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It is anticipated
that a resolution will be brought to the floor tomorrow, Wednesday,
that expresses support for the separation barrier and criticism of the
International Court of Justice. The following letter from CMEP will be
delivered to all House offices on Wednesday. The Episcopal Office will
also be delivering an earlier letter from their Presiding Bishop with
a cover note from the Washington Office Director Maureen Shea.
URGENT ACTION
Please contact
your Representative’s office as soon as possible.
The Capitol switch
board is (202) 225-3121.
I urge
Representative XXXX to oppose the resolution (that will be brought to
the floor tomorrow or today) of support for Israel’s building of a
separation barrier. Then, add the point from the CMEP letter that is
most meaningful to you.
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(printed onto CMEP
letterhead)
July 14, 2004
Dear
Representative:
According to some
reports, the House may consider a resolution in support of Israel’s
building of a separation barrier, and critical of the International
Court of Justice’s advisory opinion, on the House floor as early as
today. We strongly urge you to oppose this resolution.
This is not a
helpful way to express Congressional friendship for the state of
Israel. Rather, this vote will be reported throughout the world – and
certainly within the Arab and Muslim world – as further evidence of
the United States’ unquestioning support for
Israel’s
military occupation and rejection of international opinion and law.
This could be especially damaging in light of the volatile situation
in Iraq.
For nearly a year
in meetings with many of you and your staff people, Churches for
Middle East Peace and its individual national churches and agencies
have urged you to oppose this separation barrier since it is largely
constructed on Palestinian land. On May 7, a broad array of Orthodox,
Catholic, evangelical and mainline Protestant church leaders joined us
in writing to the President that, “We agree with the widely held view
that the separation barrier, as it deviates from the Green Line, is a
tactic of Israel to claim land and water sources in the West Bank and
Jerusalem that are necessary for a viable Palestinian state.”
Additionally, we
ask you to consider how the construction of the separation barrier is
seriously damaging Christian institutions and the daily livelihood of
individual Christians in
Jerusalem
and the West Bank, as well as their Muslim neighbors. For Christians
worldwide, this structure is cutting off access to holy sites. The
Bishops and Patriarchs of Jerusalem have said, “The consequences [of
the barrier construction] will be devastating to the Christian
community.”
The separation
barrier is a long-term detriment to peace between Israelis and
Palestinians and to the security of Israel. We urge you to seek
opportunities for strong even-handed leadership that encourage
negotiated agreements with international legitimacy. Only this will
serve as a strategy that can ultimately bring security to
Israel,
national rights to the Palestinians, and restore the good reputation
of the United States in the
Middle East and
throughout the world.
Sincerely,
Corinne Whitlatch
J. Daryl Byler
Executive
Director Chair of CMEP Board
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