, and CNN. There are photos in the The Jerusalem Post,
the Israeli mass-based Maariv paper, and an item on the Arabic language
Israeli TV news. A great many Arab stations are present (Al-Jazira, Lebanese
TV, Yemen TV, etc.), and of course much local Palestinian TV. But apart from
the publicity and at least as importantly, the people and organizations here
have won more capacity and trust to set up and join such marches which voice
the clear demand for a real peace in support of international law and human
rights. Local NGOs, religious leaders, authorities, political groups, the local
Palestinian population, as well as peace-minded Israelis have demonstrated
that, despite enormous pressure, they are willing and able to join hand in hand
for a march which gives hope for the future. It is a much needed beginning, a
new beginning for more activities to come.
Acknowledgement
An appeal to the
march was sent out by Christian leaders, including the heads of the local
churches, Islamic leaders, the national and municipal authorities, the leaders
of refugee communities in the Bethlehem area, and the Grassroots International
Protection of the Palestinian People (GIPP, a coalition of over 90 Palestinian
NGOs and church-related institutions). The local organization was conducted by
the Arab Educational Institute, the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement
between Peoples, GIPP, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Conflict Resolution
Center Wi’am, the Bethlehem Scouts Movement, and the Arab Orthodox Society.
Special thanks
go in the first place to the many international groups who came over from
various European countries to join in a series of December activities; to the
governor of Bethlehem district and the mayor of Bethlehem, who made special
efforts to recruit organizations and people, to CORDAID, the Dutch development
organization which promptly and generously offered support to cover the costs
of the march’s logistics and materials, to Pax Christi International for
collecting wishes from all around the world, to the many individual wish makers,
to the United Civilians for Peace for participating in the preparations as an
observer, and to IKV (Interchurch Peace Council) for raising publicity to the
march.
IN SPITE OF ALL, A JUBILANT MOOD OF RECONCILIATION
[The following report was written by Beate Zilversmidt]
Dec. 31, 2001
While waiting in the yard of the "Freres School" near to the Old
City's New Gate, Palestinians, foreigners and Israelis were developing vivid
mutual conversations. It was one of those pleasant, sunny December days. The
waiting was for the group from Bethlehem.
Already on the way from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem we had heard on the radio that
the army prevented thousands of Palestinians from passing the roadblock on the
way from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Gush Shalom had hired a bus for the
Tel-Avivians, and called upon the Jerusalemites, to attend the "Peace
Circle around the Old City" - so carefully planned by a Palestinian
coalition, including high-ranking Muslim and Christian bodies and
representatives of the Palestinian parliament, and to which Israeli peace
activists were specifically invited.
We had known from the start that it wasn't very likely that the army would let
thousands of demonstrators walk from Bethlehem through the checkpoint to
Jerusalem - to join us and make hand in hand a "Peace Circle around the
Old City." A joint action of this kind had not taken place for months. The
months of violence and contra-violence, revenge and revenge-upon-revenge, had
created a new distance. With the army not only barring Palestinians at
roadblocks but also prohibiting Israelis from paying them solidarity visits,
the only ones who were going between were the foreigners, the hundreds who came
especially in the December month as "international monitors from
below."
During frenetic phone consultations it became clear that only the
internationals and a VIP Palestinian delegation would be able to pass the
Bethlehem roadblock to join us, and that the two thousand Palestinians whose
way was blocked had started their midday prayers near the roadblock - a form of
protest and also a wise way to diffuse tensions...
So, we started to march through the many colourfull alleys winding through the
Old City not thousands, but hundreds, carrying the slogans 'Open Jerusalem' and
'Stop Occupation'. A French cohort started chanting "Free, Free, Free
Palestine!" / "Free, Free, Free Palestine!" and "Stop,
Stop, Stop Occupation!". Our "Shalom Ken, Kibush Lo' - rather downtrodden
for Israeli ears - was immediately integrated. ("What does it mean?"
"Peace Yes - Occupation No!"). The merchants came out of their shops
to look at this unusual parade.
We went through the Via Dolorosa, an unusual pilgrimage of believers, and seculars
from many nationalities - in the front row Sari Nusseibeh, Father William
Shomali and Uri Avnery. Then we entered the beautiful open space behind St.
