CMEP’s Executive Committee signed a letter today urging immediate US intervention in the Gaza crisis. Letters were faxed to Ambassador C. David Welch, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and to Michael Doran at the National Security Council, both of whom recently met with members of the CMEP Leadership Council.  Copies of the letter were also distributed to other key people in the Administration, Israeli embassy and PLO mission office.  A press release was distributed to newspapers in the United States and to DC correspondents for Middle East newspapers.  

TAKE ACTION:

Call the White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111.  Your advocacy toward the Administration will boost CMEP’s appeal.   

Your Message: Ask President Bush for U.S. intervention, at the highest level, to calm the current crisis in Gaza.  Request that the US work with Israeli and Palestinian officials to find a diplomatic resolution. Express your hope that the kidnapped Israeli soldier be released and that the US work with Israel to insist on a restrained military response. 

Your message will be most effective if it is succinct and consistent with the CMEP letter. CMEP advises you to stay focused on the narrow agenda of this particular message – calling for US intervention - and to refrain from also addressing the other topics in the news (Israel’s arrest of Hamas officials, killing of a settler youth near Ramallah, the Palestinian conciliation document, etc).

CMEP Letter on Gaza Crisis

Similar letter sent to Michael Doran, National Security Council

June 29, 2006

C. David Welch

Assistant Secretary of State

Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

US Department of State

Dear Ambassador Welch,

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) appeals to you to encourage the Administration to do everything possible to calm the crisis in Gaza.  CMEP condemns the capture by Palestinian militants of Cpl. Gilad Shalit and prays that he will be released by Hamas without further delay and returned safely to his family.

CMEP urges the immediate intervention of the United States at the highest level with both Israeli and Palestinian officials. The mediating efforts of President Mubarak and the call by the foreign ministers, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, of the Group of Eight nations are important and appreciated, but this is not adequate. The United States, as Israel’s closest ally, must work closely with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz and insist that they restrain their military response and work with President Abbas to find a diplomatic resolution to the crisis. 

The CMEP coalition of 21 Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches and church-related organizations receives reports from Palestinian partner churches and agencies.  The Middle East Council of Churches’ Department of Services to Palestinian Refugees, in a June 29 update of the situation in Gaza, reports on the horrible impact of the military campaign on the people of Gaza. Israel’s attack on civilian infrastructure in Gaza including disabling the only power plant in Gaza and destroying bridges are acts of collective punishment that have resulted in tremendous suffering by ordinary Palestinian people.

We appreciate you meeting with CMEP’s director and Leadership Council members on June 20 and thank you for your attention to this appeal.

Sincerely,

The Executive Committee of Churches for Middle East Peace

Maureen Shea                   Catherine Gordon     

Jeanette Holt                    Fr. Ted Keating, SM

Letter in PDF Format