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DJAN Disciples Justice Action Network

[06-16-04]
Below please find an Action Alert from our friends and allies at the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East. DJAN encourages all of its members and supporters to contact their elected officials about this very important matter.

[06-16-04]
ACTION ALERT: The Time to Work for Peace is NOW!

SEND A MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT AND TO YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVE
(See information immediately following the appeal below)

The following selections are from 'An Urgent Appeal to Secretary of State Powell' by 37 Prominent American Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders, including the leadership of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), who met with Secretary Powell on June 1, 2004:

"We remember President Bush's declaration at Aqaba a year ago that 'No leader of conscience can accept more months and years of humiliation, killing and mourning.' Yet, the humiliation, killing and mourning continue, with the killing in May alone of more than twenty Israelis and ninety Palestinians, and the demolition of homes of 360 families in Gaza. We believe, despite current preoccupation with Iraq and election year pressures, the United States must make peace between Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab states an urgent priority in the coming months . . .

"All of us are concerned that active U.S. leadership on behalf of the Road Map has effectively been put on hold until after the elections. We fear that unless the United States makes the Road Map and negotiations for peace an urgent priority now, the cycles of Israeli-Palestinian violence will jeopardize the prospects for a two-state solution, further alienate our European and Mideast Arab allies, exacerbate conflict in Iraq, and increase the terrorist threat to the United States. . . .

"We urge President Bush, members of Congress, Senator Kerry and all candidates for public office to support immediate, active high level U.S reengagment for peace by undertaking tangible steps such as the following:

  • Return a Presidential Envoy to Jerusalem with a commitment to remain there on the ground to negotiate an immediate ceasefire and resumption of negotiations;
  • Negotiate a timetable for specific reciprocal, simultaneous steps to be taken by the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government as called for in the Road Map, with a highly visible, public monitoring system to assure implementation by both sides;
  • Take the lead, in light of possible Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, to increase economic aid (with effective controls by a credible institution such as the World Bank) to build-up the Palestinian Authority's capacity to provide security, prevent violent attacks on Israelis, and deliver humanitarian aid, vital services, and development assistance to the Palestinian people; and
  • Support benchmark principles and ideas for possible Israeli-Palestinian, Israeli-Lebanese and Israeli-Syrian peace agreements drawn from earlier official negotiations and from current Israeli-Palestinian civil society initiatives such as the People's Voice and Geneva Accord.

". . .We believe active U.S. reengagement to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and provide concrete humanitarian and development assistance can help halt the downward spiral of violence and despair, and renew people's shattered hopes for peace in the Middle East."

(For the full text of the "Urgent Appeal to Secretary of State Powell" and more information about the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace, go to the website: www.walktheroadtopeace.org).
   

Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN) is an unofficial peace and social-justice organization of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
"In the unity of the body of Christ, we are called by God as a covenanted people to join in prayerful discernment and prophetic action for the sake of the Gospel. As a network of individuals and organizations, we are committed to demonstrating acts of justice for all of God's creation."
(from our mission statement)