Peace and Justice Resolutions and Policies
Resolution Index
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Resolution
Number: 1985-B017, General Convention, 1985]
Oppose
moving U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Executive
Council, February 1989]
Call
for human rights for Palestinian refugees in Israel, the Territories, and
Jordan.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Resolution
Number: 1991-A147, General Convention, 1991]
Affirm
Israel as a sovereign state and support creation of a Palestinian state.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Resolution
Number: 1991-D186, General Convention, 1991]
Deplore the reintroduction of weapons of all kinds into the Middle East by any nation.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Resolution
Number: 1994-A102, General Convention, 1994]
Urge
congregations to develop mutual understanding and respect with Jews and
Muslims, and to discuss the Middle East.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Resolution
Number: 1994-A103, General Convention, 1994]
Affirm
and support September 1993 Israeli-PLO Declaration of Principles.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Resolution
Number: 1994-A103, General Convention, 1994]
Urge
U.S. aid to Israel and to Palestinian Authority be conditional on the
abandonment of violence and the release of political prisoners.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Resolution
Number: 1994-D065, General Convention, 1994]
Recognize
Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem are
illegal and an obstacle to peace.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Executive
Council, June 1995]
State
that any resolution of the question of Jerusalem must equally respect the
claims of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity and result in a shared city.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Executive
Council, June 1995]
Express
concern about Israeli settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Executive
Council, 1997]
Urge
U.S. Government to use diplomatic and economic influence to fulfill the
Church’s resolutions on Jerusalem.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Resolution
Number: 1997-A107, General Convention, 1997]
Affirm
that Jerusalem should serve as the capital of two sovereign and independent
states, Israel and Palestine.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[General
Convention, 1997]
Call
on Israel to remove all road blocks preventing free access to Jerusalem for
Palestinians.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[General
Convention, 1997]
Call
on Israel to allow Palestinians equal rights to build housing and institutions
in Jerusalem.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Executive
Council, February 1999]
Urge
the U.S. Government and the United Nations to review policy towards Iraq and
lift all sanctions against Iraq in
the areas of health and nutrition.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[General
Convention, 2000]
Affirm
the principle of the right of return for every Palestinian
International
Peace, The Middle East
[General
Convention, 2000]
Urge
the U.S. Government and the United Nations Security Council to lift
restrictions on normal trade in civilian goods with Iraq.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[General
Convention, 2000]
Express
anguish over victimization of the Christian minority in Pakistan and urge U.S.
Government to work toward political reform and humanitarian relief in Pakistan.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[General
Convention, 2000]
Affirm
right of Palestinians and Israelis to self-determination, independence, and
sovereignty.
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Executive Council, February 2001]
Commends
the Presiding Bishop for sending a delegation of Episcopalians as part of an
ecumenical delegation to the Holy Land during a time of severe violence and
stress in the area
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Executive
Council, June 2002]
Oppose
unilateral military action against Iraq for the sole purpose of overthrowing
the regime of Saddam Hussein
International
Peace, The Middle East
[Executive
Council, June 2002]
Church's
longstanding commitment to a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis
Source
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Samples
Right to self-determination, independence and sovereignty
General
Convention 2000
Resolved, that the 73rd General Convention of the
Episcopal Church affirm, in the light of the final status negotiations now
underway, the right of Palestinians and Israelis to self-determination,
independence, and sovereignty based in justice, peace, and security for the two
peoples; and be it further
Resolved, that the 73rd General Convention of the
Episcopal Church affirm the principle of the right of return for every
Palestinian, as well as restitution/compensation for their loss as called for
by the United Nations; and be it further
Resolved, That this General Convention through the Office of Peace and Justice Ministries (especially through the Office of Government Relations) (a) urge the officials and members of the Episcopal Church to pray and work for this position, and (b) communicate this resolution to the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, the appropriate members of the Congress of the United States, the President of the Palestinian Authority, the Prime Minister of Israel, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Peace
for Palestinians and Israelis
June
18, 2002
The
following is a true copy of a Resolution adopted by the Executive Council at
its meeting on June 10-13, 2002 in Durham, New Hampshire, at which a quorum was
present and voting.
Resolved,
that the Executive Council, meeting in Durham, New Hampshire, June 10-14, 2002,
mindful of the Church's longstanding commitment to a just peace for
Palestinians and Israelis, condemns the violence of suicide bombers and the
violence of the Occupation and pleads with both sides to pursue all avenues of
negotiation based on United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338,
and be it
Resolved,
that Council reiterates the Church's position in support of a just peace that
guarantees Israel's security and Palestinian aspirations for a viable sovereign
state with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both Israel and Palestine, and be
it
Resolved,
that the Council commends President Bush's repeated call for a Palestinian
State and urges Congress not to initiate legislation that undermines the
President's efforts to broker a just peace, and be it
Resolved,
that Council recognizes that the Israeli policy of building settlements in the
Occupied Territories thwarts the peace process and thus Council restates the
Church's position that all settlement activity should cease immediately.
Explanation:
The Episcopal Church has supported a just peace for Israel and Palestine and an
end to Israeli Occupation for many years. Last October, Council called for a
peace process as a "direct action against terrorism." While the
violence from both sides is undermining efforts for peace, the Council insists
that those responsible for the violence must not be allowed to dictate the
course of events. The mandate must be for a defined peace process to be pursued
immediately by the two parties and supported by the international community. It
is urgent that the Occupation of the Palestinian people is ended after decades
of unbearable collective suffering. The outcome must result in a viable,
sovereign Palestinian state along with the guarantee of an Israel secure and at
peace with her neighbors.
The
Occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, has been the
single most aggravating source of tension in this long conflict and has
resulted in the general humiliation of the Palestinian people. The decades old
policy of Israel to build settlements on this land for Israelis greatly
exacerbates the Occupation, taking prime land from Palestinians and populating
them with Israelis protected by Israeli Defense Forces. Roads built for
settlers connecting them to Israel sever ties between Palestinian villages and
towns, resulting in severe travel restrictions on the Palestinian people and
isolation of local communities into virtual cantons. The consequence is further
humiliation and dislocation of the Palestinian people.