September 6, 2012
Dear Sabeel Conference Endorser,
The Friends of Sabeel, Albuquerque, want to thank you for your sponsorship of this important conference. We are grateful for your commitment to the goals of the conference, which are to bring together people of many faiths, perspectives and experiences to discuss issues of human rights in Palestine, conditions on the ground for Palestinian Christians and other people affected by the conflict and occupation, and share visions of the way forward to peace, nonviolence, and justice.
It has come to the attention of the conference organizers that some members of the Albuquerque Jewish community have been contacting endorsers of the conference to discourage them from participating. The Jewish Federation published an inaccurate and inflammatory article in the New Mexico Jewish Link wrongly attributing anti-Semitism to Sabeel. We are understandably concerned about this attempt to undermine the conference, since our aim is to give all people who care about the Holy Land an opportunity to come together in the spirit of inquiry, dialogue and free exchange of views.
Since similar attempts have occurred in other cities holding Sabeel conferences, the Rabbinical Council of the Jewish Voice for Peace, a key conference endorser, has issued a statement of support for Sabeel. We attach this letter to provide you with the voice of other Jewish religious leaders and to assure you that there are many diverse views in Jewish communities throughout the country and the world.
Perhaps the Rev. John Dear, the Jesuit priest and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, who has endorsed the Albuquerque conference, expresses most eloquently what supporters and organizers want to accomplish:
"We're all on a journey to peace, disarmament and justice, toward the Jewish vision of shalom, that new day when Isaiah says everyone will 'beat their swords into plowshares and study war no more.' I heartily endorse the peacemaking work of Sabeel, and urge everyone to join the upcoming Sabeel Conference in Albuquerque, to reflect together on a new future of peace, with nonviolent relationships between Israel, Palestine and the United States.”
We thank you for your endorsement, along with numerous other members of the faith community in New Mexico, including the following: St. Andrews Presbyterian Church; St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, Santa Fe; St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church; Santa Fe Friends Meeting; Trinity House Catholic Worker; Fr. Louie Vitale, OFM, Pace e Bene; Westminster Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe; Immaculate Conception Catholic Church; Immanuel Presbyterian; First Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe; Risen Savior Catholic Church; Justice & Peace Committee, St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, Santa Fe; Northeast Deanery of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande; Pax Christi New Mexico; Peace & Social Concerns Committee, Albuquerque Monthly Meeting of Friends; Rev. Gilberto Perez Shonin; and Another Jewish Voice, Santa Fe.
Members of our organizing committee, including Jewish and Christian members, are pleased to visit with you and provide any additional information you might wish to learn about this situation. We need your support and hope for your attendance at the conference. You may register at the Friends of Sabeel North America web site. We also want to express our gratitude in your continued support of the Sabeel conference and your commitment to joining us, in Rev. Dear’s words, on our collective “journey to peace, disarmament and justice.”
Sincerely,
Janice Hart
Rita Erickson
For Friends of Sabeel Albuquerque
