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His Excellency George
Walker Bush, President of the United States of
America, The White House, Washington, D.C. U.S.A
Your Excellency
We want to send you our
best Easter greetings and wishes of every good and
prosperity, for yourself and the American people.
But, in the very midst
of our Easter celebration, we are in the deepest
sorrow and suffering because of the dramatic
situation of our people in the Holy Land and of all
the Palestinians, as all people in the Holy Land are
living in fear and insecurity.
As you may know, when I
was patriarchal Vicar in Jerusalem for 26 years
(until my election as Patriarch in 2000), I have
always been working for peace and, as an Arab
Christian Bishop, I was clearly standing beside the
Palestinian rights. With the Patriarchs and other
Heads of Christian Churches in the Holy Land, we
produced a number of documents in this regard since
1996, and we always affirmed, on the other side, the
necessity for Israel to live in peace and security.
But the way how Israel,
with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his government,
are treating the Palestinians and the fierce attacks
with all kinds of weapons on the cities, villages,
refugee camps and hospitals, as well as the
isolation and practical imprisonment of President
Yasser Arafat and the cold-blood execution of
Palestinians after their arrest, even in hospitals,
and other atrocities, are things which are causing a
world wide utter uneasiness; even some Jews are
qualifying these acts as war crimes.
In my capacity as
Patriarch of the Melkite-Greek Catholic Church in
the whole Middle East, I bear the title of Patriarch
of Jerusalem, and this is why that Holy City is my
very special concern.
Therefore, I am writing
this letter to Your Excellency. You do know how big
are our hopes in yourself, your country and your
government. So, it is very difficult for us to
understand you position; we were expecting more
understanding, from you, for the suffering of the
Palestinian people, supported for more than half a
century: they loose everything!
The position of the
recent Arab Summit in Beirut was aimed to support
the peace process in a very strong way, as well as
the recognition of Israel as a State in the Arab
world. It was nearly a golden chance for Israel,
and we were waiting for a more positive reaction on
the Israel Side, and a greater support to such an
initiative (which is absolutely concordant with the
international legitimacy and the United Nations
Security Council resolution) from your side.
We think it is very
necessary to encourage President Arafat and the
Palestinian people to head the way of peace; it is
necessary to openly recognize and guarantee the
right of a Palestinian State, side by side with
State of Israel.
It is no way helpful to
describe the Palestinian resistance to the Israeli
occupation of their land as merely terror and
violence. We would like to affirm that we are
frankly against the terrorism. But you cannot
describe the position of all the Palestinians as
terrorism. We are also contrary to suicide actions
against civilians, but we cannot speak with
Palestinians only by using the words of violence and
terrorism, which can just exasperate them and have a
very negative effect on their mentality, when they
are suffering so many vexations under the occupation
of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s government.
The situation is very
delicate indeed. We trust, Mr. President, in your
wisdom, discretion and political skill so that you
may take a more comprehensive and balanced position,
so that America may really work to fight all kinds
of terrorism and violence from both sides (because
there is also Israeli terrorism!), and you may
positively participate in establishing a lasting and
juts peace in the whole Arab world.
Not to forget that such
a critical and tragic situation is one of main
factors of renewed waves of emigration, causing a
real hemorrhage of the Christian presence in the
Holy Land, so that the Holy Places well soon become
mere museums. Such a presence is a part of your
responsibility as a Christian President of the
United States of America.
I am writing to you very
frankly, but I want to assure you that, with this
letter, we are conveying our prayers so that you may
bear your heavy responsibility with the help of the
Lord.
With renewed regards,
greetings, prayers and blessings.
Gregorios III
Patriarch of Antioch
and all the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem |
