The Middle East crisis, as seen by
bishop of Jerusalem
by CLARK GROOME
Riah Abu El-Assal describes himself as an Arab Palestinian
Christian Israeli.
Riah, formally The Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal, is the
bishop of Jerusalem, a member of the Anglican Communion’s
Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, a sister
Anglican province to the Episcopal Church in the United
States.
Bishop Riah was in the area last week, a guest of St.
Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Whitemarsh, where he spoke
and preached as part of the parish’s year-long focus
on reconciliation. Brought to St. Thomas’ by its
rector, the Rev. Marek P. Zabriskie, Riah spoke not only
at St. Thomas’ but also at other forums around the
area.
Being the bishop of Jerusalem “is not a picnic,”
he said in a far-ranging interview. His diocese covers
most of Middle East, namely Palestine, Israel, Jordan,
Lebanon and Syria, He has responsibility for 31 parishes
and some 7,500 parishioners.
Elected a bishop in 1995, Riah has long been involved
in trying to bring peace to a region that has been tense
or worse since Israel got its independence in 1948.
A Christian of Arab heritage who is an Israeli citizen,
the bishop has very strong views about what needs to be
done to bring peace to the region.
He also believes that he is uniquely qualified to help
with that process.
“The majority of our diocese is Arab Palestinian.
In the minds of many people all Arabs are Muslims, which
is not true. I am an Arab who is not Muslim but I share
with Muslims my Arab identity.
“I continue to believe that I can be a bridge being
where I am. As an Arab, I can speak to the Arab nation
better than any Jew in the world. As a Palestinian I can
speak to the Palestinian leadership and people better
than any Israeli. As a Christian I can speak to the Israelis
and the Jews better than any Palestinian or Arab because
I live there, I know their language. I know how they feel.
I know their fear. I appreciate their difficulties.”
In the foreward to Riah’s book, Caught in Between,
the secretary general of the Anglican Communion, John
L. Peterson, notes that Riah “has been accused of
being anti-Semitic — although Palestinians are Semitic
— and anti-Israel — although he works passionately
for peace for the Israelis and even ran for the Knesset
(and was roundly criticized by the Palestinian church
for doing so).”
There is no question that Riah places most of the blame
for the current Middle East stalemate at the foot of the
Israelis. Peterson notes, however, that there have been
many instances when he has demonstrated a deep respect,
affection and conciliatory posture toward the Jews with
whom he so often differs.
“The root cause of all of [the fighting] is the
Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,”
Riah said. “We need to put an end to the occupation.
We need to expel the occupiers from the occupied territories
if we mean business with peace, with settlement, with
security, with harmony, with reconciliation among the
conflicting parties and securities for all peoples of
the world.”
He reports that at an Arab summit held in Beirut that
he attended, “there was a unanimous vote ready to
normalize relations with Israel provided Israel withdraws
from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.”
Riah finds it difficult at times to be the bridge he wants
to be because “I don’t receive the necessary
support from the Christian community in the world to help
me stand on my feet and contribute to this dialogue between
Arabs and Jews, Muslims and Jews, Christians and Muslims,
Christians and Christians.”
He believes also that the United States, both the administration
and the people, is critical to peace in the region.
“Making peace requires two parties. Peace comes
only among enemies. There is a role for the Christians;
whether or not it’s recognized by Israel is another
story.
“If the [United States] administration were to say
to Israel, ‘I’m ready to support you. I’m
ready to protect you provided you come back to the boundaries
of the fourth of June, 1967, right before the Six-Day
War,’ Israel will then comply.
“The Americans have that power. The United States
is viewed as the great friend of the Israelis. Friends
should advise friends on what is best for them. In the
long run, irrespective of how strong Israel is, the demography
of the area and the fact that other nations are building
up themselves and finding ways to produce weapons of different
kinds, Israel will pay dearly.”
When asked what advice he would give President Bush he
said, “In the first place, to be a broker of peace
I need to recognize the enemy. I can no more say ‘I’m
ready to work with “A” but not with “B.”
I will work with both parties.’ Now for peace to
become a reality in the Middle East, Israel must withdraw
to the boundaries of the fourth of July, 1967.
“Second,” he said, “All those settlements
built on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip either be given
as compensation to the Palestinian refugees or be dismantled.
Eighty to 85 percent of all the settlers would leave with
even being asked. They’d just go.
“Then the two states will have to be [established]
side by side within those boundaries.”
He believes, he said, that part of the deal must include
the establishment of Jerusalem as an international city
with a “governing body that is representative of
the three monotheistic faiths of Arabs: Christians, Moslems
and Jews. Jerusalem will not have a political identity.
It should have a spiritual identity. The emphasis is on
how to bring harmony between the children of Abraham.”
He spoke some rather strong words to the American Jewish
community. “Wake up,” he said, “before
it’s too late. Tell Israel to stop doing in your
name what in no way serves the interests of Judaism. I
want the Jewish people to go back and implement the mind
of Elijah. The Jewish community in the United States of
America can do a lot.”
Riah feels that Americans have only heard half the Middle
East story. He said all Americans should know that, “The
[Christian] church is under the obligation to help reconcile
partisan conflict, be it political conflict or religious
conflict, in the Middle East or anywhere. This is the
mission of the church.
“I in no way set aside the search for justice. On
the contrary, justice must be the basis for reconciliation.
Truth must be another foundation for reconciliation.
“Compensating for the harm done to this party or
that party must be part of the healing process.
“I want people to know there is a way to peace.
There is a way to healing. There is a way to reconciliation,
provided people are committed not only to the principles
that make for peace [but also] to being a part of a collective
common sense to make those principles become incarnated.”
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