1. A Holiday Note from the Holy Land
2. Prospects Following the Gaza Withdrawal
3. Road Map Update: Quartet Meeting
4. What Israelis and Palestinians are Saying
5. Jerusalem News
6. Signs of Hope: Israelis and Palestinians Rally for Peace
7. Latest from the CALME Initiative

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1. A holiday note from the holy land

The following note was sent by Dr. Bernard Sabella, Executive Secretary, Department of Service to Palestinian Refugees, Middle East Council of Churches (Jerusalem) on October 4, 2005. 

“To our Moslem and Jewish friends may we take the exceptional occasion of the coincidence of the first day of Blessed Ramadan, the Holy Month of Fasting according to the Moslem calendar and the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the New Year according to the Hebrew calendar to wish all of you a generous month of Ramadan and a sweet Rosh Hashanah. May both events bring forth what is best in the monotheistic tradition and may we all learn the ways of justice, compassion and peace that are invoked in our recurring celebrations.”

2. prospects following the Gaza Withdrawal

In the wake of Israel’s historic withdrawal from Gaza and four northern West Bank settlements, Israeli, Palestinian and American elections are looming in 2006 and the new eruption of violence threatens to stall progress.  U.S. engagement is needed to help spur movement on the Road Map toward negotiations and the goal of a viable Palestinian state living at peace alongside a secure Israel. Below are comments and resources from U.S. officials and a U.N. agency as well as Jewish and Palestinian-American organizations, examining some of the current key issues. 

“Statement by Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, C. David Welch”, House International Relations Committee, Subcommittee on the Middle East, September 21, 2005

“…The events of the past few days underscore the very real challenges facing the Palestinian Authority as it takes on new responsibilities for governance. First and foremost is the task of security…Returning the Palestinian economy to sustainable growth remains a top priority as well…But a number of key issues remain, such as the status of crossings, practical links between the West Bank and Gaza, addressing barriers to movement in the West Bank, and the Gaza airport and seaport. All of these matters must be addressed, of course, with careful attention to the balance that must be struck between freeing up the Palestinian economy and addressing Israel’s legitimate security needs…Over the coming months, our focus will be on using what the Secretary has described as “forces of momentum” to spur greater cooperation and trust between the Israelis and Palestinians as a way to renew action in accordance with the sequence of the Roadmap…”

http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/109/wel092105.pdf

“Comments by Quartet Special Envoy for Disengagement James Wolfensohn”, Clinton Global Initiative, Plenary Session: What’s Next in the Middle East?, September 16, 2005

(From September 15-17 Former President Bill Clinton convened a select group of world leaders in New York City for a series of workshops designed to identify and apply practical, non-partisan responses to pressing global issues.  Also speaking in this plenary session were Bill Clinton, Shimon Peres, Dennis Ross, and Nasser Al-Kidwa.) 

“…And we need to build, in the first instance, on this immediate withdrawal and to make sure that you have access, that you have economics, that you have hope on the part of the Palestinians, and that you have security on behalf of the Israelis. This balance is really the essence of the debate at all times, is to balance security on the one hand, with economic development and hope on the other, and to try and build it on a basis of an increase in the feeling of trust and interdependence…” 

http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/pdf/transcripts/plenary/cgi_09_16_05_plenary_2.pdf

“Gaza Access and Infrastructure Situation Report”, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs—Occupied Palestinian Territories, September 15, 2005

“The withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip from the early hours of Monday 12 September 2005 has had an immediate and beneficial impact on the lives of the 1.4 million Gazan residents. This report reviews the key changes to access that have occurred and a preliminary overview of the status of infrastructure…” 

http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/opt/

“Israeli and Palestinian Perspectives on the Gaza Withdrawal,” Interviews conducted by Brit Tzedek v’Shalom (The Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace), September 17, 2005

http://ga3.org/btvshalom/notice-description.tcl?newsletter_id=3421873

“Real Estate and Dignity Define Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”, Expert Briefing by Dr. Ziad Asali, President of the American Task Force on Palestine, Daily Star (Lebanon), September 17, 2005

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_ID=10&article_ID=18560&categ_id=2

3. Road Map Update: Quartet Meeting

On September 20^th, the Quartet – the U.S., U.N., E.U. and Russia – met at U.N. headquarters in New York in an effort to reinvigorate the Israeli and Palestinian peace process and Road Map peace plan.  Below is the meeting statement and subsequent press conference. 

“Quartet Statement on Middle East Peace”, Text released by the United Nations, New York City, September 20, 2005

“…The Quartet recognizes and welcomes the successful conclusion of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the northern West Bank and the moment of opportunity that it brings to renew efforts on the Roadmap…Looking beyond disengagement, the Quartet reviewed progress on implementation of the Roadmap. The Quartet calls for renewed action in parallel by both parties on their obligations in accordance with the sequence of the Roadmap...”

http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/53569.htm (For Security Council Presidential Statement, Sept 23, 2005 please see: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/HMYT-6GHPRZ?OpenDocument&rc=3&cc=pse)

“Press Availability After Middle East Quartet Meeting”, United Nations Headquarters, New York City
September 20, 2005

Following the Middle East Quartet Meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other meeting attendees answered questions from the Press.    

http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2005/53612.htm

4. What Israelis and Palestinians are saying

Both Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have given significant speeches in the last month, reflecting on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and their plans for what should follow.  Sharon and Abbas are planning to meet sometime in the near future; the date has not yet been set after an October 2^nd meeting was called off.  Abbas will meet with President Bush when he visits Washington on October 20^th.  Also below are results from recent polls of Israeli and Palestinian public opinion. 

