Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, October 1987, pages 17-18

Religion and the Middle East

By the Rev. L. Humphrey Walz, DD

The Pope and Israel

American-Jewish leaders met with Pope John Paul II both before and during the pontiff's 10-day trip to the United States. Jewish leaders sought Vatican recognition of Israel, an explanation of the pope's meeting with Austrian President Kurt Waldheim, and a statement deploring the continued existence of anti-Semitism. While the American media covered these meetings in great detail, the Israeli press was relatively uninterested in the whole affair. "Why the difference?" East Jerusalem's Al-Fajr asked. It made the following suggestions:

• The pope was among the Poles who suffered under Nazism;

• The pope has already condemned all anti-Jewish prejudice and persecution;

• The Vatican, like the UN, has traditionally opposed any exclusive rule over the city of Jerusalem;

• The Vatican does not initiate diplomatic relations with other states, and the Israeli government's non-initiative in this matter suggests it is unwilling to allow Catholic schools, hospitals, churches, charities, orders, and offices to operate without interference, a requirement of recognition; and

• The Vatican has never recognized any other country that would not define its boundaries.

Al-Fajr did not mention a recent front-page Jerusalem Post article in which Prime Minister Shamir called the American Jewish Congress—a major critic of Waldheim—a "peanut-sized" operation, and said that it should keep out of Israeli governmental affairs and stick to raising financial and political support for Israel.

Interreligious Conference on Peace

On October 17 the Southminster Presbyterian Church in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, IL, will host a conference on "Moving Toward Peace: Middle East Issues." The all-day interfaith conference, a regional expression of the US Interreligious Committee for Peace in the Middle East, will be guided by that body's national appeal adopted at the committee's June 11 conference in Arlington, VA: "We Jews, Christians and Muslims—in the name of God who is compassionate and just—call upon our...government to make peace a priority and use diplomacy to promote negotiations for a just peace based on...Israel's right to secure borders and peace with her neighbors...the Palestinian people's right to self-determination...and...the need for an international conference for peace."

Eighteen speakers will address the conference, and some of the topics to be covered are: "Historical Perspectives," "Social and Religious Issues," "US and Foreign Peace Initiatives," "Dialogue and Conflict Resolution," and "Educational Initiatives." Participating groups without specific religious affiliation include the America-Israel Council for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, Americans for Middle East Understanding, Chicago Dialogue, Chicago Friends of Peace Now, New Outlook, New Jewish Agenda, Religious Task Force on Justice in the Holy Land, and Syracuse Dialogue. FOr more information, contact the host church at Central and Dryden, Arlington Heights, IL 60004, or call (312) 392-1060.

Global Gleanings

Cyprus—The Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace held a four-day conference in Ayia Napa on "Building Strong Interpersonal and Intergroup Friendships." Representatives of Lebanon's various regions and religious communities participated.

Washington, DC—South African anti-apartheid activist Rev. Alan Boesak, president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, gave the keynote address at the Palestine Human Rights Campaign's national convention on September 19.

Caesarea, Israel—In the wake of an international protest by Orthodox Jews that a Methodist-related archaeological dig here impinged on an ancient Jewish cemetery, Duke University President Paul Hardin announced the discontinuation of the 16-year-old project involving a 22-school consortium.

Amman—The Council of the Baptist World Alliance met here to plan for the 1990 Baptist World Congress in Seoul.

New York—The (US) National Council on Islamic Affairs has asked Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, Secretary-General of the Conference of Islamic Organizations, to appoint a panel of prominent Muslim judges to investigate the violent deaths of some 400 pilgrims and policemen in Mecca rioting that broke out during a political demonstration by Iranian pilgrims.

Beirut—Evangelical, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Oriental Orthodox seminarians met here for a week to discuss the role of theological students in the future of the ecumenical movement.

Minneapolis—On November 8-11 the 10th national workshop on Christian-Jewish Relations will address the theme "Listening to Each Other" at the Hyatt Regency. The workshop will include a seminar on "Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Conversation."

The Rev. L. Humphrey Walz, DD, a retired Associate Executive of the Presbyterian Synod of the Northeast and founding editor of The Link, is active in Christian-Jewish and Christian-Muslim dialogues.