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In the following letter, Churches for Middle East Peace’s Executive
Director urges President Bush to support the Baker Hamilton Iraq Study
Group’s recommendations related to Arab-Israeli peace. The letter was
faxed to the White House and key Administration officials on Friday,
December 15th . It has been reported that President Bush is
currently deliberating about his strategy on Iraq and will not make any
announcements until after the holidays, at which time he could also
address new engagement on Middle East peacemaking.
Meanwhile, the President has until this Friday, December 22nd
to sign S. 2370, the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006, into law. If
you have not yet contacted the White House to ask President Bush NOT to
sign the bill, there is still time. Please see
CMEP’s Dec 8th
email alert for advocacy guidance. Floor statements on the bill, as
well as inserted remarks, can be read on the
THOMAS
website. Reps. Lantos (D-CA), Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Weiner
(D-NY) all expressed their disappointment with the fact that the moderated
S. 2370 passed, rather than the harsher HR 4681. Rep. Lantos called the
passage of the Senate version of the bill, “the best we can do for now”
and Rep. Weiner said, “this [bill] doesn't go far enough. It allows far
too many loopholes.” Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) and Rep. David Price
(D-NC), who both voted against HR 4681, supported S 2370’s passage, but
with some hesitation related to the bill’s timing, necessity and limiting
of flexibility for US policy. Rep. Price remarked, “I am greatly pleased
to see the improvements the Senate legislation has made, and for that
reason I will support the bill's passage. However, because events have
evolved since this legislation was first considered, I want to add a few
words, lest our action today send the wrong message at the wrong time.”
CMEP Letter on
Arab-Israeli Aspects of Baker-Hamilton Report
View the letter in
PDF format
December 15, 2006
The Honorable George
W. Bush
The White House
Washington,
DC
Dear Mr. President,
As the Christmas season approaches, the troubled Holy Land is forefront in
our thoughts and prayers. With hopes for a resolution of this tragic
conflict, Churches for Middle East Peace urges your support of the
Baker-Hamilton report’s call for “a renewed and sustained commitment by
the United States to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace on all fronts.” We
encourage your heightened attention to diplomatic efforts as the path to
peace and regional stability.
We ask you to place special emphasis on the urgent need for international
support for a negotiated peace that adheres to UN Security Council
resolutions 242 and 338, supports President Abbas and the PA to prepare
for negotiations, consolidates the current cease-fire and supports a
Palestinian unity government – all with the goal of sustainable
negotiations leading to a final peace settlement that addresses the key
issues and ends the conflict.
Additionally, we appreciated Secretary Rice’s comment, at the Nov. 30
press conference with President Abbas, that actions taken now will not be
considered by the United States to have prejudged the outcome of a final
status agreement. Churches for Middle East Peace is particularly concerned
about the impact of the separation barrier that
Israel
is building in and around Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of 22 churches and
church-related organizations that serves as their ecumenical advocacy
voice for Israeli-Arab peacemaking. In our meetings with Congressional
offices, and in the guidance we provide church members for their advocacy,
we urge bipartisan Congressional support for the Administration’s
leadership. CMEP actively promotes your vision of a two-state solution to
the conflict, with a viable, contiguous Palestinian state living in peace
alongside
Israel, with
both states enjoying security and the recognition of their neighboring
states.
We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
Corinne Whitlatch
Executive Director
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