[WCUSP] FYI Policy direction of Churches for ME Peace

[Tura Campanella Cook]

>> From: Churches for Middle East Peace <info at cmep.org>
>> Date: September 28, 2006 2:21:46 PM CDT
>> To:
>> Subject: September 2006 Policy Analysis Newsletter
>> Reply-To: info at cmep.org
>>
>>
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>> September 2006 Policy Analysis Newsletter
>> This email is also available online at:  
>> http://www.cmep.org/Alerts/2006Sept28.htm
>>
>> The September CMEP newsletter, which has been received by those on 
>> CMEP?s postal network, focuses on the need for negotiations to shape 
>> developments in the Middle East and highlights new opportunities for 
>> launching a comprehensive peace process, with resolution of the 
>> Israeli-Palestinian conflict at its core.
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>>
>> Peace Negotiations Must Shape the New Middle East
>>
>> September 2006
>>  By Corinne Whitlatch, Executive Director
>>
>> As images of death and destruction were broadcast on televisions 
>> throughout the world, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice commented 
>> that we were seeing "the birth pangs of a new Middle East." But, to 
>> some who viewed the tremendous destruction in Lebanon, the 
>> vulnerability of Israel, the vehement anti-American protests and the 
>> proclamations of Hezbollah?s victory, this war more likely 
>> represented the burial of the Bush Administration?s ambitious plan 
>> for a new Middle East.
>>
>>  President Bush's New Middle East envisioned a sort of regional 
>> renaissance as oppressor regimes were overthrown and their people, 
>> freed from tyranny, used the ballot box to reform their states and 
>> build a vibrant civil society that rejects extremism and religious 
>> militancy. That plan, however worthy in intent it may be, is not 
>> going well. ?
>>
>>  This close to the conflict, it's not clear what will result from the 
>> 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Nevertheless, the 
>> shock of the Lebanon war and its obvious failure to bring victory for 
>> either side, much less peace, points to the need for new policies. 
>> The New Middle East should be characterized by the pursuit of peace, 
>> security, justice and hope for the future through negotiations and 
>> compromise.
>>
>>  Again and again, as people talked about how to stop the fighting, 
>> the necessity of a two-state solution to the Palestinian question was 
>> raised. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) on the Senate floor, "The core of 
>> all challenges in the Middle East remains the underlying Arab-Israeli 
>> conflict." ?Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), wrote President Bush, 
>> "...no lasting solution to the turmoil in the Middle East will be 
>> achieved without resolving the Israeli-Palestinian problem...There 
>> can be little doubt that the lack of progress on that front continues 
>> to breed hatred and hostility that is effectively exploited by 
>> Hezbollah, Iran, Syria and others."?
>>
>> Seek a Comprehensive Solution ?
>>
>> August?s firestorm has energized the world. Now, and perhaps this 
>> time more than ever, there is an opportunity to bring a fresh 
>> approach and global commitment?toward a comprehensive resolution of 
>> the 58-year-old Arab-Israeli conflict. ?
>>
>>  ?Only through a serious and credible rekindling of the long dormant 
>> peace process can there be any hope whatsoever of addressing, and 
>> eliminating, root causes,? advised the highly respected International 
>> Crisis Group. ?
>>
>>  The most recent comprehensive effort was in 1991 when Secretary of 
>> State James Baker, in the wake of Iraq?s invasion of Kuwait and the 
>> Gulf War, stitched together the Madrid Conference. This launched a 
>> process that included bilateral state-to-state negotiating tracks and 
>> multilateral tracks on issues of regional concern (water, 
>> environment, arms control, refugees and economic development). Those 
>> negotiations stumbled and stalled, but demonstrated that strong 
>> American leadership can move the parties from confrontation to 
>> negotiations. ?
>>
>>  The Madrid process, although it faltered, led to the Oslo peace 
>> process in which Israel and the PLO recognized each other and pledged 
>> to negotiate peace in phases. The Oslo process ultimately collapsed 
>> after seven years of negotiations because there was no agreed 
>> definition of peace between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, and 
>> U.S. mediation was overly cautious. But considerable progress was 
>> made in defining solutions to major issues before the process 
>> collapsed in January 2001 and the Sharon government was elected in 
>> Israel. There was also progress toward an agreement between Israel 
>> and Syria over the occupied Golan Heights. ?
