WASHINGTON, USA – A high-level Middle East conference ended without a cease-fire agreement on Wednesday, leaving many US church leaders criticising the U.S. cease-fire policy, comparing it to giving Israel a ‘‘blank check’’ to expand military offensive in Lebanon.

|PIC1|“I am disappointed that there is no energy apparent on the part of this administration, of which she (U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice) is a spokesperson, to end the violence immediately,” said the associate director of The Alliance of Baptists, Jeanette Holt, to US-based Christian Post on Wednesday. “It sounds as though they are willing to give Israel pretty much a blank check in the hopes that violence will stop violence. I think that is really the case.”

In its 16th day, the Israel-Lebanon conflict has resulted in more than 1,400 rockets fired by the Lebanese Islamic militant group Hezbollah into northern Israel, according to The Associated Press. At least 433 people, mostly civilians have been killed in Lebanon. On the Israeli side, 51, including 18 civilians, have been killed, according to a report by Reuters.

During the Middle East conference in Rome on Wednesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora gave an emotional speech asking whether Lebanese were “children of a lesser God,” following talks ending without consensus on immediate cease-fire.

“We are being pounded day by day, and scores of people are dying every day,” Siniora said according to Agence France-Presse. “The country is really being cut to pieces...to bring the country to its knees and that is what’s happening.”

Earlier, during the international conference, Siniora asked “what future other than one of fear, frustration, financial ruin and fanaticism can stem from the rubble?”

“Is the value of human life less than in Lebanon than that of citizens elsewhere? Are we children of a lesser God? Is an Israeli teardrop worth more than a drop of Lebanese blood?

|TOP|“Can the international community continue to stand by while such callous retribution by the state of Israel is inflicted upon us?”

“Is this what is called legitimate self-defense?”

Christian leaders are responding that the U.S. policy should be one of immediate cease-fire.

“We think there should be an immediate cease-fire – we have called for that as well as other Christian and religious groups have done,” said Antonios Kireopoulos, associate general secretary for international affairs and peace for the National Council of Churches, on Wednesday. “To call for an end to violence but to allow the violence to continues, to us it seems contradictory and not helpful.

“Certainly we would like to change the way things are done there,” Kireopoulos acknowledged. “Certainly we are all looking for peace but we do not feel that continued violence will lead to that. In fact we think that continued violence will actually bring more resentment towards Israel and the United States and will bring more grounds for violence against Israel and the United States. It is just not a helpful situation at all and it is a misguided policy.”

Daryl Byler, Director of the Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office, agrees.

“The U.S. should actually take a little more prominent role in trying to reach a cease-fire,” he said. “One of our concerns is while there has been some verbal assent to that direction the U.S. has speeded up a shipment of weapons to Israel for the use and fighting in Lebanon. It seems a little like speaking out of two sides of one’s mouth.

|AD|“So we are interested obviously in seeing a cease-fire that does lead to a comprehensive peace agreement; the introduction of additional weapons seems to be an unhelpful way to approach that.”

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that she was willing to return to the Middle East if it could help bring lasting peace in Lebanon as she arrived in Malaysia for a regional security conference.

"I am willing and ready to go back to the Middle East at any time that I think we can move toward a sustainable ceasefire that can end the violence," said Rice, according to Reuters.

"The key ... is the extension of Lebanese government authority throughout the country, the ability of the Lebanese government to control all forces, all arms in their country – there should be no militias – and that Lebanon can have the assistance of a U.N.-mandated international force," she said.

James Winkler, head of the international public policy and social justice agency of The United Methodist Church, called attention to the Israel-Palestine conflict when asked about the U.S. policy towards Lebanon.

“All who are familiar with the situation know the core issue is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said Winkler, who is the general secretary of the General Board of Church & Society (GBCS). “The U.S. must act in an evenhanded manner to help secure a just, lasting, and durable peace settlement.

“I support a safe and secure Israel and the only way for there to be a safe and secure Israel is for a safe, secure, viable, and contiguous Palestinian state to be established next to it.”

In a statement released by the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society Church on July 17, the group had called for an end to Palestinian and Hezbollah attacks against Israel and for the released of captured Israeli soldiers. GBCS also called upon Israel to end bombings against Gaza and Lebanon and to release political prisoners in Israel.



[Editor's Note: Michell Vu reported from Washington DC, USA for this article]



Michelle Vu
Christian Today Correspondent