Resolves of the Executive Council

Resolved, That the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church, meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, February 19-22, 2010, considering the Church’s mission to promote peace for all God’s people, welcomes the peace making initiatives of President Barack Obama and his Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, and urges them to redouble efforts to bring stronger and more resolute American diplomatic leadership to the cause of peace between Israel and Palestine and to the Middle East; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council acknowledges the tragic histories of the Jewish and Palestinian people as victims of injustice, wars, dispersion and exile, the existential fear and insecurity this has created for both peoples and the distress their conflict has caused throughout the Middle East; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council recognizes the profound commitment of Israelis and Palestinians to the land they regard as their homeland, and respects their national aspirations; and calls upon the United States Government, in keeping with American ideals of equality, justice, and human rights, to pursue a fair and balanced approach to making peace that fulfills the fundamental needs of both peoples; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council acknowledges that peace between Israel and Palestine can be achieved only by a division of historic Palestine into two sovereign states, and that this division should be defined, more or less, by the 1949 Armistice line, with mutually agreed upon border adjustments; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council calls upon the President of the United States and the Congress to press the State of Israel to end the blockade of the Gaza Strip, thereby permitting free and uninhibited access for all humanitarian assistance, a return to normalized trade, and the lifting of the ban on building and educational materials; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council understands and respects the religious and historic claims of both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as of Jews, Christians and Muslims, worldwide, toward the Holy City of Jerusalem and its sacred holy sites; and affirms that a just and lasting territorial division must include a shared Jerusalem in which the State of Israel and a future State of Palestine will maintain their respective capitals; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council recognizes that the use of force, violence or arbitrary power by Israelis or Palestinians to determine the outcome of this conflict must be condemned absolutely; and affirms that peace can be achieved only through peaceful negotiations that would lead to the emergence of a peaceful two state solution; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council urges all Episcopalians to work and pray for the liberation of Israelis and Palestinians from generations of conflict and for the restoration of harmony among Jews, Muslims and Christians worldwide; and be it further

Resolved, That the Executive Council affirms that the creation of peace with justice is a compelling priority for the Church and for the United States of America.