Fair Witness Statement on the Gaza Flotilla=20 Incident

NEW YORK, June 2=20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East is deeply concerned about the = loss of life=20 and renews its call for a negotiated peace in light of the tragic events = that=20 followed the attempt by the flotilla to break Israel's blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

According to Rev. Dr. Peter A. Pettit = of Muhlenberg College, "if there is anything to be = learned from=20 this tragedy it is that efforts to help Israelis and Palestinians reach = a=20 negotiated peace must be heightened. The parties' inability to = resolve=20 this sixty-year conflict and the deplorable reality that war always ends = up=20 harming civilians make this a mandate for us."

Rev. Dr. Bruce Chilton, Bernard = Iddings Bell=20 Professor of Religion at Bard College, adds = that,=20 "neither church leaders who rush to condemn Israel for a disproportionate response nor = pro-Israel advocates who place all the blame on = the side of=20 the flotilla activists are particularly helpful here. We must = remember=20 that this tragedy has taken place in the context of a conflict between = equally=20 legitimate yet competing claims for Jewish and Palestinian national = expression."=20

"Surely this could have been avoided," says Rev. Dr. James R. Noland, Senior Pastor at Reveille = United=20 Methodist Church. "The flotilla leadership refused Israel's offer to dock at Ashdod where Israel said it would inspect the cargo and = send=20 humanitarian supplies by truck to Gaza. = Whatever we may think of the Gaza = blockade,=20 both Israel and Egypt believe it necessary to stem massive=20 arms-building by Hamas. Thus an untenable situation was created.=20 Israel failed to think creatively and embarked upon a military=20 confrontation that courted tragedy. While five out of six of the = flotilla=20 ships were boarded peacefully, video footage reveals Israeli commandos = being=20 mobbed and attacked with clubs as they landed on the Mavi Marmara. = The=20 result was the tragic death of nine people."

"The question now is how do American church people respond?" asks = Rev.=20 James Loughran, S.A. Director of the = Graymoor=20 Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute. "The usual running to = take=20 sides is not acceptable. We must help find solutions to end the = Israeli=20 blockade of Gaza, keeping in mind that = Hamas=20 refuses to recognize Israel and = continues to=20 launch repeated rocket attacks. Our role must be to restore hope = and=20 insist upon the mutual acceptance of Palestinian and Jewish states = living side=20 by side in peace."

SOURCE Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle=20 East

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