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 The annual meeting of CMEP’s
Leadership
Council took place in Washington this past Monday, June 23rd.
It
included a discussion of the current situation on the ground in the Middle
East and dynamics here in Washington and examined CMEP priorities for the
rest of the year and into the next Administration.
The
discussion was lead by policy and church experts who are members of the
Council. Ambassador (ret.) Phil Wilcox reflected on current U.S. policy
and the state of the Annapolis process; Rev. Drew Christiansen, SJ spoke
about the situation of Christians throughout the region; and Khalil
Jahshan discussed prospects for the Gaza cease-fire and Palestinian
reconciliation. The Leadership Council agreed to send a letter to the
Presidential candidates together with CMEP’s Board setting out CMEP’s
fundamental principles and urging the candidates to commit to robust and
immediate diplomatic leadership if they become President.
 Representative David Price
(D-NC) addressed the group in the afternoon, providing a view from
Congress on Israeli-Palestinian issues and U.S. policy. The Council
thanked Mr. Price for his leadership, together with Rep. Ray LaHood
(R-IL), on a May
letter to the President urging efforts to end the crisis in southern
Israel and Gaza.
Congressman Price said he was encouraged by the support
the Price-Lahood letter received. He emphasized the opportunity he sees
now to build bi-partisan support for peacemaking within Congress and the
important role played by Churches for Middle East Peace and its Jewish and
Arab-American allies in this effort.
 In the
evening, Yossi Beilin, Knesset Member and principal Israeli
architect of the Geneva Accords, spoke to the CMEP Leadership Council and
invited supporters and colleagues. In his remarks, Beilin reflected on
what has gone right and what has gone wrong in past Israeli-Arab
diplomatic initiatives and stressed the importance of making real progress
this year on the Annapolis peace process, lest a new eruption of violence
break out.
On Tuesday
morning, a small group of Council members met with Michael Pascual,
Director for Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian Affairs at the
National Security Council. The CMEP Council members raised a number of
key issues including the status of the Annapolis process, the future of
Jerusalem, the decline of Palestinian Christians, and the U.S. role in
regional diplomatic initiatives.
CMEP is
grateful to its
Leadership
Council members who generously lend their
energy and expertise to CMEP’s work. The Council is a group of prominent
people - including academics, business leaders, church leaders,
journalists and former diplomats and politicians - each with a particular
interest in and connection to the Middle East. View a full list of the
Council members
here.
New to the Council this year are John Turner, former
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, International Environment &
Scientific Affairs and Mary K. Turner,
Vice
President of the Holy Land Christian Society and Robert Seiple, former and
first U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. The
Rev. Walter Owensby expressed the Council’s deep appreciation for the work
of Ann Zwicker Kerr, who will retire this year as Chair of the Council,
but will remain a member.
Photo
Credits: Paul Cox and Warren Clark
(1):
Leadership Council
(2): From
Left to Right: Ann Kerr, Council Chair’ Rep. David Price (D-NC-04); Warren
Clark, CMEP Director
(3): From
Left to Right: Council Member Scott McConnell; Speaker, Yossi Beilin;
Council Member, Amb. (ret) Phil Wilcox
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