Anne's Church and all the time there continued to stream in more
people, among them the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabahh, Lutheran
Bishof Munib Younan and Anglican Bishof Riah Abu el-Asal, as well as Louisa
Morgantini, the devoted member of the European Parliament who brought with her
160 Italian voluntary peace keepers. (Nobel Laureate Mairead Maquire of
Northern-Ireland should have been there too, but decided to stay in Bethlehem
with those who were not allowed through.)
The ceremony which ensued there, today in that oasis in the middle of this most
contested place, the Old City of Jerusalem, was a unique experience for those
present.
The 2000 year old Sermon on the Mount, which was read in Arabic and English
turned out to apply well to the present situation.
The very moving prayer written by the late Faysal Al-Husseini ten years ago was
read in Arabic by Sari Nusseibeh, in a voice deep with restrained emotion, and
in English by Fadwa Husseini - Feisal's daughter.*
Michel Sabahh, the Latin Patriarch called for recognizing that occupation is
the root cause of hatred and bloodshed: "There can be no peace and
security for Israelis without peace and security for Palestinians; there can
be no peace on destroyed homes; there can be no peace with assassinations.
But, we Palestinians will also not have peace if we take retribution of the same
kind. As Mahatma Gandhi said, surrendering to evil is losing one's humanity but
resisting evil with evil methods is worse than that."
Then came Uri
Avnery: "You Palestinians are undergoing terrible times of increasing
oppression. We think of you and feel with you day and night. In these
times of bloodshed it is easy to despair but we must not lose hope. Peace is
not made by politicians. Peace is not made by the men of war, but
by the people who seek it. We have come here as the true Israeli patriots,
carriers of the Jewish tradition which says: 'Justice, justice shallt thou
pursue', and 'Seek peace and pursue it.' In the end the two peoples shall win,
the two peoples shall live together in peace. There is no other way. The day
will come, and may come sooner than you think when we gather again at
this church but then it will be in East Jerusalem, capital of Palestine."
After these words the music started - interrupted for a few words in Arabic
delivered by the Iraqi-born Meretz activist Latif Dori, as well as the Jewish
Saturday prayer "Shalom Aleichem Malachey Hashalom" (Peace unto you,
Angels of Peace) whose melody was perfectly captured by Reuven Moskovitz on his mouth organ.
Then again the church orchestra, and everybody had gotten into such a jubilant mood
of reconciliation that people started spontaneously dancing in big circles, men
and women, clerics and activists, young and old. And it was no shame to dance
and be united in love and happiness. For a moment we had overcome reality. We
went home stronger people.
* Prayer of Faysal Al-Husseini
Oh God, the chest is replete with bitterness... do not turn that into spite.
Oh God, the heart is replete with pain... do not turn that into vengeance.
Oh God, the spirit is replete with fear... do not turn that into hatred.
Oh God, my body is weak... do not turn my weakness into despair.
Oh God, I your servant am holding the embers... so help me maintain my
steadfastness.
Oh God, faith is love... Oh God, faith is forgiveness... Oh God, faith is
conviction...
Oh God, do not put of the flame of faith from my chest.
Oh God, we wanted for the Intifada a white one, so please protect it.
Oh God, we wanted freedom for our people, we did not want slavery to others.
Oh God, we wanted a homeland for our people to gather them, we did not want to
destroy states of others, nor demolish their homes.
Oh God, our people are stripped of all things, except their belief in their
right.
Oh God, our people are weak except in their faith and in their victory.
Oh God, grant us conviction, mercy and tolerance in our ranks, and not make us
war against ourselves.
Oh God, turn the blood that was shed into light that will guide us and
strengthen our arms, do not let it turn into fuel of hatred and vengeance.
Oh God, help us over our enemy so that we can help him deal with himself.
Oh God, this is my prayer to you... my invocation, so listen to it and grant us
our supplication and guide us to the right path.
MEETING WITH THE PRESS
Dutch initiative to send civilian observers to Palestine and Israel
The United Civilians for Peace (UCP) cordially invites you for a meeting with
the press on Sunday 6 January, 14:00, in the conference room (2nd floor) at the
Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, opposite the New Gate in Jerusalem.
UCP is a Dutch initiative to send civilian observers to Palestine and Israel. The
first group, eight persons who were stationed in the West Bank, Gaza, East and
West-Jerusalem, just completed a three-month period of observing. A new group
of ten volunteers will come in the beginning of February, while two more groups
will arrive later in the year.
