Christians for Fair Witness Says United Church of Christ Sends Distorted Message About Peace in the Middle East

NEW YORK, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Church of Christ ("UCC") released an Eastertide pastoral response to the Kairos Palestine document.  While praiseworthy for encouraging peace negotiations for a two-state solution, it unfortunately reverts to one-sided blame-casting on Israel.  This contravenes the 2007 UCC General Synod which resolved to "recognize[ ] the need for ongoing balanced study, commentary and critique related to the conflict in the region."

The UCC's "pastoral response" recommends a commitment to supporting the Palestinian economy while "avoid[ing] products" produced in Israeli settlements as a way to achieve a "just and peaceful end to [the] conflict."

Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East encourages supporting the growing Palestinian economy.  But by promoting economic sanctions against one party -- Israel --, the UCC is saying that it is Israel's behavior alone that is responsible for the conflict.

"In order to take that position one must deliberately ignore history," advises Sr. Ruth Lautt, OP, Esq., Fair Witness National Director.  "We remind the UCC that while both sides are accountable for failing to come to a peaceful resolution, the occupation began with Israel defending itself from the massed threat of combined Arab armies in 1967.  The Palestinian leadership said no to President Clinton's proposal for a two-state solution in December 2000.  In September 2008 the Palestinian leadership again walked away, this time from Israeli PM Olmert's offer of a Palestinian State, without making any counteroffer."

"Some of the language in the pastoral response is downright incendiary," laments Rev. Stephen G. Thom, UCC pastor and Fair Witness Executive Committee member. "The UCC's reference to the document 'written by black South African Christians in 1985' as part of the struggle against apartheid seems deliberately calculated to compare Israeli occupation to racist South African policies. But Israeli policies in the Territories do not consist of arbitrarily imposed discriminatory laws against Palestinians.  While we strongly disagree with some of these policies, for the most part they stem from the struggle to find effective security measures for Israeli citizens, Arab and Jewish alike."

"I would like to see my denomination act as a fair broker for peace.  This kind of distorted and fundamentally dishonest advocacy just foments more conflict," concludes Rev. Thom.

SOURCE Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East

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