Overture 84
On Creating a Task Force on the Middle East to
Produce a Substantive Resource Document—From the Presbytery
of New York City.
The Presbytery of New York City overtures
the 217th General Assembly (2006) to establish a Task Force
on the Middle East1
to produce a substantive resource document to guide policy and
inform future resolutions and actions of the PC(USA) in the
region. The membership of this task force shall represent a
cross-section of opinions and commitments within the national
church on the issues and contexts of the Middle East, with a
particular focus on the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, as well as a range of skills and expertise (e.g.,
theology, social ethics, comparative religion, history, international
relations, economics, etc.). The task force shall consult with
representative voices from the American Jewish and Arabic communities
(especially Palestinian Americans), as well as from Israeli
Jews, Israeli Arabs, Palestinians (both Muslim and Christian)
living in the West Bank and Gaza, and Lebanese Christians.
The resource document should include the following:
1. A documentary history (along with a narrative
summary) of the ecumenical and interfaith relationships, statements,
and actions of the PC(USA) and its antecedent denominations
in the Middle East.
2. A regional history of the Middle East from
the end of World War I to the present day, with a particular
emphasis on the history of the region currently known as Israel
and the Palestinian Territories, including an annotated bibliography.
3. A specific history of the modern Zionism
movement, including an annotated bibliography.
4. A reference guide of the major parties
and entities active in the region, including nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) and religious organizations (e.g., the
Likud party, Hezbollah, Middle East Council of Churches).
5. Annotated links and references to other
reputable sources of information.
On the basis of the resource document, the
task force shall formulate broad guidelines expressing the overarching
commitments of the PC(USA) to a just and lasting peace in the
region. Future statements and actions by the General Assembly
or the General Assembly Council (GAC) (or any of their subordinate
entities) that are related to the region shall follow these
guidelines unless the guidelines are altered first by action
of the General Assembly.
The task force shall make its report to the
218th General Assembly (2008). This report shall include a reflection
on their process, the reference document, the guidelines, and
recommendations for usage of the resource and for keeping it
current.
Rationale
The helpfulness of a resource document to
guide policy formation, particularly public
statements and actions, seems clear; more educated commissioners
can formulate policy more thoughtfully and communicate their
intentions more effectively.
The actions of the 216th General Assembly
(2004) related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict highlight
this need. Those actions have created significant divisions
both within our church and between us and our Jewish brothers
and sisters. Many who took or supported those actions seemed
caught unawares by the intensity of the reaction from the Jewish
community (and from within the church). Yet, if one has a reasonable
familiarity with the history of the conflicts and its touchstones,
one would have realized that phrases such as “the right
of refugees to return to their homeland”2
cannot be used casually or without clear explanation and not
provoke such a reaction. While this would not have eliminated
a strong emotional reaction from Jewish community, it would
have mitigated against the response. Given the high tensions
and enormous complexities of issues in the region, to the point
where history itself is hotly debated, the need for such a comprehensive
guide for future action is clear.
Second, the unexpected media firestorm arising
from the 216th General Assembly (2004) proved very difficult
to address, not only because the General Assembly made little
or no provision for a media response plan, but because there
were not clear resources for local pastors and sessions to go
to in answering simple questions like, “what is the history
of the PC(USA)’s involvement in the region? Are they anti-Israel?”
While steps have clearly been taken in recent months to provide
more contextual information,3
we believe that the envisioned task force will simultaneously
provide broader and more substantive resources along with a
greater sense of credibility because of the transparency of
the writing process and the diversity of the writers.
Third, we believe that the production and
acceptance of broad guidelines for PC(USA) policy based on this
thorough contextual analysis will not only provide consistency
and accountability for church statements and actions, but it
will provide an easily accessible summary of the PC(USA)’s
hopes for the region and our goals for our role there. This
summary will help us as we work to reestablish our bona fides
that are being questioned by some within the church and the
Jewish community, who perceive or suspect that there is a more
insidious agenda at work than our fervent desire for a just
and lasting peace.
Endnotes
1. While the major emphasis
here is on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is recognized
that this conflict cannot be understood in isolation from the
context of the greater Middle East. Hence, the broader title
is employed to give the task force a broader mandate.
2. See action 4b of Item
12-01 of the 216th General Assembly (2004), which was also a
reiteration of the “End
the Occupation Now” action of the 215th General Assembly
(2003).
3. We note the resources
regarding the Middle
East and Israel
and Palestine.
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