News
Cf. WCC Press Release PR-03-21, 2 June 2003
"While we welcome the initiative to bring Israelis and Palestinians together again to negotiate peacefully a two-state solution, the 'road map' now officially launched fails to incorporate critical issues and internationally recognized human rights and humanitarian law," stated Salpy Eskidjian, World Council of Churches' (WCC) international affairs staff. Eskidjian shared the assessment in a meeting held on 5 June between representatives of the WCC's Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (WCC/CCIA) and French church leaders with Colin de Verdières, secretary general of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and René Roudaut, counsellor for religious affairs in the French foreign ministry.
Peter Weiderud, WCC/CCIA director, shared with de Verdières that "We expect a strong involvement of France and the European Union" because some of the core issues "have international implications and should not just be left to the two parties directly concerned." Jerusalem, he noted as one example, is a holy place for three world religions as well as central to Israelis and Palestinians. In addition, any agreements reached on the return of refugees and on settlements, which are based on the principles of international law, would have implications in other refugee situations and cases of occupation.
Eskidjian noted that the status of Jerusalem, all settlements, and borders, and a just resolution of the refugee issues are left to later stages of the proposed process. She noted that other key issues are not mentioned in the "road map" at all, including the separation fence being built in the West Bank. In addition, the clear establishment of monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, and the incorporation of human rights standards under humanitarian law, need to be addressed.
The meeting at the French foreign ministry also covered concerns in the aftermath of the Iraq war. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, president of the French Protestant Federation, noted the need for the churches to continue their strong engagement with governments and others in civil society to strengthen their respective roles in a multi-polar world.
De Verdières encouraged the churches, as part of civil society, to engage politicians in such debates, as no sector has the monopoly on knowledge or wisdom. In particular, he encouraged debate in civil society as well as at the government level, on how to manage crises similar to the one in Iraq.
The meeting followed a morning of discussion between French protestant and orthodox church leaders and members of the WCC staff and CCIA. The leaders concentrated on the need to strengthen effective international, multilateral institutions and the role churches can continue to play in post-war Iraq and in ensuring a just peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.