Thank the President!

Thank President Obama for his Strong Statements on Israeli-Palestinian Peace; Urge Vigorous Diplomatic Follow-up!

Churches for Middle East Peace would like to take this opportunity to extend our wishes for a blessed Easter to the CMEP network. The Jerusalem church leaders in their Easter 2009 message said, "our knowledge of the Resurrection should encourage us to demonstrate hope" even in challenging times and reminded us to express "our belief and love for our Living God by helping others in His name."

In a major visit this week to Turkey aimed at reaching out to the Muslim world, President Obama stated unequivocal U.S. support for the two-state solution and called for accountability by both Israel and the Palestinians. In remarks on April 6th to the Turkish parliament, he said: "…Let me be clear: The United States strongly supports the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security…Both Israelis and Palestinians must take steps that are necessary to build confidence and trust. Both Israelis and Palestinians, both must live up to the commitments they have made…"

Thank the President for his strong support for two states and for making clear that both Israel and the Palestinians have responsibilities in the pursuit of peace.

The President's statement is particularly important in light of Israel's new coalition government whose Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, refuses to endorse a Palestinian state, and whose Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has dismissed the Annapolis process as having "no validity." Obama's pushback may be a harbinger of things to come - reports indicate that the administration is "preparing the ground for the possibility of "disagreements with Israel over the peace process."

In speaking about the goal of two states, President Obama specifically referred to the agreements made "in the road map and at Annapolis", which require Israel to freeze settlement activity and the Palestinians to end violence. In a March 2nd letter to Secretary Clinton, CMEP urged the administration to make clear that it will "not tolerate ongoing Israeli settlement activity," pointing out how settlement expansion undermines Palestinian security initiatives and strengthens extremists on all sides. In a response to CMEP received last week, Jeffrey Feltman, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, stated that "settlement activity damages the atmosphere for negotiations and is inconsistent with commitments previously made by Israel." Let the President know that he has support for bold and active leadership to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace and that you will back U.S. efforts to hold both sides accountable.

In his speech in Turkey, Obama emphasized that "pessimism and mistrust" must not take hold. Indeed, urgent action will be needed to restore hope that a viable and independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel is possible. The Obama Administration must engage in vigorous diplomacy to ensure that both Israel and the Palestinians take the necessary steps to make progress toward a lasting peace. This spring promises to be an intense time for Israeli-Arab diplomacy. President Obama will travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories in June and Special Envoy Mitchell heads back to the region next week.

Take Action Today: Thank President Obama for his statements in support of Holy Land peace and encourage his Administration's vigorous diplomacy with both Israel and the Palestinians!