Churches for Middle East Peace today issued the following statement:

[Washington, DC- July 31, 2008] Last week, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) convened its annual “Washington-Israel summit” that included a day of lobby visits on Capitol Hill and a “Night to Honor Israel.”  Yet despite CUFI’s stated objective to support Israel, absent from the group’s public message or Congressional talking points was any support for Israel’s current efforts, with U.S. encouragement, to negotiate a two-state peace agreement, an integral element to Israel’s long-term security. 

The three “asks” for CUFI’s Congressional visits were support for the Iran Counter-Proliferation Act, the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act and providing military aid to Israel.  The words “Palestinian” or “Israeli-Palestinian conflict” were nowhere to be found in the entire talking points document, nor was there any mention of Israel’s participation in the Annapolis peace process launched by the United States last November. 

Also missing from CUFI’s message was support for or even acknowledgement of the current Israel-Syria talks being mediated by Turkey.  Instead the only mention of Syria in the talking points was a warning to members of Congress that Israel’s enemies, especially Syria, are “rapidly upgrading their military capabilities.” 

Commenting on CUFI’s conference message, Ambassador (ret.) Warren Clark, Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) said, “It is unfortunate that a group coming to Washington to advocate in support of Israel would fail to support Israel’s efforts to achieve the blessings of peace through a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians and other Arab neighbors.” 

In a newsletter to its supporters this week, CUFI described its third annual advocacy conference as an event when “Christians from all fifty states and around the world gathered in Washington, D.C. for the sole purpose of supporting the State of Israel.”  Yet Israel’s leaders did not receive support for their diplomacy and peacemaking efforts.  The head of Israel’s Annapolis negotiating team, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, last December described the establishment of a Palestinian state as “not just a Palestinian dream - it is also an Israeli interest.”  In May, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called Israel’s peace talks with Syria a “national duty.”  Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said a “democratic Palestinian state fully at peace with Israel will promote the long-term security and well-being of Israel as a Jewish state.” 

Christians United for Israel claims that it “unites all pro-Israel Christians in America under one umbrella.”    However, there are a great many American Christians who support Israel’s security and the creation of a viable Palestinian state as essential to that goal.  “As people of faith,” Clark said, “we must not ignore the important opportunity presented by the negotiations now underway to help end this tragic conflict”.  

Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of 22 Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant national church bodies that work together in pursuit of a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where two viable states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side within secure and recognized borders.