Letter From the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the US Presbyterian Church

The Right Reverend Suheil Dawani

The Right Reverend Dr. Munib Younan

The Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb 

The Rev. Dr. Canon Naim Ateek 

Dear Partners in Christ:

Acting out of the commandments of love for God and neighbor and our commitments to honor human rights, I have contacted the Israeli government to urge them to revoke the Order regarding Prevention of Infiltration (Amendment No. 2) and the Order regarding Security Provisions (Amendment No. 112), which were signed on October 13, 2009, and took effect in the West Bank on April 13, 2010. I further wrote to officials of the U.S. government urging them to pressure Israel to this effect. A copy of the letter is attached.

As you know so well, the orders in question are unjust and unwise. They violate human rights and international law. They wrongly criminalize thousands of innocent people. They impede movement toward a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis. Grave consequences could result should these orders stand. Their implementation could create permanent demographic changes in the West Bank, thus posing a severe threat to the two-state solution which the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and others have long advocated.

As followers of the Prince of Peace, we yearn for an end to sixty years of conflict, violence, and oppression, all of which have wounded all parties. We long for peace to prevail. As servants of the God of justice, we recognize that such peace can only come when the human rights of all are honored and justice is done. As your brothers and sisters in Christ, we hold you in our prayers.

Respectfully yours,

Gradye Parsons

Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)