Title: ELCA Presiding Bishop Meets with Bush Security Advisor
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

September 18, 2002

ELCA PRESIDING BISHOP MEETS WITH BUSH SECURITY ADVISOR
02-224 JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), joined with other
religious leaders to communicate concerns about the Middle East
situation in a White House meeting Sept. 16 with Dr. Condoleezza
Rice, national security advisor to President George W. Bush.
     With Hanson were the Rev. Frank T. Griswold,  presiding bishop
and primate, The Episcopal Church, New York, the Rev. Wilton D.
Gregory, president of the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops, Washington, D.C., and bishop of the Diocese of Belleville,
Belleville, Ill.  The meeting was scheduled for about 20 minutes but
lasted about 45 minutes, Hanson said in an interview following the
meeting.
     "It was a substantive, respectful, free-flowing conversation,"
said Hanson.  "We were all very engaged and focused on our concerns
about the Middle East."  Toward the end of the discussion, the
bishops voiced current concerns about Iraq and the possibility of
U.S. military action against the regime of Saddam Hussein.
     The bishops "extended our appreciation for the Bush
administration's call for a two-state solution," in the Middle East,
Hanson said.
     The three bishops issued a joint statement summarizing the
meeting.  They "urged that the Bush administration take new
steps to end the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank and
Gaza and to restart peace negotiations between the Israelis and
Palestinians," the statement said.
     The bishops noted their churches have significant relief and
development programs in the Middle East. They "urged Dr. Rice to
press for immediate and concrete measures to alleviate a grave and
deteriorating humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza," the
statement said.
     The bishops reiterated their long-standing condemnations of
suicide bombings and all forms of violence against civilians on both
sides; welcomed the (Bush) administration's commitment to both a safe
and secure Israel and a viable, independent Palestinian state; and
urged the administration to take concrete steps to achieve these twin
goals in the context of new peace negotiations, according to their
statement.
     On the situation with Iraq, the bishops welcomed the Bush
administration's engagement of the international community about the
situation, while expressing "serious moral concerns" that each had
stated earlier about the possibility of military action to overthrow
the government of Iraq.
     The bishops gave Rice copies of previous public statements that
each has made on the Middle East and Iraq, Hanson said.
     In a separate but related matter, Hanson raised concerns about
the current situation involving Augusta Victoria Hospital, a Lutheran
World Federation medical facility located on the Mount of Olives in
Jerusalem.  Though it serves all people, most of its clients are
Palestinians.  Since last year, the hospital has been involved in a
court case related to payment of  taxes with the Israeli government,
and a ruling is expected soon from an Israeli judge.
     Since it was founded more than 50 years ago -- and after the
State of Israel expanded its borders in 1967 to include the hospital
property -- Israel has honored a written agreement that Augusta
Victoria remain exempt from taxes, including an employer's tax.  The
Israeli government recently questioned the policy, and the case went
to court.  Should the judge's ruling go against Augusta Victoria, the
hospital may owe some $4 million in back taxes, interest and
penalties to the State of Israel, plus annual taxes of about
$350,000.  If required to pay the taxes, hospital services would be
severely curtailed or it could be forced to close.
     Hanson delivered to Rice a letter expressing concern about the
Augusta Victoria Hospital case from the Rev. Munib A. Younan, bishop
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan (and Palestine),
Jerusalem.
     "The tragedy in this rising humanitarian crisis is that it
could become much worse if we had to close Augusta Victoria
Hospital," Hanson said.  "We asked the U.S. government to be more
assertive with the Israeli government in this matter."
     Hanson's visit to the White House was his second this month.
On Sept. 6, he was among a group of 25 religious leaders who met and
prayed with Bush in advance of the first anniversary of the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks on the United States.

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