by Corinne Whitlatch

The people who work in the public policy offices of the churches and church-related groups navigate the harrowing intersection of religion and politics, seeking to influence policy makers while guiding members of their congregations and organizations to be effective advocates for justice and peace.

It is tricky to get it right; to be true to the church's principles and policies and to also be persuasive advocates on the highly-charged issue of Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. To better meet this challenge, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) brings together Catherine Gordon from the PC(USA) Washington Office, and staff from 20 other churches and church-related agencies, to identify commonly-held positions and to coordinate advocacy action. Around the CMEP Board table sit representatives from Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant traditions. The Board hears the perspectives of a wide range of experts and officials in off-the-record meetings. Every other Friday they go in teams to congressional offices to talk about what is required for Holy Land peace. This is ecumenism in action.

Usually this publication focuses on a specific issue that is on the agenda of policy makers. This time, the topic is our strategic approach to the U.S. role in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. It is not sufficient to express our principles and reveal injustices; we strive to be an influential voice in the debate on Israeli-Arab issues within the U.S. government and in the public arena.

At the State Department and in congressional offices, we are encouraged by those who are open to CMEP's positions and appreciate having the evidence of citizen opinion provided by the coalition, the PC(USA) and other churches and individuals.

The PC(USA) and the other churches in CMEP do not, as a matter of principle and law, engage in partisan politics and campaigns. And on Israeli-Arab issues, neither Republicans nor Democrats have proven to be better or worse. Whichever party controls the Congress and whoever is the President, we want them to be successful in bringing Israelis and Palestinians together to negotiate a peace agreement.

It is the role of the Executive Branch to formulate and carry out foreign policy, while Congress's primary role is to provide, or not provide, the necessary funds. (The Senate also has the responsibility to ratify treaties.) Additionally, the Congress can support, question and criticize the President and State Department by means of hearings, letters, resolutions and bills. The Congress, greatly influenced by their constituents, serves as a conduit of public opinion to the Administration.

It is understood, albeit with widespread resentment, that U.S. leadership on Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking is essential; only the United States can persuade both parties to make the compromises that are essential for peace. Experience proves that the direct and sustained engagement of the President and/or Secretary of State is absolutely necessary, as was shown by Secretary Rice's direct role in negotiating an agreement related to the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza.

The goal of churches' advocacy is to maintain consistent pressure on President Bush to take the actions that can fulfill his expressed vision of a viable, democratic state of Palestine living next to a secure state of Israel. At the same time, we urge members of Congress to provide bipartisan support for strong leadership by President Bush and Secretary Rice and cooperation with the "Quartet" (U.N., European Union and Russia.) As an example, we advocated in support of the President's request for increased foreign aid to the Palestinians, and the provision of aid directly to the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking has been a stumbling block for a number of presidents. But even when a president's efforts fail, Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy can become a hallmark of that presidency. President Clinton, shamed by scandal, altered his legacy by hosting the Camp David summit. He set the course for subsequent negotiations with the "Clinton Parameters" - his recommendations for dealing with the final status issues of borders, Jerusalem, settlements and refugees.

President Bush is in trouble; many of his domestic and international initiatives are floundering. There is rampant anti-American sentiment globally, especially among the Arab and Muslim publics. The ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan appear to be overpowering the Administration's democratization efforts. In October, President Abbas' chief-of-staff, Rafiq Husseini, met with President Bush and hinted that the Palestinian people could be the "poster child" for democratization in the region. The launching of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, with President Bush at the helm, would change headlines and public opinion at home and abroad.

Central to the churches' strategy is a commitment to the well-being and good future of both Israel and the future state of Palestine and their long-suffering peoples. With allies in the American Jewish and American Arab communities, we work toward a negotiated two-state solution. This advocacy work does not pit one side against the other, but instead speaks for the majority who support peace, in contrast to those - including some fundamentalist Christians - who oppose any and all compromises.

The U.S. government and a great many Americans are faithful friends of Israel. But there is a growing understanding that there is a new and better way to be a good friend, and that is to help Israel make peace with the Palestinians and other Arab states. For a peace to be durable and for a negotiated agreement to be seen as legitimate by the warring parties and the international community, the city of Jerusalem must be shared as the capital of both Israel and Palestine, and by the three faiths that call it holy. For beyond peacemaking lies the imperative of the reconciliation of the Abrahamic faiths.

Advocacy Action

The Administration needs to know that there is both institutional (meaning the churches themselves) and popular (meaning yourself) support for strong leadership. The letter to Sec. Rice, which was delivered to Members of Congress, from the Heads of CMEP's churches and organizations, needs reinforcement from citizen advocates. The Administration will be reluctant to get deeply involved without confidence that the Congress will be supportive.

The best modes of advocacy to the Administration are:

Call the White House comment line at (202) 456-1111. An operator will talk with you and note the topic and your position.

Email Secretary Rice at www.state.gov, on the top bar click on "contact us," scroll down on the left menu and click on "Foreign Policy Opinions." You will be asked to provide your email address. Even though the form prompts you to "ask a question" this is the appropriate form to submit comments. You can also attach a document.

