Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy
Both Security & Justice for Palestinians as Well as Israelis
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October 31, 2007 To: President George W. Bush Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Members of United States Senate Members of House of Representatives From: Religious Leaders and Organizations of Greater Chicago We are a coalition of faith-based organizations, religious leaders, and religiously identified organizations and individuals. We are Christians, Muslims and Jews from the Greater Chicago region. We represent communities with deep spiritual and family ties to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories and communities who are deeply concerned about the humanitarian crises stemming from Israel’s 40-year long military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. We are calling on you, our country’s leaders, to protest the Israeli government’s decision of September 19, 2007, to declare Gaza a “hostile entity.” Israel claims that this designation gives it the freedom to cut electricity, fuel, and other basic necessities to the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, half of whom are children and the majority of whom are impoverished. Some 1.2 million Gazans already depend on international food handouts to survive. Their situation has been made significantly worse by Israel’s frequent prevention of vital supplies and services from entering Gaza. Through this new declaration, the Israeli government appears to be attempting to justify and gain political support for policies that already amount to the collective punishment of a whole population. Secretary Rice has stated that the U.S. “will not abandon the innocent Palestinians in Gaza, and indeed will make every effort to deal with their humanitarian needs.” How can this commitment be upheld if our government stands by silently while Israel moves to exacerbate an already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza? If the United States is genuinely interested in fostering peace between Israelis and Palestinians, the Israeli action cannot stand without rebuke. The Israeli government justifies its policies as a way to pressure Gazans to turn against those who fire crude homemade rockets into Israel. Indeed, Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli communities are illegal and must be condemned. The firing of these Qassam rockets killed four Israelis in 2006-2007; at the same time Israeli missile strikes and military actions in civilian areas killed hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza, including at least 147 children. These illegal acts also deserve condemnation. Israel’s harsh strategy will only prejudice future negotiations to end the conflict, which needs unified and empowered Palestinian and Israeli leadership to reach a comprehensive peace agreement. Therefore, we urge you to take immediate action to: • Call on the Israeli government to immediately rescind its decision to designate Gaza as a “hostile entity.” • Demand that Israel’s government fulfill its obligation as an occupying power under international humanitarian and human rights law to ensure the welfare of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip, notably its obligation to ensure the supply of essential necessities such as electrical power and to allow the movement of people and goods. Remaining silent in the face of growing impoverishment and threats against the people of Gaza implies our consent. As people of faith and as Americans, we expect our government to support policies that foster peace and prosperity, not further violence and suffering in the Middle East. * * * * List of Signatories to Interfaith Letter 1. The Rev. Dr. Larry L. Greenfield Executive Minister American Baptist Churches of Metro Chicago Co-Convener, Chicago Faith Coalition on Middle East Policy 2. The Rev. Cotton Fite, Ph.D. Priest Associate, St. Luke’s Church Evanston, IL 3. Michael McConnell, Regional Director Great Lakes Region American Friends Service Committee 4. Rev. Catiana McKay, Pastor United Church of Rogers Park Chair, Commission of Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns Northern Illinois Conference United Methodist Church Chicago, IL 5. Elizabeth Mertic, Member Lake Forest Friends Meeting 6. Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid Chairman Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago 7. Pauline M. Coffman, Ed.D. Member, Middle East Task Force of Chicago Presbytery Oak Park, IL 8. Joyce M. Cassel Principal, Chicago Mennonite Learning Center 9. Newland F. Smith, 3rd Church Network for Education on Palestine, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago Peace and Justice Working Group 10. Delbert M. Leppke Working Group on the Middle East Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Metro Chicago Synod 11. Rev. Harold Vogelaar, Ph.D. Former Director: Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago 12. Rev. Susan B.W. Johnson Hyde Park Union Church Chicago, IL 13. The Rev. Andrea C. White, Ph.D. Candidate The University of Chicago Divinity School Minister of Adult Religious Education The