Leaders of Judaism’s Reform movement and the National Council of Churches have amicably resolved sharp differences that divided them during the Persian Gulf war and have issued a joint statement about the future of Israel and the Palestinians.
The declaration, signed by leaders of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the National Council, which represents 32 Protestant and Orthodox Christian denominations, expresses the hope “that all nations in the Middle East will be able to pursue peace through negotiation.”
It calls on Israel’s neighbors “to recognize her legitimate right to exist within peaceful and internationally recognized borders, and enter into state-to-state negotiations under appropriate auspices.” It expresses hope that “the Palestinians would enter into earnest negotiations for peace.”
The single remaining point of disagreement is over which Palestinians should negotiate with Israel. The statement reads, “The UAHC supports a process of open elections in the West Bank and Gaza. The NCC advocates the right of the widely dispersed Palestinian people to freely select their own representatives.”
The National Council supports the right of the Palestine Liberation Organization to represent the Palestinians in negotiations with Israel, a position the Reform movement opposes.
Discord between the two groups began last November, when a statement by the church council on the Gulf crisis linked Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait to Israel’s presence in the territories.
The Reform movement called for the two groups to “sit down face to face and pick up the tools of communication.”
Last week’s joint statement came out of talks between the two organizations in March.
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