The USA, who should help to resolve the problem could not press Israel to close the Tunnel after about a hundred death because of a tunnel! Will The USA be able to stop the buildings in East Jerusalem before any new wave of violence?

On September 29, 1996 The Patriarchs, Bishops, clergy and people of Jerusalem made a peaceful march to the Tunnel that Prime Minister Netanyaho opened. They wrote a statement that was sent world wide.

The USA, who should help to resolve the problem could not press Israel to close the Tunnel after about a hundred death because of a tunnel!

Will The USA be able to stop the buildings in East Jerusalem before any new wave of violence? Will the USA take in charge seriously its obligation as the main SPONSOR for peace between the Isaraelis and Palestinians and stop all kinds of violence. Building in East Jerusalem is violence against the fundamental rights of Palestinians, it is violence angainst the good will of many Jews, Christians and Muslims, against the International Community that condamned the building, it is against the will of USA who objected the buildings in differents ways despite voting veto on the UN.

We pray the USA govenment to stop all kind of violence. Confiscating lands and building on them is a real violence against fundamental Palestinian rights.

Please USA. help Jerusalem to stay a HOLY CITY and not a VIOLENT CITY.

In fact: In their Statement after a peaceful Walk in Jerusalem, on September 29, 1996 the Patriarchs, Bishops, Clergy and People of the Christian Churches of Jerusalem underlined very important issues, please read the Statement, it was sent world wide you can find it at http://www.al-bushra.org under the webpage Christian Head Churches. It will help you to understand the will of those who wrote it for Justice and comprehensive peace in the Holy Land:

what the statement said needs to be repeated:

1- The Statement calls for: JERUSALEM FIRST. "JERUSALEM IS NOW A PRIORITY. IT IS THE HEART OF CONFLICT AND THE KEY TO PEACE...If Israel maintains an exclusive sovereignty over the city, and continues its "Judaization", Jerusalem will never be the city of Peace. Any peace imposed by the iron first will remain a fake and temporary peace. Jews will never feel secure and Palestinians will never submit to it. We therefore insist on an open Jerusalem, the capital for two states; a city that will be a model for the peaceful coexistence between two peoples, Palestinian and Israelis. Thus, Jerusalem will become a genuine symbole of authentic brotherhood and tolerance between the three faiths: Islam, Judaism and Christianity" We do not understand then, why Israel, is afaid of peace. We do not understand why Israel is looking for the needed security, and do not want the same security for the Palestinians. We do not understand why Jerusalem as capital for Palestine as well Capital of Israel is

a- TREATING FOR THE SECURITY OF THE JEWS. We do not understand why building in East Jerusalem (Arab Jerusalem)is so important and so urgent for Israel, there is enough and plenty of room to build houses for Israelis in West Jerusalem (Jewish Jerusalem), why they do not go there and build.

b- The Statement is clear. Christians and Muslims call for Jerusalem as Capital of the two States: Israel and Palestine. Israel has to change its attitude. USA has to help Israel to see clear that Palestinians are their neighbors for ever, it is better to have them as friends than enemies. The security of Israel is rather threatened when they do not accept the reality of the HISTORY. Palestinians will be there for ever and will be one day in a bigger number than the Israelis. "We urge the Israeli government to change its attitude and purify its motives", says the Statement

2- The Statment of September 29, quoted a verse from Prophet Isaiah 32:17. This prophet is the prophet of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. He said "The effect of Justice will be peace and the result of justice, quietness and security forever".

a- This means that the formula of Prime Minister Netanyaho, SECURITY for PEACE is not the good one, with respect to the Prime minister point of view. He is not a Prophet, his words are not the word of God pronounced to be taken as it is, as Jews, Christians and Muslims would accept. Should we believe the Word of God or Prime Minister Netanyaho.

b- When the Word of God says that : "The effect of Justice is PEACE and the RESULT of JUSTICE, quietness and SECURITY forever" Isaiah 32:17. The Word of God, in naming JUSTICE, puting all people at the same level. The Statement says: "There is no difference in God's eyes between Jews and Palestinians, between Arab and foreigner. God is the Creator of ALL...". BECAUSE JUSTICE IS FOR ALL, speaks to all at the same level; but security does not speak that way. It makes the other person under the mercy of he who has power. That is why in the name of security the Israelis, because they are more powerful than the Palestinians, by their arms and the Media are confiscating lands, in the name of security they are destroying houses, taking the ID's from the residents of Jerusalem, closing the Holy City and Judaizing it. SECURITY means the domination of the powerful over he who is weak, when JUSTICE means equality in front of the law, national and international, human or divine. "God does not accept, says the Statement. the domination of the powerful or their arrogance".

c- Then, the right thing to say is JUSTICE FOR PEACE, and not at all Security for Peace. The Partenars of peace said Land for Peace. And achieving security for the Israelis cannot become a reality without insuring JUSTICE and SECURITY for the Palestinians. Why the Israelis are afraid to give JUSTICE and SECURITY for the Palestinians, the Syrians and the Lebanese, if their claims of their needed Security is realy just and right. We do want SECURITY for the Israelis, we are not anti-semite, we are not anti-jewish, or terrorists as they claim; we are peacemakers, we are people who are looking for our SECURITY as much as the Israeli needs it, but we need it as says the Statement of the Patriarchs and Bishops of the Holy Land, a security based on JUSTICE: "Peace and security in our country cannot prevail unless they are established on Justice. We believe that God is the God of Justice and righteousness".

3- The Statement shows that Israel is not a real democratic country. The USA repeats always this slogan: "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East". "A just and democratic government does not violate the religious sensibility of others", says the Statement.

a- In fact what democracy is this, when you oppress a people, a whole people: Palestinians are second class, they do not have the right to return to their own cities and villages, when any Jew from any part of the world could come and get an ID, a house and a work, even if his grand grand grand fathers have never knew that Israel have ever existed? What democracy when the Palestinians in within Israel of 1948 do not have the same rights as the Israelis? What democracy, when the Israelis themselves are manifesting against the policy of their own country, when the International Community is telling them that what they are doing is against human rights and international law,that building in Jerusalem on confiscated Arab lands is against fundamental human Palestinian rights, when the Israeli government refuses the international and national consensus on fundamental issues that could pre-empt the peace process?

b- What kind of democracy is that, when we impose our views, our policy, our army over the will of States, Governments, Organizations and People!!

Please, USA, help Israel, help the Palestinains, help justice and peace for Jerusalem. Please

Rev. Labib Kobti