>>
>>  The war of attrition against Israel?s occupation of southern Lebanon 
>> continued throughout the decade. Lebanon?s situation, then as now, 
>> was complicated by its ties with Syria and by its inextricable links 
>> with issues set aside by the Oslo Accords for final status 
>> negotiations, especially those regarding the Palestinian refugees and 
>> water resources. From Damascus and the refugee camps of Lebanon, 
>> Palestinian critics of Oslo rejected negotiating with Israel and 
>> encouraged armed resistance. Still today, Khaled Mashal presses for a 
>> militant Hamas policy from Damascus while Syria?s President Bashar 
>> al- Assad rejects US demands to stop harboring militant Palestinian 
>> groups, including Hamas, and to halt support for Lebanon?s Hezbollah.
>>
>> Pieces in Place?
>>
>> Despite the current hostile state of affairs between Israel, Syria, 
>> Lebanon and the Palestinians, considerable progress toward resolution 
>> of the conflicts has been made. Israel?s withdrawal from southern 
>> Lebanon in 2000 left the Sheb?a Farms plot as the sole territory in 
>> dispute between Israel and Lebanon. Israel and Syria were close to 
>> agreement when talks broke down in January 2000, six months before 
>> the death of Hafez al-Assad. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, under 
>> intense political pressure from rivals Netanyahu and Sharon, held 
>> fast to the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee and Assad walked away. ?
>>
>>  Even though Israel and the Palestinians are in conflict and 
>> diplomacy comatose, there is widespread understanding of the 
>> components necessary for a lasting two state peace agreement, and 
>> polls continue to show support for a two-state solution. Brent 
>> Scowcroft, national security adviser to Presidents Gerald Ford and 
>> George H.W. Bush, recently outlined these elements, including: ?
>> 	? A Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with minor 
>> rectifications agreed upon by Palestine and Israel.
>> 	? Palestinians giving up the right of return and Israel...removing 
>> its settlements from the West Bank, again with rectifications as 
>> mutually agreed.
>> 	? Deployment of an international force to facilitate and supervise 
>> traffic to and from Gaza and the West Bank.
>> 	? Designation of Jerusalem as the shared capital of Israel and 
>> Palestine, with appropriate international guarantees of freedom of 
>> movement and civic life. ?
>>  "These elements are well-known...What seems breathtakingly 
>> complicated, however, is how one mobilizes the necessary political 
>> will, in the region and beyond, to transform these principles into an 
>> agreement on a lasting accord. The current crisis in Lebanon provides 
>> a historic opportunity to achieve what has seemed impossible," 
>> concludes Scowcroft. ??
>>
>> It?s Up to US?
>>
>> The responsibility to mobilize Israel, the Palestinians, the Arab 
>> states and the international community falls upon the United States. 
>> No other country or group has the capacity to do this. But a 
>> collaborative approach is essential, and the Quartet (US, UN, EU and 
>> Russia) is the ready-made vehicle to initiate a comprehensive peace 
>> process. ?
>>
>>  The Hezbollah-Israel war confirmed the shortcomings of the Bush 
>> Administration?s heavy reliance on military force and its lack of 
>> confidence in diplomacy for resolving conflicts and dealing with 
>> adversaries. As bombs and rockets continued to kill Lebanese and 
>> Israelis, the President?s refusal to immediately seek a cease fire 
>> and engage diplomatically left the United States with reduced options 
>> and diminished influence in the region. Similarly, the Bush 
>> Administration?s decision to defer to Israel?s unilateral policies 
>> and undermine the newly elected Hamas government increased the 
>> influence of the more radical Damascus branch of Hamas.??
>>
>>  Flynt Leverett was?the senior director for Middle East affairs at 
>> the National Security Council and on the State Department?s Policy 
>> Planning Staff during President Bush?s first term before he?left 
>> because of policy disagreements. Leverett,?writing in The American 
>> Prospect, promotes?a ?realist? strategy in which the U.S. would: 1.) 
>> widen its approach to defusing the crisis to include direct 
>> engagement with both Syria and Iran, 2.)?would re-establish US-Syrian 
>> cooperation on important regional issues, and 3.)?indicate its 
>> willingness to pursue a ?grand bargain? with Iran that would restrain 
>> its nuclear activities and normalize bilateral relations.
>>
>>  Furthermore, Leverett calls upon the Administration to articulate a 
>> more substantive vision for a two- state solution that incorporates 
>> the Arab League peace plan. To make such major policy changes, the 
>> White House will need to know that American citizens support strong 
>> Presidential leadership in pursuit of a comprehensive Middle East 
>> peace and that constituents will encourage their members of Congress 
>> to support peacemaking. Meanwhile, new proposals and surprising 
>> initiatives are happening on the international scene. ?