During the press meeting, some members of the group will tell about their
experiences and about the purpose of the initiative itself, which is supported
by major Dutch development organizations and peace
movements.
Added is a brief statement about the initiative.
We very much welcome you on Sunday.
With kind regards,
Toine van Teeffelen
Local coordinator UCP
02-2776573 / 052-789156
On our campaign
UNITED CIVILIANS FOR PEACE
The situation of
open conflict, violence, injustice, discrimination and fear inside and between
the Palestinian territories and Israel has seriously deteriorated since the
Camp David negotiations in 2000 failed in providing a just and sustainable
basis for peace, and since the second Intifada has broken out.
Under today’s conditions of political deadlock, inaction on the part of the
international community and vicious circles of violence, many civil society organizations
in the area and in Europe feel it their duty to do their utmost, apart or in
co-ordination and co-operation, to take peace initiatives on their own level. Not
as a substitute for what politicians, governments and intergovernmental organizations
should do, but rather as a signal and challenge to them. Also in efforts to
bring people on both sides of the conflict together on common values and
programs, and where possible in common activities, which prefigure a just and
sustainable coexistence and peace among them.
As one of such activities, several Dutch church-linked organizations and
institutions as well as NGOs working for peace, human rights and development have
worked out, in co-operation with various Palestinian and Israeli partner-organizations,
the campaign “UNITED CIVILIANS FOR PEACE”, which has been in operation as from
the end of September 2001. In this campaign, civil volunteers, sent by Dutch NGOs
and churches, will be based for periods of about three months at the offices of
Palestinian and Israeli NGOs, in order to share in their daily lives,
sufferings, activities and manifestations. Apart from being present, witnessing
and monitoring, which they intend to perform in an objective manner, open to
information and facts from all sides, they will fulfill special tasks in expressing
the aims of the campaign and in reporting back home.
The aims of this campaign are the following:
- To send a political signal to the parties: To western governments, that
international law should be
the basis for their policies in the area, that international protection is
needed for Palestinian citizens against today’s ongoing occupation, the
violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the excessive violence carried
out by Israel.
To Israel, to make clear that the occupation is illegal and that an end to the
conflict can only be brought about through an end to the occupation and respect
for international law. And that we support Israeli groups such as the ones
which support this campaign and which oppose the occupation and the ongoing
violations.
To the Palestinians, both the public and the political authority, that
their basic political and human rights should not be forgotten, that a new
process of negotiations should be started to get them implemented and that
resistance should take place within the boundaries of international law.
- To express solidarity with the Palestinian victims of the occupation
and with civil society groups both in Palestine and Israel who are seeking a
just peace.
- To have a mitigating effect on the behavior of the Israeli army and
settlers, and the level of violence between them and the Palestinians.
- To raise the awareness among the western societies about the roots and
basic characteristics of the conflict and about the fundamental asymmetries
between the two parties in it.
The political assumptions of this campaign, on the basis of which the
volunteers will work, are:
- The need for a full Israeli withdrawal from all territory occupied in
1967, according to the United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338.
- Recognition of the state of Israel within its pre-1967 boundaries, and
its right to secure and recognized borders.
- Recognition of the right of return of the Palestinian refugees, as laid
down in United Nations General Assembly resolution 194.
Negotiations should deal with the ways this right can be implemented.
- Recognition of the Palestinian right to self-determination within a
viable and sovereign state.
- Compliance with the Fourth Geneva Convention, which forbids the
annexation of land by an occupying power as well as imposed changes in the
demographic composition of occupied territories.
- Respect for human rights by both parties.
The participating organizations all agree that only negotiations on the basis
of these premises will lead to a just and lasting peace.
Organisations involved:
In The Netherlands, the campaign is organised by: Cordaid, ICCO, IKV,
Kerken in Aktie, Novib and Pax Christi (Contact Marjolein Wijninckx at Pax
Christi, Tel: +31-30-2428486, wijninckx@paxchristi.nl
or Erik Ackerman at ICCO, Tel: +31-30 – 6927995, ea@icco.nl)
The local co-ordinator of the campaign is Toine van Teeffelen in Bethlehem
(Tel: +972-2-277.6573/052-789.156, tvant@p-ol.com)
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Thank you for your understanding & with best wishes from
Jerusalem Fr. Raed Abusahlia |