"We have one goal, one, one: to be"

Last night was a historic moment for the world. President Mahmoud Abbas delivered a bid for UN recognition of a Palestinian State. He, Benjamin Netanyahu and various representatives from countries all over the world delivered speeches to the General Assembly.

I wanted to reprint here one section of President Mahmoud Abbas' speech:

"At a time when the Arab peoples affirm their quest for democracy - the Arab Spring - the time is now for the Palestinian Spring, the time for independence.

The time has come for our men, women and children to live normal lives, for them to be able to sleep without waiting for the worst that the next day will bring; for mothers to be assured that their children will return home without fear of suffering killing, arrest or humiliation; for students to be able to go to their schools and universities without checkpoints obstructing them. The time has come for sick people to be able to reach hospitals normally, and for our farmers to be able to take care of their good land without fear of the occupation seizing the land and its water, which the wall prevents access to, or fear of the settlers, for whom settlements are being built on our land and who are uprooting and burning the olive trees that have existed for hundreds of years. The time has come for the thousands of prisoners to be released from the prisons to return to their families and their children to become a part of building their homeland, for the freedom of which they have sacrificed.

My people desire to exercise their right to enjoy a normal life like the rest of humanity. They believe what the great poet Mahmoud Darwish said: Standing here, staying here, permanent here, eternal here, and we have one goal, one, one: to be."

While there are a wide range of opinions on every side of the conflict about what should be done in the UN and the wider conflict, I think that President Abbas reflected a desire that I have heard in conversations with individuals here. The people I have talked to just want to live normal lives. They want to go to good schools, get university degrees, find meaningful careers with gainful job opportunities, fall in love, get married and have families.

As a permanent Security Council Member, the United States holds veto power and can single-handedly decide to veto recognition of the Palestinian state. As Americans we are deeply involved in world politics and it is our responsibility to be aware of what is going on in the world. A few days ago, ELCA Bishop Hanson wrote a public letter to President Barack Obama on the topic:

September 19, 2011
The President The White House Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

 I write to you as a Christian leader committed to seeking a just peace for Israelis and Palestinians. Our Church’s relationship with our Christian companions in the region provides me with a constant and troubling awareness of the daily suffering that persists because of the failure to resolve the conflict.

At this important juncture, the U.S. has a new opportunity to demonstrate its support for self- determination and freedom by not standing in the way of the Palestinian application for admission as a Member State of the United Nations.

The objective of the initiative at the United Nations is to achieve a two-state solution, an objective we share with your administration. We agree with your statement to the UN last year that those who seek such a solution “... should reach for what's best within ourselves. If we do, when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the United Nations -- an independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel.” Even so, in the absence of direct negotiations, it is reasonable that the Palestinians and others are turning to the international forum of the UN in an effort to finally realize the goal of an independent Palestinian state.
It is my hope the U.S. will act in its own best interest as well as the interest of all people in the region by not blocking the initiative to admit Palestine as a Member State of the United Nations.

Thank you for your consideration. My prayers are with you and all who work for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.

In God’s grace,
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

May we all work for a just peace throughout the world.