Florida Catholic | Bishop Wenski's Column

Jews, Christians and Muslims living in peace

NOVEMBER 23, 2007

The following letter was written jointly by an interfaith group of four religious leaders, including Bishop Wenski. (See related article here.)

Preparations for the Israeli-Palestinian peace conference in Annapolis are intensifying. As religious leaders in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions, who live in the same community in mutual respect, we believe that peace between Israelis and Palestinians is possible. We are not alone in this hope.

Last December, a group of prominent national Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders called for renewed U.S. political leadership for peace in the Middle East. We join our voices to theirs and pray that our call for a just peace will be heeded by policy makers and the wider public now that talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials have resumed.

The goal of the peace process is the creation of a two-state solution, a recognized and secure Israel and an independent and viable Palestinian state, comprising the West Bank and Gaza, living side-by-side in peace with each other.

Both the Israeli and the Palestinian communities have authentic stories of suffering and legitimate aspirations. The logic of peace, however, demands a commitment from all parties to reject violence and embrace dialogue.

Prior to Israel’s incursion into Lebanon last year in response to provocations by Hezbollah, Israel had won every war, but never the peace. Peace in the Land holy to the three major monotheistic religions will not be won by military means, but only through a negotiated settlement that is built on realistic compromises and concrete reciprocal steps that inspire confidence and help overcome decades of mutual suspicion and hostility.

Israelis and Palestinians have a right to security and the prosperity that flows from peace. The security barrier built by Israel has curbed suicide attacks, but has not stopped the crude rockets fired from Gaza that terrorize Israeli civilians daily. This “Wall” along with the continued expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank have disrupted the lives and livelihoods of Palestinians and are a major threat to the viability of a future Palestinian state. In the long run, walls and fences and rockets cannot build prosperity or peace.

Continued violence against Israel emanating from the Gaza strip and the political stalemate between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority make progress difficult. In addition, the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where most of the population lives on less than a dollar a day, threatens the sustainability of any political settlement and thus the security of Israel.

In light of these realities, it is important that Israelis and Palestinians see evidence that progress is possible both before and after the peace conference. This evidence should include Palestinian steps to strengthen policing and improve security and the recognition of Israel, and Israeli steps to halt expansion of settlements and improve freedom of movement to help revive the shattered Palestinian economy, and the recognition of a Palestinian state. An effective ceasefire is indispensable. As religious leaders together in Central Florida, we endorse the National Interreligious Initiative for Peace in the Middle East. While we share a commitment to the broad outlines of a just solution to this conflict, we are not so naïve as to believe that there are easy answers. The present situation has been aggravated by many factors — not the least of which is the lack of strong leadership on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

The seeming intractability of the conflict does not inspire optimism. But optimism is a “secular value,” and hope is a “theological virtue.” Hope keeps us from giving up in discouragement. And hope leads us to ask that our political leaders do more now to make peace in the Holy Land a priority. The United States can and should work intensely with both parties and the international community, including Arab states in the region, to push for realistic compromises and cooperation on final status issues. Too much is at stake to do any less. A just resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would have positive reverberations in the region and around the world. Each of our faiths prays for the peace of Jerusalem. What has been lacking in the region is not the desire for peace among Christians, Muslims, or Jews. What has been lacking so far is the political will to achieve it.

Rabbi Steven Engel

Senior Rabbi, Congregation of
Reform Judaism, Orlando, Florida

Dr. Joel C. Hunter

Senior Pastor, Northland —
A Church Distributed

Imam Muhammad Musri

President, Islamic Society of Central Florida

Bishop Thomas Wenski

Orlando Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S.

Return to the Diocese of Orlando Front Page