|
Congress leaves for a five-week summer recess this weekend and is expected
to return for only a few weeks in September before the intense campaigning
in the run- up to the elections. The summer recess is always an
excellent opportunity for citizen advocacy. This November, all Members of
the House of Representatives are up for re-election as well as many
Senators. And, given that this is a Presidential election year, August
promises to be filled with town hall meetings and candidate forums. Events
in your district and state are a great way to gain access to your
Representative, and/or Senators and their opponents.
CMEP has created a new resource for church advocates for use throughout
the 2008 campaign season with both Congressional and Presidential
candidates called
"Questions to ask the Candidates on Middle East Peace."
We encourage you to seek opportunities to raise the issue of peace in the
Holy Land with your candidates and to meet with your current
Representative and Senators in their district or state offices while they
are home from Washington.
TAKE ACTION
1.Talk to your Congressional Candidates
Resource:
Questions to ask the Candidates on Middle East Peace
Background:
View CMEP's
Letter to Presidential Candidates and
Action Alert with Advocacy Guidance
Opportunities to talk to candidates in your district and state are many,
including, town hall meetings, candidate forums, public appearances at
house parties, church socials and other public events and radio call-in
shows.
2. Meet with your Representative and Senators
It is important that you keep the issue of Middle East peace a priority
for current Members of Congress as they face the fall election season. See
CMEP's
instructions for holding a meeting at a Representative or Senator's
local office. Key points are included below and/or email
julie@cmep.org for
further advocacy guidance.
Talking Points:
Annapolis Process and Continuity:
Congress should encourage progress on the Annapolis process this year and
support the continuation of U.S. diplomatic efforts by the next
Administration. Mideast peace efforts must not falter but should be a high
and immediate foreign policy priority of the new President in January
2009.
Laying the Groundwork for Peace - Israeli and Palestinian
Obligations: Congress should support the U.S. policy that final status issues
such as borders and the status of Jerusalem be negotiated by the two
parties. Neither party should take any action that prejudices current or
future negotiations and both parties should abide by their Road Map obligations.
This means Israel must freeze settlement activity in the West Bank and
Jerusalem area and Palestinians must pursue further efforts to end
violence.
Regional Diplomacy:
Congress
should support the current indirect Israel-Syria talks mediated by Turkey
as an important element to the long-term goal of a comprehensive Middle
East peace. To address the grave concern of the possible development by
Iran of a nuclear weapon and Iran's support for Hezbollah and Hamas,
Congress should reject an "all sticks and no carrot approach" that
escalates tensions, such as that embodied in H Con. Res. 362, and should
instead support direct and sustained negotiations to resolve the current
impasse.
Share your experiences! Email
julie@cmep.org.
|
