ELCA Lobbies U.S. Gov't to Pay the Palestinian National Authority's Bill to ELCA's Federation

Thirty-two ELCA bishops went to Washington D.C. to lobby the U.S. Congress. What was on their agenda? They are attempting to get U.S. taxpayers to pay the Palestinian National Authority's bills to Augusta Victoria Hospital which is owned and operated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a member of the Lutheran World Federation and helps fund the organization. So in essence, the ELCA wants the United States to pay them for the Palestinian Authority's bills. The Palestinian Authority owes over 18 million Euros ($25,000,000 U.S.) to the East Jerusalem hospital. The ELCA press release reports -

“Bishops will request that members of Congress urge the U.S. Agency for International Development to designate a portion of its bilateral support to the Palestinian National Authority to paying its debt to Augusta Victoria Hospital. The hospital is a program of The Lutheran World Federation, a global communion of 142 churches representing more than 70 million Christians in 79 countries. The ELCA is the communion's only member church from the United States.”

For other policies for which the ELCA was advocating, read here.