Episcopal Bishop of Jerusalem Urges Israel to Recognize PLO
Episcopal News Service. October 17, 1989 [89196A]
The Rt. Rev. Samir Kafity, president-bishop of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, has urged Israel to recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and accept the establishment of a new Palestinian state. Kafity, a Palestinian, maintains that the three major faiths in the Middle East "have been exploited for partisan politics." According to Kafity, the doctrines of the religions have been "taught in divisive ways, even in seminaries" and urged "rethinking ways of teaching the Abrahamic faiths." Though Kafity's proposal to recognize the PLO is in contrast to positions taken by the state of Israel and many Jewish organizations, he wants to promote dialogue among Christians, Jews, and Muslims both in the Middle East and in the United States. Kafity stresses that the church has a key role to play in speaking out against violence because it "has only one message, the gospel of peace." Kafity is visiting several U.S. cities to raise $2 million for schools, orphanages, and a hospital operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.