Leading figures among the Armenian and Greek Orthodox ecumenical
movement in the US have joined a pride of other leaders of Christian,
Moslem and Jewish religious and lay organizations and institutions, pledging
to mobilize support for peace in the Middle East.
Armenian
Archbishop
Vicken
Aykazian,
the
Director
of
Ecumenical
Affairs
for
Armenian
Orthodox
Church
in
America
Father
Mark
Arey,
the
Director
of
the
Office
of
Ecumenical
Affairs
for
the
Greek
Orthodox
Archdiocese
of
America,
believe
time
is
running
out
for
both
Israelis and Palestinians.
The
loose
umbrella
of
the
US
National
Interreligious
Leadership
Initiative
(NILI)
for
Peace
in
the
Middle
East
,
which
includes
Theodore
Cardinal
McCarrick,
Archbishop
Emeritus
of
Washington,
Imam
Mohammed
Magid,
President,
Islamic
Society
of
North
America,
and
Rabbi
Peter
Knobel,
Past
President,
Central
Conference
of
American
Rabbis,
warns
that
the
possibility
of
a
two-state
solution
to
the
Israeli-Palestinian
conflict
was
waning,
and
urged
"immediate,
sustained
U.S.
leadership
before
darkness
falls
on
the
hopes
for
a
peaceful
resolution."
Among
the
other
leaders
are
Kathryn
Mary
Lohre,
President,
National
Council
of
Churches
of Christ (USA) and Richard Stearns, President, World Vision US.
Aykazian
was
in
Jerusalem
last
week
to
participate
in
the
elections
for
a
new
Armenian
patriarch
and
had
been
one
of
the
contenders
for
the
position,
and
had
he
won,
his
voice
would
have
carried
further:
the
Armenian
Patriarchate
of
Jerusalem
is
one
of
the
three
Guardians
of
the
Christian
sanctuaries
in
the
Holy
Land.
The
other
two
are
the
Greek
Orthodox Patriarchate and the Catholic (Franciscan) Custodia.
The
group
believes
the
most
viable
solution
to
the
Arab-Israeli
conflict
is
a
two-state
agreement
that
provides
for
a
secure
and
recognized
Israel
living
in
peace
alongside
a
viable
and independent Palestinian state.
"With
the
support
of
the
international
community,
Israelis
and
Palestinians
can
achieve
a
lasting peace. A new dawn is possible," they said in a statement they released.
Mourning
the
lives
lost
and
shattered
during
the
recent
violence
that
gripped
the
region,
the
group
warned
that
what
had
been
seen,
over
the
past
years,
"will
keep
happening
if
movement towards a viable two state-solution continues to stagnate."
As
things
stand
now,
"the
status
quo
is
unsustainable
and
dangerous
to
both
Israelis
and
Palestinians,"
they
conceded,
but
stressed
now
is
not
the
time
for
"another
cycle
of
recriminations. It is time to break the cycle of violence with bold initiatives for peace."
"The
current
dangerous
stalemate,
including
the
legacy
of
past
failed
peacemaking
efforts,
undermines
our
security
and
that
of
others,
destabilizes
the
region,
fuels
terrorism
and
extremism,
allows
continuing
Israeli
settlement
expansion,
and
prolongs
Palestinian
disunity.
These
realities
and
the
absence
of
negotiations
threaten
to
kill
the
prospect
of
a
viable
two-
state peace agreement, the only realistic solution to the conflict," they said.
They
urged
strong
and
determined
action,
proposing
a
peace
of
the
brave,
because
as
people of faith, "we proclaim that we should never underestimate what is possible."
"We
know
the
challenges
are
daunting,
but
we
believe
a
bold
new
initiative
for
an
Israeli-
Palestinian
peace
settlement
should
be
an
immediate
priority
of
the
new
[US]
Administration
in
2013.
We
fear
the
opportunity
for
a
peaceful
resolution
is
rapidly
waning
and
the
current
stagnation encourages the rejectionists on both sides," the statement said.
They
noted
that
the
US
"has
unique
leverage
and
credibility
in
the
region"
and
that
no
past
progress
towards
peace
has
occurred
in
the
Arab-Israeli
conflict
without
U.S.
leadership,
facilitation or staunch support.
"Once
again,
we
need
active,
fair
and
firm
U.S.
leadership
to
help
break
the
current
deadlock and to achieve a two-state peace agreement now before it is too late," they added.
They
pledged
to
mobilize
the
strong
support
that
exists
in
churches,
synagogues
and
mosques across the US, in the push for peace.
"Twilight
is
upon
us;
but
the
hope
for
a
new
dawn
remains.
Let
us
together
bring
the
new
light of hope and work for negotiations leading to a final status agreement," they added.