A coalition of U.S. mainline churches asked followers to press lawmakers during the summer break to endorse an active U.S. role in Middle East peace making.
Churches for Middle East Peace sent an email alert to followers this month outlining seven questions for Congress members.
“Do you support active, high level and hands-on U.S. diplomacy to bring about a negotiated two-state peace agreement with a secure Israel and a viable Palestinian state?” is the first question.
Other questions sought support for such peacemaking at the outset of the next administration as well as support for Israel-Syria negotiations currently underway in Turkey and for diplomatic outreach to Iran to end its suspected nuclear weapons program and support for anti-Israel terrorists.
One question also asked lawmakers to visit the dwindling Holy Land Christian population: “The small indigenous Palestinian Christian community and its institutions play an important role in fostering a religiously diverse, pluralistic and tolerant Palestinian society,” the CMEP sheet said. “However, Christians are rapidly emigrating due to the difficult political and economic conditions imposed by the conflict.”
CMEP is an alliance of Protestant, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
