(Michael) Peers, Israeli envoy seek new dialogue.Archbishop Michael Peers' recent statement on Middle East conflict not only caused a furor furor /fu·ror/ (fu´ror) fury; rage. furor epilep´ticus an attack of intense anger occurring in epilepsy. among readers of church media, but also sparked a meeting between the Anglican primate primate, member of the mammalian order Primates, which includes humans, apes, monkeys, and prosimians, or lower primates. The group can be traced to the late Cretaceous period, where members were forest dwellers. and Israel's ambassador. Israeli ambassador Haim Divon requested the May 9 meeting to express his government's "displeasure" with some of the church's positions on the Middle East. Mr. Divon said he also hoped to begin an ongoing dialogue with the head of one of the largest denominations in Canada. Archbishop Peers' statement, which appeared on the national church's website in early April and in the May issue of the Anglican Journal, generated an overwhelming response from around the world. (This month, the Journal devotes an entire page to readers' letters about the statement.) "There are things which we might not agree on," said Mr. Divon, in an interview, "but it is important to have a dialogue and to understand each other." In particular, Mr. Divon said he argued that many people tend to only see the recent events in the Middle East through the prism of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
He would, he said, like people to understand that Israel feels vulnerable to hostility from other neighbouring countries, including Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. "We have to look at that as part of the picture," said the ambassador. "We don't get up in the morning and roll out the tanks (in Palestinian areas) because we're bored." The ambassador said he left the meeting with a better understanding of the church's position on the Middle East and he hoped the Primate benefited in a similar way. For his part, Archbishop Peers said he explained the church's position on the Middle East and gave the ambassador some background information about his April statement on the situation. "My statement was predicated on decisions of the General Synod The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations. Church of England In the Church of England, General Synod was instituted in 1970 and is the culmination of a process of rediscovering self-government for the Church of England that had over the years, on decisions of the Lambeth Conference Lambeth Conference, convocation at Lambeth Palace, London, that brings together all the bishops in the Anglican Communion. It meets about every 10 years at the invitation of the archbishop of Canterbury and is the principal instrument of international Anglican life, ," the meeting of the bishops of the Anglican Communion Anglican Communion, the body of churches in all parts of the world that are in communion with the Church of England (see England, Church of). The communion is composed of regional churches, provinces, and separate dioceses bound together by mutual loyalty as , said Archbishop Peers. "I said I don't just burst out with opinions all of a sudden; I don't sit around issuing press releases every day of the week." Christian partners in Jerusalem have asked the Canadian church for its support. The primate and three other Canadian church leaders travelled to the Middle East last year in a show of support for their Palestinian counterparts. Archbishop Peers explained to Mr. Divon that that solidarity with Palestinian partners informed his April statement. The Primate said his conversation with the ambassador did not deal directly with his recent statement -- "We weren't reviewing the text" -- but he said he understood the ambassador's motivation. "All governments are sensitive to what they read as criticism," said Archbishop Peers. His statement that "Israel has illegally occupied Palestinian territories This article is about the Palestinian territories as a geopolitical phenomenon. For more on their geography, demographics and general history, see West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza since 1967" was likely a red rag red rag Noun something that infuriates or provokes: a red rag to businessmen [so called because red objects supposedly infuriate bulls] before a bull. "When they read that, that can come across as criticism, but from the point of view of others, it states something that is self-evident." The primate said that while he did not learn anything new, the meeting was helpful because "I'm aware of most of the argumentation in the public sphere The public sphere is a concept in continental philosophy and critical theory that contrasts with the private sphere, and is the part of life in which one is interacting with others and with society at large. from the point of view of Israel. It has lots of publicity. But I don't, except when I'm there, often hear it from an Israeli." Mr. Divon agreed that the meeting was constructive. "I believe in a dialogue with someone of the calibre calibre see caliber. of the archbishop." Israel and Palestine Message to Canadian Anglicans April 2002 statement by Archbishop Michael Peers The Most Reverend Michael Geoffrey Peers (born 1934) was Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada from 1986 till 2004. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1934, Archbishop Peers completed an undergraduate degree in languages at the University of British Columbia in 1956 http://www.anglican.ca/news/column.muse.html?museItem=2002-04-05_mp.muse Canadian church leaders witness Middle East violence May 2001 website news story by Anglican Journal editor Vianney Carriere http://www.anglican.ca/news/online/news.html?newsItem=2001-05-14_sc.news |
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