Presiding bishop, House of Bishops issue letters requesting support for Bishop Dawani of Jerusalem
Episcopal News Service. April 4, 2011 [040411-01]
ENS staff
Following the March 25 - 30 meeting of the House of Bishops, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and the house have written letters requesting support for Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani, who has been denied the customary residency permit allowing him to live in Jerusalem.
Jefferts Schori's letter is addressed to the Episcopal Church; the letter from the House of Bishops is written to Israel's ambassadors serving in nations where the Episcopal Church has dioceses or presence.
"Change is likeliest when the leaders of our governments know of our urgent concern," wrote Jefferts Schori to members of the church, asking them to contact government officials on Dawani's behalf. "In every part of The Episcopal Church, your response is most likely to be effective when directed to Israel's ambassador to your nation, to your national leader – President and/or Prime Minister, and/or to your legislative representatives in your national government."
The letter from the House of Bishops outlines the difficulties faced by Dawani and the charges levied against him by the Israeli government -- charges that Dawani has vehemently denied -- and asks Israeli ambassadors for their help in resolving the matter as soon as possible.
"Because of the current situation the bishop is unable to conduct any legal business on behalf of the diocese, and is crippled in his ability to run the day to day affairs of his diocese, which comprises schools, churches, and hospitals in Israel, the West Bank and occupied territories, Gaza, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon," the bishops wrote.
"We seek your assistance in resolving this situation as rapidly and completely as possible. The ability of our brother, Bishop Dawani, to lead his diocese is severely compromised. We ask your urgent attention to this matter."
The full text of both letters is below.
Dawani has filed court action seeking reinstatement of his residency permit, which was revoked in August 2010. Israel's Ministry of the Interior denied permits for Dawani, his wife and his youngest daughter on the grounds that Dawani had illegally sold Israeli land to Palestinians. He also was accused of forging documents.
The official letter denying the permit, which was written in Hebrew, said (in a translation provided in an earlier Diocese of Jerusalem release), "Bishop Suheil acted with the Palestinian Authority in transferring lands owned by Jewish people to the Palestinians and also helped to register lands of Jewish people in the name of the Church."
The letter also stated that Dawani and his family should leave the country immediately.
Dawani has denied the allegations, none of which have been substantiated by any documentary evidence, according to the diocese's release. The bishop has attempted to resolve the matter, sending letters to the Ministry of the Interior and the nation's attorney general in which he asked to know the specific charges against him and requested reinstatement of the residency permit. To date, none of his inquiries have been answered.
Dawani's episcopal ministry requires him to travel throughout the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which includes parishes and institutions in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian Territories. Dawani, a Palestinian Christian, has held a residency permit for Jerusalem since 2007.
"Make no mistake: The Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem is a peacemaker," said Los Angeles Bishop Jon Bruno, whose diocese has shared a companion relationship with the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem for six years, in a statement issued on March 9. His "status and rights as a religious leader should mean he can travel freely throughout his diocese."
Bishop John Chane of Washington, D.C., whose diocese also shares a companion relationship with the Jerusalem diocese, said in a March 10 pastoral letter that he -- along with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem -- has joined in the effort to reinstate the bishop's visa and residency cards for his family.
"Almost four weeks have passed since our letters, expressing our deep concern and calling for the Israeli government to correct this indignity and injustice, were delivered to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," he said. "Our efforts have been met with silence."
"Israel prides itself on being a democracy -- the only one in the Middle East. Yet a true democracy adheres to the rule of law and defends the religious freedom of all persons," said Chane. "This has not been the case for Bishop Dawani, a Palestinian Christian."
"The church has too often been silent in addressing the abuses of power by the Israeli government," Chane said. "I have spoken to many Christians who are fearful and believe if they speak out against human rights abuses by the government of Israel they will be labeled as anti-Semitic. But not to speak out when injustices are done to a Christian religious leader and a much respected bishop of the Anglican Communion is to be guilty of a greater crime; the crime of silence."
To the members of The Episcopal Church
From the House of Bishops
At our meeting in Kanuga, North Carolina, 25-30 March 2011, we considered the plight of our fellow Christians in the land of the Holy One. Bishop Suheil Dawani, of the Diocese of Jerusalem, has for many months been gravely limited in his ability to function as leader of that diocese. We urge your reflection on the following letter, and your response as you deem most appropriate. Change is likeliest when the leaders of our governments know of our urgent concern.
In every part of The Episcopal Church, your response is most likely to be effective when directed to Israel's ambassador to your nation, to your national leader – President and/or Prime Minister, and/or to your legislative representatives in your national government.
In the dioceses of The Episcopal Church within the United States, those contacts are: Ambassador Oren embsec@washington.mfa.gov.il
President Obama http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
House of Representatives: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Senate: http://senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
In the dioceses of The Episcopal Church beyond the United States, we urge you to work with your diocesan bishop if you are uncertain about how to contact the Israeli Ambassador, your President or Prime Minister, and your legislators.
May God bless the land of the Holy One with peace. I remain
Your servant in Christ,
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
_________________________________________________________________
A letter from the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church to the Israeli ambassadors to the nations where The Episcopal Church has dioceses or presence
30 March 2011
It is with deep concern that we inform you that the Anglican Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, the Rt. Rev. Suheil Dawani, has been denied renewal of his "Temporary Residency Status" in Jerusalem. This action was taken when the A-5 permits held by the bishop, his wife, and youngest daughter were revoked by the Government of Israel, effective 24 September 2010.
The Government of Israel claims that the permits were denied because of an accusation by the Ministry of the Interior that Bishop Suheil acted with the Palestinian Authority in transferring land owned by Jewish people to the Palestinians, and also helped to register lands of Jewish people in the name of the Church. There were further allegations that documents were forged by the bishop.
Bishop Dawani has vehemently denied these allegations and responded formally to the Ministry of the Interior. He has never received a response. The bishop also sent a letter challenging the allegations and demanding that any evidence to secure the claim against him be made known to him. To date no information has been forthcoming.
The Archbishop of Canterbury received assurances that the situation would be resolved promptly. Other Anglican leaders including Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington D.C. (the Rt. Rev. John B. Chane), and the Primates of the Anglican Communion, representing Anglicans throughout the world, have all used their influence individually and collectively with Israeli authorities, without success to date.
Diplomatic efforts through the British Foreign Secretary, the British Ambassador to Israel, the British Consul General in Jerusalem, the State Department of the United States, and the American Consul General in Jerusalem, and Christian and Jewish leaders in Jerusalem have all provided support for Bishop Dawani in his ongoing contact with Israeli authorities, but without tangible results. In terms of discovering the source of the allegations against the bishop, or the restoration of the residency rights which are crucial to his ability to provide leadership of his diocese, and residency in Jerusalem for himself and his family, the Israeli Government has failed to respond. Because of the current situation the bishop is unable to conduct any legal business on behalf of the diocese, and is crippled in his ability to run the day to day affairs of his diocese, which comprises schools, churches, and hospitals in Israel, the West Bank and occupied territories, Gaza, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon.
We seek your assistance in resolving this situation as rapidly and completely as possible. The ability of our brother, Bishop Dawani, to lead his diocese is severely compromised. We ask your urgent attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
The bishops of The Episcopal Church, in 110 dioceses and two regional areas in Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Federated States of Micronesia, France, Germany, Haiti, Honduras, Italy, Switzerland, Taiwan, Venezuela, and the United States of America (including Guam and Puerto Rico), and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands.