Whereas, we lift up a vision of Jerusalem as a city of peace and reconciliation where indigenous Palestinians and Israelis can live as neighbors and, along with visitors and tourists, have access to holy sites and exercise freedom of religious expression; and
Whereas, the peaceful resolution of the Jerusalem issue is crucial to the success of the whole process of making peace between Palestinians and Israelis; and
Whereas, the United States, until the issue is resolved, should reflect international consensus and law, and accordance with United Nations Resolution 242, as well as the long-standing United States view that the Jerusalem issue is unresolved and that East Jerusalem is occupied territory; and
Whereas, the Jerusalem issue is in danger of being resolved, not by negotiations between all parties, but by policies of the Israeli government, which include the confiscation of increasing amounts of Palestinian land, expansion of the borders of Jerusalem to include more and more Palestinian villages and lands, thus forming what is now known as "Greater Jerusalem," the building of settlements for Jewish families on these lands, closures which prevent Palestinians from traveling to or through Jerusalem, the withholding of basic services from tax-paying Palestinian neighborhoods, the denial of Jerusalem identity cards whenever possible to Palestinian citizens, and the denial of building permits for Palestinians, which contributes to the increased number of homeless and causes Palestinian residents of Jerusalem to leave the city; and
Whereas, the United States, by its silence and with its financial assistance, contributes to the building of these "facts on the ground," which are an impediment to peace and may preclude any hope of Jerusalem ever becoming that City of Peace and Reconciliation for which we pray;
Be it resolved, that The United Methodist Church request that our government pressure the State of Israel to:
1. Cease the confiscation of Palestinian lands,
2. Cease the building of new or development of existing settlements in the occupied territory and Gaza,
3. Lift the closure of Jerusalem to Palestinians,
4. Issue Jerusalem building permits to Palestinians so they can build on their own land,
5. Halt the policy which would deny Jerusalem identity cards whenever possible to Palestinian citizens,
6. Address the problem of homelessness, severe overcrowding, and substandard housing among the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem; and
Be it further resolved, that we insist that our government leaders take the following actions:
1. Refuse to move the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move which has been called for by several Congress people,
2. Refrain from signing "sense of the Congress letters," which hold, among other things, that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and only Israel,
3. Continue to meet with both Palestinian and Israeli leaders in Jerusalem,
4. Continue to deduct from Israeli loan guarantees an amount equal to all Israeli settlement spending, including spending for settlements in and around Jerusalem,
5. Affirm the long-standing policy of the United States that statements and actions should continue to reflect the view that the status of Jerusalem is unresolved and that East Jerusalem is, indeed, occupied territory; and
Be it further resolved, that we communicate the above to the President of the United States, the Secretary of State, the appropriate Congress people and Senators, and representatives of the Israeli government; and
Be it further resolved, that we send copies of this resolution to representatives of The United Methodist Church on the Board of Church and Society, the General Board of Global Ministries, and the Council of Bishops.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 20746-GM-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference