AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

[Statement of from Friends in the Portland, Oregon, area]

We, the undersigned, are individual Friends (Quakers) in the Pacific Northwest, both evangelical and liberal, who are deeply concerned about the increasing violence in the Middle East. We carry in our hearts the sorrow and suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians. For many years Quakers have been involved in bridge building, non-violent training and the search for peace in that troubled area. Even now we have with Christian Peacemaker Teams offering unarmed protection to victims of violence, others are teaching in our beleaguered Ramallah Friends Schools, and still others have just returned from fact-finding missions to the Middle East. We know that peace is possible, but that the United States must again accept leadership if it is to be achieved. We call on you to:
  • Take all necessary steps to bring about a speedy end to Israeli occupation of Palestine, and an end to the building of settlements there. Thirty-five years of occupation have already been devastating for Palestinian society and current invasions have destroyed infrastructure and civil institutions and claimed hundreds of lives.
  • Insist that our Arab allies withhold shipments of weapons to Palestine and condemn suicide bombings, and urge our European allies to join us in withholding military aid to Israel until occupation troops withdraw and negotiations begin. War is not the answer. Neither Israel nor Palestine can be secure until the other is recognized and accepted.
  • Insist upon negotiation of a final status agreement between Israelis and Palestinians based on all relevant UN resolutions and international law. Significant progress had been made before the present downward spiral into violence, and it is time to resume building on the foundations already laid.
  • Request protection by UN peacekeepers for Israelis as they withdraw their settlements, and similar protection for Palestinians while rehabilitation of their devastated communities begins.
  • Arrange opportunities for present and future creative leaders from the full spectrum of Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities in Israel and Palestine to meet, consult and seek the way forward together.
We know that the way to peace appears difficult but pray that you and your advisors have the wisdom and will to choose it for the sake of us all.