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Presiding Bishop Leads Delegation of Church Leaders to Meet with Secretary of State Powell

Episcopal News Service. June 12, 2001 [2001-146]

James Solheim

(ENS) Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold led a delegation of church leaders to a 40-minute meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell on June 7 to discuss the elusive search for peace in the Middle East.

Griswold gave Powell a letter that thanked him "for your effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian cycle of violence and rebuild the trust and mutual confidence that are critical for a negotiated settlement."

The letter argued that "this long and tragic conflict is a cancer that threatens the health of the whole region," and said that "there is no higher priority for peacemaking in the world today than that between Israel and Palestinians." In identifying the threats to peace, the letter said that "few things have done more to destroy the hope and pursuit of peace through negotiations than Israel's unrelenting settlement activity" and that recent administrations opposed the settlements "only to watch the settlements increase and expand as Israel ignores the advice."

"We urge you to make clear to Israel and the Palestinians that the United States is committed to a negotiated end of Israel's military occupation of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem as called for in United Nations Security Council resolution 242 and that an immediate freezing by Israel of its settlement activity, including 'natural growth,' is imperative," the letter said.

"We endorsed the major conclusions and recommendations of the Mitchell Report, convinced that it could be the basis for restarting the peace negotiations," said Griswold in an interview after the meeting. (The report emerged from the visit of a team to the area, led by former Maine Senator George Mitchell.)

In addition to members of the delegation, the letter presented to Powell was signed by 26 of the nation's top Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic leaders.

The idea for the meeting with Powell came from a high-level ecumenical delegation that visited the area last December. They returned with an urgent request from Mideast church leaders that their American counterparts meet with the new secretary of state to plead for renewed peace efforts. Since Powell is an Episcopalian, Griswold made the contact and Powell responded quickly to set the appointment.

Trench warfare diplomacy

In both the letter and the discussion with Powell, the church leaders expressed their growing alarm at the escalation of violence in recent months. Powell made it clear that he was vexed by the situation and found it "very painful" to listen to both sides justify the violence, according to the Rev. Canon Brian Grieves, director of peace and justice ministries for the Episcopal Church and staff to the delegation.

Powell is eager to move beyond the pattern of violence, Grieves said, but it was also clear that he expects the Palestinian Authority's chairman, Yasser Arafat, to use his moral authority in attempts to stop the violence by Palestinians. "Powell told us that he needs us to tell both sides to stop violence," Grieves said.

"He urged us to use our voices, to shout from our steeples, that both sides must commit to non-violence," said Griswold. "And he urged us to speak forcefully on the issue."

Griswold and Grieves were impressed with the deep level of urgency Powell is giving to the issues, noting that he is "deeply immersed in contacts with both sides," in touch with them on a daily basis. "It was very obvious that he is engaged fully," said Grieves, adding that it is also clear that the United States is moving toward an increased role in the search for solutions but as a part of a larger international effort, not one that is unilateral.

"We are engaged in trench warfare diplomacy," Powell told the delegation. When someone expressed concern that the fanatics on both sides seem to be in control and that many are losing hope, Powell said that people of faith must not give up hope.

In comments to the press after the meeting, Griswold said he was convinced that Powell sees the churches as allies in the peace process. "We certainly felt that we established a working relationship and that he would be happy to work with us in the future," he said.

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