Catholics Confront Global Poverty Action Alert 10/09/09

TELL PRESIDENT OBAMA: WE NEED STRONG U.S. LEADERSHIP FOR PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND NOW

Sign the petition
now!

TAKE ACTION NOW!  Sign this petition to President Obama that supports strong U.S. leadership to achieve a negotiated, sustainable resolution to the conflict in the Middle East.  This statement has already been signed by Most Reverend Howard Hubbard, Bishop of Albany and Chairman, Committee on International Justice and Peace, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington.   

WHY IS STRONG SUPPORT FOR U.S. LEADERSHIP ON MIDDLE EAST PEACE CRITICAL NOW?  President Obama has repeatedly stated that achieving peace in the Holy Land is a top foreign policy priority for his administration.  As the petition that we are urging you to sign states: “This is a moment of great opportunity and urgency. After decades of tragic conflict, many Israelis and Palestinians despair of the possibility of peace. While the international community and majorities of the Israeli and Palestinian people are committed to a two-state solution as the best option for achieving peace and security, the window of opportunity is rapidly closing.”
 
WHAT DOES THE PETITION ASK OF PRESIDENT OBAMA?  The petition was organized by Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of Christian churches and agencies with which CRS and USCCB collaborate, and others. It is a statement of principles supporting strong U.S. leadership to achieve a negotiated, sustainable resolution to the conflict.  It recognizes President Obama’s efforts to move Middle East peace forward and declares support for:

  • Israel’s right to exist in security and the right of the Palestinian people to a viable, sovereign and secure state of their own;
  • Resolution of important issues such as refugees, borders, Jerusalem, settlements, and security;
  • Bold American leadership to help Israelis and Palestinians make the difficult decisions necessary to achieve lasting peace and hold the parties to account should they fail to honor their commitments; and
  • A comprehensive peace agreement encompassing Syria and Lebanon as well as normalization of relations between Israel and the countries of the Arab world.

WHAT DOES PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND HAVE TO DO WITH MY FAITH?  Our Catholic faith teaches us to be peacemakers.  The U.S. Bishops wrote in The Challenge of Peace, “Peacemaking is not an optional commitment. It is a requirement of our faith. We are called to be peacemakers, not by some movement of the moment, but by our Lord Jesus.”  Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has called on the international community to help Israelis and Palestinians to discard the “dead end” of violence and pursue instead “the path of dialogue and negotiations.” 

WHAT IS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DOING TO PROMOTE PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND?  The USCCB has been part of an unprecedented interreligious initiative that engages Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders and communities within the United States in a coordinated effort to promote a just peace in the Middle East.  Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has worked in the Holy Land for nearly half a century, supporting peace with justice for all people, while responding to the humanitarian and sustainable development needs of Palestinians.  

Together, USCCB and CRS are encouraging Catholics to advocate for stronger U.S. leadership to hold both parties to the conflict accountable in building a just peace through the Catholics Confront Global Poverty initiative.  We also support U.S. funding for the Palestinian Authority to increase its ability to govern and build its capacity for a future state as well as for urgently needed humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people. 

For more information contact: 
Dr. Stephen Colecchi, Director, International Justice and Peace, USCCB, scolecchi@usccb.org, (202) 541-3196
Tina Rodousakis, Grassroots Advocacy Manager, CRS, trodousa@crs.org; (410) 951-7462