Kathy Sizer – Middle East Report Passes as Amended!

Wow! the primary work of my committee just passed on the plenary floor!

This was the report of a Middle East Study Committee (including John Huffman) which was SO controversial leading into the assembly.  But our committee amended it to include the right of Israel to exist within secure borders and to remove the long controversial narrative about Palestine.  The report about which I wrote before which received affirmation from Walter Mondale on Wed.

The report still includes a wonderful voice from the Palestinian Christians–the Kairos document.  When we hear the Palestinian voice, it is usually a secular voice, or, if a religious voice, it is Muslim.  But KAIROS PALESTINE is a nonviolent statement of faith, hope, love by PALESTINIAN Christians.  One of the authors, Mitri Rahab, pastor of the Lutheran church in Bethlehem, when asked how long his family had been Christian, replied, “My great great grandmother babysat Jesus.”  These long-faithful persecuted Christian brothers and sisters are crying out for us to hear their voice.  Just the fact that the outside church HEARS and studies their work is SO encouraging to them.  Avraham Burg, Israeli Jew, former member of the Knesset, said 80% of Israelis and Palestinians want peace, but all we hear are the extreme voices of the Israeli settler movement and the violent Palestinian voices.  The 80% are hijacked by those forces and can’t act.  They welcome encouragement from the outside world to discipline their extremists and to work instead of a just peace for both Palestine and Israel.  The window for a 2-state solution is closing with the settlements eating up all the land.  It is like Swiss cheese–Israel gets the land, Palestine gets the holes in the cheese, and the holes keep getting smaller and smaller.

Kathy Sizer – Kathy hobnobs w/ the big shots

Rick asked in his blog who I was meeting w/ this morning….OK, no more suspense….It was Vice-President Mondale.  He is a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church just across the street from GA, and he agreed to meet with some of us about our amendments to the Middle East Report.  Remember, he was part of the Camp David Accords, so he has been in on the negotiations w/ Israel/Palestine.  There were about 20 people at the meeting: Mondale, John Huffman, me, Karen Dimond (chair of our Middle East Peacmaking committee), Chip (another member of our committee), John Buchanan, Rick Ulford-Chase, Susan Andrews, Fahed Abu-Akel (all former moderators of the GA), etc.  Mondale heartily endorsed the work we did with the amendments and agreed that it was a much strong instrument for peace-making with our changes.

So if you read any wild-eyed reports about the Presbyterians doing horrible things (whether to the Israelis or the Palestinians), just quote Mondale to them, OK?

You may recall that John Buchanan (editor of Christian Century and former Moderator of GA) wrote a letter AGAINST the mid-east report because he was concerned about the damage it might do to our relationships with American Jews and synagogues.  He agreed that the amendments address his concerns!  John Huffman (a member of the original writing committee) also likes our amendments.

I am thankful that the committee on Peacemaking in the Middle East did really good work in a very peaceful manner.  We think our business will be on the GA docket Fri about 9:30 or 10 AM if you are watching streaming video.  I will either be speaking or “running the floor” with our speakers.  Strategy meeting for that tomorrow 7 AM!  These people don’t seem to think that is too early.

Several things were decided today that you may not like, but the sky is not falling, honest.

Kathy Sizer – moving from committees to plenary Wed

Most committees finished today, including my Middle East Peacemaking.  Tomorrow 1:30 we start plenary, so we take all our business items to the WHOLE assembly and start over again to advocate before 700 people.  Wed morning is for “reading” which means catching up with what other committees decided (and for most SLEEPING a bit extra).  Seminary lunches are tomorrow too, so many of us will be at one of those w/ fellow alums or students.  I give invocation for Fuller Seminary lunch tomorrow if I make it there in time from AM ad hoc  meeting.

Today Middle East Peacemaking committee worked well together as a whole committee (this is rare!) to pass amendments to the Middle East Report so it would pass the plenary floor.  Our whole committee –from most liberal to most conservative–was unanimous in wanting the report to pass, but w/ a few concerns which we addressed through amendments.  The committee passed the report unanimously!  This so rarely happens!  It was a wonderful committee working together and respecting one another.  We did GOOD work today!

Kathy Sizer – Committees on Monday

Today Monday each committee met to hear open testimonies by people who signed up to talk to us.  Peacemaking in the Middle East had 160 people sign up to talk in the 90 minutes we had for hearings!  We used a lottery system so were able to hear only a few people on each topic.  We also heard from several committees whose reports we would be discussing and deciding whether to accept.  Tomorrow we discuss our major piece of business, the Breaking Down the Walls report of the Middle East Study Committee–the one which included John Huffman and Fred Bush.  I will propose a few amendments which I think will help the report be more acceptable to a wider group of Presbyterians.  All committees should be finished with their business by tomorrow night.  Adel Malek from our Presbytery has invited Betty Thompson and me to a Middle East dinner hosted by Fahed Abu Akel, our former GA Moderator.  We’ll deserve a great feast by the time we get to tomorrow night!

Kathy Sizer – GA pre-activities

Betty Thompson and I arrived in Minneapolis at her daughter’s home on Wed night.  Thurs we toured St John’s College with its wonderful illustrated Bible project–all hand-calligraphied and illustrated.  The whole Bible is nearly completed; work being done in Wales by 7 artist/scribes, with the Bible kept here in Minnesota.  Great day on a great campus to see this amazing work.  Check it out online.

Yesterday we attended a wonderful 4-hour info event about the Middle East Study Committee–hearing Avraham Burg (former member of the Knisset, a devout Israeli Jew for human rights) and Mitri Rahab, Lutheran pastor from Bethlehem.  2 people very against the abuse of the human rights of Palestinians with 2 very different suggested solutions.  hmmmmmmmm….much to think about.

GA officially kicked off after lunch today with worship and a commissioning ceremony for the commissioners.  Dinner now; electing moderator tonight.

Kathy Sizer – Praying for GA

I’d appreciate your prayers for GA commissioners and speakers.  Pray as we finish preparations that we will be able to digest the vast amount of information.  May God give us ears to hear his voice and hearts to make wise choices.

All – Welcome!

We will soon be posting commentary from our Los Ranchos Presbytery Commissioners, YAD and Staff to the 219th General Assembly.

July 3-10, 2010