• Israeli and Palestinian Leadership

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon addresses U.N General Assembly, September 15, 2005: 

http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Speeches+by+Israeli+leaders/2005/PM+Sharon+addresses+the+UN+General+Assembly+15-Sep-2005.htm

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses Palestinians in Gaza City after Israeli evacuated Gaza Strip, September 12, 2005:

http://www.nad-plo.org/inner.php?view=news-updates_Amazensp

• Public Opinion Polls on the Gaza withdrawal

Palestinian: The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research released a new poll on September 9^th.  “On the eve of the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, 84% see it as victory for armed resistance and 40% give Hamas most of the credit for it; but 62% are opposed to continued attacks against Israelis from the Gaza Strip, 60% support collection of arms from armed groups in Gaza, Fateh’s electoral standing improved at Hamas’ expense (47% to 30%), optimism prevails over pessimism, and 73% support the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip that would gradually extend to the West Bank.” 

http://www.pcpsr.org/survey/polls/2005/p17epressrelease.html (Also released in Sept. is a poll by the Norwegian Fafo Institute for Applied International Studies: http://www.fafo.no/gazapoll/summary.htm) 

Israeli: The Peace Index survey of Israeli public opinion conducted by the Tami Steinmetz Center for Peace Research at Tel Aviv University in late August found that, “The prevalent view among the Jewish public [71.5%] is that the disengagement plan from Gaza is only a first step toward an extensive evacuation of West Bank settlements that will be carried out in the context of an agreement with the Palestinians. At the same time, only a small majority [47.8%] supports an evacuation of this kind, whether in the framework of an agreement with the Palestinians or in unilateral fashion, with the clear preference being for an evacuation that is part of an agreement.”

http://spirit.tau.ac.il/socant/peace/

5. Jerusalem News

• Latest on E-1 Plan

While in New York for U.N. meetings in September, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his intention (see Jerusalem Post article below) to link the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem, referring to the E-1 plan which has never been implemented due to U.S. pressure.  Below is a report from Americans for Peace Now that provides in-depth background on the E-1 plan, clarifying its relationship to the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim and laying out some of the problems that it could cause were it implemented. 

“PM: We'll link Ma'ale Adumim to J'lem”, Herb Keinon, The Jerusalem Post, September 18, 2005

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printer&cid=1127010251404&p=1078027574097

"E-1 & Ma'ale Adumim, Americans for Peace Now’s Settlements in Focus report: Vol. 1, Issue 1, Text by Peace Now Settlements Watch Director Dror Etkes; Additional text provided by Danny Seidemann, Ir Amim; Edited by APN Government Relations Director Lara Friedman, May 15, 2005. 

http://www.peacenow.org/briefs.asp?rid=&cid=749

• New Figures on Jerusalem Demographics and Effects of Separation Barrier in Jerusalem

“Out of Jerusalem”,  Nadav Shragai, Ha'aretz, September 28, 2005

“Jews who are disenchanted with Jerusalem are voting with their feet, as more are leaving the capital than moving there. Some 200,000 have left since 1990, including 18,100 who left last year alone, according to figures released by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel studies yesterday…The Institute also studied the repercussions of the separation fence on the lives of the residents. Dr. Yisrael Kimche said that before the wall was there, an estimated 90,000 East Jerusalem Arabs had Israeli identity cards. Tens of thousands of them moved to live inside Jerusalem when the wall was built, to avoid losing various municipal benefits… Speaking about city residents who were left outside the wall, Kimche said they were having difficulty getting to work, schools, hospitals and other municipal services. They also reported that they are cut off from medical services and their families and experience difficulties in reaching the Temple Mount for prayers…”

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/630019.html (For background on the work of The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, please visit their website at: http://www.jiis.org.il/)

6. signs of hope: Israelis and palestinians rally for peace

Every day amidst tension and often violence, Israelis and Palestinians are rising above the conflict and taking risks to work together toward the shared goal of a peaceful and secure future for both peoples.    On September 24^th, joint rallies were held in Jerusalem and Ramallah by Israelis and Palestinians in support of a two-state solution.  In Jerusalem, the rally was organized by the Geneva Initiative and Peace Now and attended by approximately 7,000 demonstrators.  In Ramallah it was organized by the Palestinian Peace Coalition/Geneva Initiative and was attended by approximately 10,000. 

A report and full press coverage is available at:

http://www.geneva-accord.org/News.aspx?docID=942&FolderID=42&lang=en

7. Latest from the Campaign for American Leadership in the Middle East (CALME)

CALME is an initiative that includes former diplomats, politicians and military officers, business executives, religious leaders (Jewish, Christian and Muslim) as well as the general public.  It is designed to show the breadth and depth of the support for U.S. efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In their latest update (excerpted below) they emphasize the importance of maintaining the moment of the Gaza withdrawal, quoting Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who recently said, “We will try to use the momentum of the Gaza withdrawal to get a return to the roadmap, hopefully with new momentum.”    

“…CALME seeks to ensure that the Bush Administration has the domestic support required to break through the many obstacles and to keep Middle East peace as a high priority as the administration faces other pressing domestic and foreign issues. Although the United States cannot force peace upon the two sides or solve Abbas or Sharon’s internal political challenges, Washington can be a credible broker, encourage both sides to begin negotiations, and, in doing so, help both Israelis and Palestinians continue down the path to peace and stability. This is in America’s national interest…”   

www.mideastcalm.org

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The views expressed by the authors of the items included do not necessarily reflect those of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP).  CMEP is a coalition of 21 Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant church bodies and organizations that work together in pursuit of a peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict where two viable states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side within secure and recognized borders. 

For more information contact Julie Schumacher Cohen, CMEP’s Legislative Assistant at 202-543-1222 or at Julie@cmep.org.