Christians For Fair Witness Questions CMEP’s New Posting On Israeli Settlement Freeze

 

 www.christianfairwitness.com  

 

Christians For Fair Witness Questions CMEP's New Posting On Israeli Settlement Freeze

 

Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East questions the Churches for Middle East Peace ("CMEP") website posting on Israel's settlement freeze.  Fair Witness previously issued a press release (Dec. 8) questioning CMEP's failure to discuss Israel's 10-month freeze on West Bank settlement construction.  Shortly afterwards CMEP posted a Bulletin on the front page of its website which included a feature on the freeze entitled "Temporary Settlement Moratorium and the Response." 

 

CMEP, however, omits the critical fact that the freeze was a deliberate attempt by Israel to restart peace talks with the Palestinians, not a unilateral measure taken with no intention of moving onto a negotiated settlement.

 

"We are glad to see CMEP at least acknowledging that Israel has taken this step,"  said Fr. James Loughran, S.A., Director of the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute.  "But we are  surprised that CMEP did not acknowledge  that PM Netanyahu expressly presented the freeze as a way of restarting peace negotiations.  That was the whole point of the freeze.  We are also surprised that, while they posted some helpful links, CMEP's discussion was cast wholly in negative terms.   CMEP emphasizes that the freeze is 'one-time, temporary' and that Jerusalem remains a 'very serious problem . . .'  They complain about the potential for settler violence. Why is a Christian peace organization  not seizing this opportunity for peace making?"

 

"I admit to being thoroughly confused by this," says Rev. Thomas Prinz, pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Leesburg, Virginia.   "The stated goal of CMEP is to 'encourage negotiated, just, and peaceful resolutions to conflicts in [Israel/Palestine].'  This is a chance to do just that.  PM Netanyahu said 'I hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach a historic peace agreement that would finally end the conflict . . .'  So why does CMEP take a negative attitude?  It makes no sense."

 

"Parties rarely, if ever, make serious concessions  prior to starting negotiations," notes Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, Bernard Iddings Bell Professor of Religion at Bard College in Annandale, New York. "Why would a church organization dedicated to Middle East peace attempt to downplay this Israeli action?  Even if CMEP sees the gesture as imperfect --  isn't it a golden opportunity to encourage the parties to get back to the negotiating table?"