Send a personal letter (polite, short and to-the-point) to Secretary Rice or to President Bush. It will be read by someone and tabulated in a report.

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C. 20520

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

The best ways to advocate Congress include:

Meet with your Representative or Senators, or their legislative assistants, in their local office or in Washington.

Invite your elected officials to come, or send a welcome letter, to an event such as a local conference.

Mail a letter - polite, short and to-the-point. You could include materials that show your church's hope for peace in the Holy Land.

Call the Washington Office, talk to the legislative assistant for foreign relations or leave a message.

Email. There are a number of ways to reach a Member's Web site that include contact information or email forms.

Need help sending email to your Members of Congress? Go to our email message service, insert your Zip Code (click Go), then click on the button under their name to email them.

Community Advocacy

Radio talk shows, letters-to-the-editor, public and Sunday school forums, and informal discussions are good venues to raise issues and express opinion. C-SPAN's call-in radio/TV program, Washington Journal, is from 7:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, seven days a week: Politics is always the topic. You can access the program online if you cannot locate it on your radio or cable TV. A tip - when you get a busy signal, hang up, hit redial, and keep trying.

General Assembly

"Vigorously urges the U.S. government, the government of Israel, and the Palestinian leadership to move swiftly, and with resolve, to recognize that the only way out of this chronic and vicious impasse is to abandon all approaches that exacerbate further strife, lay aside arrogant political posturing, and get on with forging negotiated compromises that open a path to peace." (Minutes, 2004, p. 853)

Churches for Middle East Peace sent this letter to Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice on November 14th

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
United States Department of State
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Dr. Rice:

We write as leaders of a broad spectrum of churches and church-related organizations to encourage U.S. leadership toward a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, with Jerusalem as their shared capital. We believe that you and the President, working cooperatively with the Quartet, have the power to bring both sides to the negotiating table. The security of Israelis and Palestinians depends on this happening - as does our own. Like you, we have heard and seen how Israel's occupation of Palestinian land, and especially East Jerusalem, is used to incite terrorists around the world.

Renewal of the tragic cycle of violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza underscores the fact that this is a time of deep concern and of fragile hope. Both President Abbas and Prime Minister Sharon have taken significant steps toward peace. President Abbas has denounced violence in ways not matched by any other Palestinian leader and is seeking to build a credible democracy. Prime Minister Sharon has fulfilled his promise to withdraw settlers from the Gaza Strip. The United States must say clearly that these steps are beginnings, not ends. Any unilateral action, no matter how praiseworthy, only undermines the long term goal of a negotiated resolution that is durable and deemed to be legitimate.

We continue to believe that the President's vision of a viable, democratic state of Palestine living next to a secure Israel can be fulfilled, and we commend the Administration's recognition that Jerusalem is one of the final status issues that should not be prejudged. We urge you to ensure that Palestinians in East Jerusalem are able to participate fully in Palestinian legislative elections in January. The compliance of Israel to the President's insistence that building cease in the E1 area was a good sign. We are grateful that the Administration has continued to demand that settlement activity cease, and disappointed that Israel has ignored that request and other requirements of the Road Map.

Hope is difficult to sustain as Israel continues to block the movement of Palestinian people and goods. It is fundamentally important for both Israelis and Palestinians that a future Palestinian state is economically viable, and we applaud the efforts by envoy James Wolfensohn in that regard.

We are heartened by the fact that strong majorities of both Israelis and Palestinians support peace efforts and a two-state solution. We find strong support from our own members for the peace efforts as well. Our Washington-based staff report Congressional readiness for bipartisan support of an active, sustained push for peace. This convergence of opinion presents an opportunity that must not be missed.

We cannot emphasize enough the significance of this moment and the imperative of U.S. leadership. There is much to build on from previous efforts and nothing to be gained from further postponement. We offer our support and assistance, as well as our prayers, as you work toward resolution of this conflict and the building of bridges between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths.

Sincerely,

The Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey, Executive Director
Alliance of Baptists

Mary Ellen McNish, General Secretary
American Friends Service Committee

Metropolitan PHILIP (Saliba)
Archbishop of NY and Metropolitan of North America
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Bishop Vicken Aykazian, Legate
Armenian Orthodox Church

Very Reverend Dominic Izzo, OP, President
Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's Institutes

Rev. Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Stanley J. Noffsinger, General Secretary
Church of the Brethren

Rev. John L. McCullough, Executive Director
Church World Service

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church, USA

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Br. Mark Schroeder, OFM, President
Franciscan Friars (OFM)
English Speaking Conference
Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Council

Joe Volk, Executive Secretary
Friends Committee on National Legislation

Bishop Dimitrios Couchell, Ecumenical Officer
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Marie Dennis, Director
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Dr. Robert Davis, PhD, Executive Director
Mennonite Central Committee

Rev. Robert Edgar, General Secretary
National Council of Churches USA

The Reverend Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary
Reformed Church in America

Rev. William G. Sinkford, President
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

Rev. John H. Thomas, General Minister and President
United Church of Christ

Bishop Peter Weaver, President
United Methodist Council of Bishops