University of Chicago Rockefeller Memorial Chapel 14. The Rev. Rich Landers Hyde Park Union Church Chicago, IL 15. Rev. Robert V. Thompson Lake Street Church of Evanston 16. The Rev. George V. Hudgins, III Pastor, Community Church of Wilmette 17. Rev. Dr. M.L. Codman-Wilson Sr. Pastor, Christ Community Church of Wheaton 18. Dieter R. Schulte Member, Working Group on the Middle East Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Metro Chicago Synod 19. Pam Edelmann Sall, Ebenezer Lutheran Church Middle East Working Group of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 20. Rev. Phil Yetter, Pastor First Baptist Church of Berwyn Berwyn, IL 21. Mary E. Anderson Church Women United Barrington, IL 22. Lynn Pollack Member, Jewish Voice for Peace Evanston, IL 23. Rev. Don Wagner Center for Middle Eastern Studies, North Park University Chicago, IL 24. Rev. Paul G. Palmer Pastor Emeritus Community Presbyterian Church Mount Prospect, IL 25. Rev. Dr. Sid L. Mohn 26. Martha Reese Member, First United Church of Oak Park (PCUSA/UCC), Middle East Task Force of Chicago Presbytery River Forest, IL 27. Rev. Carol McVetty Northshore Baptist Church Chicago, IL 28. The Rev. Jeffrey Doane Pastor, Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church Chicago, IL 29. Rev. Jean Marie Duran Living Lord Lutheran Church, ELCA Bartlett, IL 30. The Rev. Kara Wagner Sherer St. John’s Episcopal Church Chicago, IL 31. Tom Cordaro Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace Pax Christi Illinois 32. Edgar Hiestand Ecumenical/Interreligious Office North Illinois Conference United Methodist Church Oak Park, IL 33. Rev Beth Freese Dammers Pastor, Presbyterian Church (USA) First United Church of Oak Park Oak Park, IL 33A. Orlando Redekopp Pastor, First Church of the Brethren Chicago, IL 34. Bob Selby, Chair Ministry for Peace and Justice HOPE United Church of Christ Naperville, IL 35. Rev. Paul A. Hottinger Naperville, IL 36. The Rev Alan L. Streyffeler Ordained clergyman of the United Methodist Church Naperville, IL 37. Joan Ehrenberg Unity Lutheran Church, Chicago and the ELCA Metro-Chicago Synod Working Group on the Middle East 38. Yali Amit Member, KAM Isaiah Israel Synagogue 39. Lynn Kendall 40. Rev. Said Ailabouni Barrington, IL 41. David W. Doudt Chaplain, Provena St. Joseph Hospital, Elgin 42. Duane Mevis Wesley United Methodist Church Naperville, IL 43. Working Group on the Middle East Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Metro Chicago Synod 44. John Lengle and Donna Lengle Members, Highland Avenue Church of the Brethren Elgin, IL 45. Rev. Calvin S. Morris, Ph.D. Community Renewal Society Chicago, Il 46. Jennifer Bing-Canar National Director, Middle East Peacebuilding Program, AFSC Chicago, Il 47. Bernard F. Reilly, Clerk Peace and Social Concerns Committee Evanston Friends Meeting 48. Jesse Bacon Steering Committee Member – Jewish Voice for Peace - Chicago Chicago, IL 50. Judith McAtee Member, Western Springs Presbyterian Church Western Springs, IL 51. David Boris Board Member, North Suburban Peace Initiative 52. Rev. David Bebb Jones Convener of the Middle East Task Force of the Presbytery 53. Caren Levy-Van Slyke Member, Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine 54. Joy Reis, member, Jewish Voice for Peace-Chicago 55. Rabbi Roy Furman Religious Studies Department DePaul University Chicago, IL 56. Rabbi Brant Rosen Evanston, IL 57. Dr. Lauren Langman Member, Tikkun-Chicago 58 . Mary Sotir Member, St. Athanasius Peace and Justice Ministry Evanston, IL 59. Rev. Daniel Dale Wellington United Church of Christ, Chicago, IL 60. Rebekah Levin Member Secular Jewish Community and School of Oak Park 61. Rev. Paul S. Allen Pastor Emeritus, Winnetka Congregational Church 62. Thomas L. Garlitz Director Catholic Diocese of Joliet Peace and Social Justice Ministry 63. Rev. Dr. Jane Fisler Hoffman, IL Conference, United Church of Christ 64. Reverend Christopher L. Pierson Director of Connectional Ministries, Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church Elgin, IL 65. Mary Knightwright United Methodist Deacon Aurora, IL 66. The Rev Stephen H. Swanson Pastor St. Paul Lutheran Church Villa Park, IL 67. Archpriest Nicholas Dahdal, Dean 1220 S. 60th Court St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church 68. Rev. Fr. Mousa Haddad Church of the Virgin Mary Alsip, IL 69. Pastor John Stoltzfus Lombard Mennonite Church Lombard, IL 70. Rev. Dr. Pamela R. Lightsey, PhD Dean of Students Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Evanston, IL 71. Connie Baker President, Church Network for Education on Palestine Elmhurst, IL 72. Breeze Richardson Clerk, on behalf of the 57th St. Meeting of Friends Chicago, IL 73. Rev. Grayson Van Camp Parish Associate, the Presbyterian Church of Western Springs [email protected] 74. Ahmed Rehab Executive Director, Council on American Islamic Relations – Chicago 75. Dr. Mohammed Krad President, Prayer Center of Orland Park, IL 76. Fr. Robert H. Oldershaw, Pastor Emeritus, St. Nicholas Catholic Church Evanston 77. Sr. Dorothy Pagosa 8th Day Center for Justice Chicago, IL 78. Miryam Rashid Middle East Program Director American Friends Service Committee - Chicago |