>>
>> Changes in the Making ?
>>
>> 	? The Arab League foreign ministers have asked for a ministerial 
>> meeting of the U.N. Security Council in September to discuss a new 
>> peace plan based on the Saudi proposal that was adopted by the Arab 
>> League. As Senator Hagel has said, "the concept and intent of the 
>> 2002 Beirut Declaration is as relevant today as it was in 2002. An 
>> Arab-initiated, Beirut-type declaration would reinvest regional Arab 
>> States with a stake in achieving progress toward Israeli-Palestinian 
>> peace. This type of initiative would offer a positive alternative ? a 
>> positive alternative ? vision for Arab populations to the ideology 
>> and goals of Islamic extremists."
>> 	? President Mahmoud Abbas has expressed support for the Arab 
>> initiative and the Palestinians are taking steps toward a Palestinian 
>> government whose agenda is clearly in favor of the two-state 
>> solution. Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab reports that 
>> "Palestinian leaders Mahmoud Abbas and Ismail Haniyeh seem to have 
>> realized the need to remove any Israeli excuses to not engage them 
>> [referring to the Israeli soldier hostage and the firing of rockets 
>> from Gaza]. A hitherto underreported agreement over the Prisoners' 
>> Document is expected to usher in the establishment of a national 
>> unity government that will include Islamist and secular nationalist 
>> factions."
>>
>> ? Meanwhile, the on-going closure of Gaza by Israel prevents movement 
>> of people and goods in and out of Gaza, exacerbating the existing 
>> economic and humanitarian crisis. To ease the pressure on the 
>> economy, American Security Coordinator Maj. Gen. Keith Dayton has 
>> proposed expanding the Karni commercial crossing into Israel with the 
>> help of 90 international observers.
>>
>> ? Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other Israeli leaders are 
>> under fire from the right and left over the conduct of the war. But, 
>> there seems to be no viable alternative leadership now, and no 
>> interest in new elections. Even if Olmert?s government holds, it is 
>> unlikely to take bold diplomatic initiatives. Olmert?s plan to 
>> unilaterally withdraw from parts of the West Bank has been shelved, 
>> opening the way for a negotiated agreement.
>>
>> ? Renewing diplomatic dialogue with Syria is the most likely 
>> breakthrough in the short term. Several Israeli Cabinet ministers, 
>> although not Prime Minister Olmert, have endorsed the idea. Many US 
>> foreign policy luminaries and commentators have also endorsed 
>> engaging Syria because of its influence over Hezbollah and the 
>> potential for pragmatic cooperation, as opposed to confrontation. 
>> While the Bush Administration opposes this on the grounds that 
>> Syria?s regime is hostile to American interests and supports 
>> terrorism, the President has been criticized for rejecting talks with 
>> Damascus, as proposed by Sec. Rice, during the fighting.
>>
>> ? Even though he is no longer President of Iran, reformist Mohammed 
>> Khatami?s appearance on September 7 at Washington?s National 
>> Cathedral is an important and controversial renewal of his Dialogue 
>> Among Civilizations initiative.
>> 	? It is helpful to recognize that people in Israel, the Occupied 
>> Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and throughout the 
>> world are working with us for peace. Peace seekers must not give in 
>> to despair and cynicism. There is much to do.
>>
>> Seek Peace and Pursue It (Psalm 33:15)
>>
>> "Things have gone too far. We call upon the International community 
>> to intervene and insist on a diplomatic solution to this conflict. 
>> All Authorities must change course, and with unflinching 
>> International pressure and presence, they have to negotiate in order 
>> to reach the just and definitive peace."
>>
>>  From "Stop All Violence, Pursue a Just Peace" a statement signed by 
>> the Patriarchs and Heads of Local Christian Churches in Jerusalem.
>>
>>
>> Advocacy Action
>>
>>  During this fall while politicians and political parties are focused 
>> on campaigns and the November elections, citizen advocates of Middle 
>> East peace can be most effective by joining forces with prominent 
>> American leaders with strong political credentials. The Campaign for 
>> American Leadership in the Middle East (CALME) brings together both 
>> Democrats, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, 
>> and Republicans, including retired Senator and Ambassador John 
>> Danforth. Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders have signed the CALME 
>> petition, including Corinne Whitlatch of Churches for Middle East 
>> Peace. ?
>>
>> CMEP agrees with CALME that President Bush should make the 
>> Arab-Israeli peace process, with its connection to all the other 
>> issues in the Middle East, the central activity of the remaining 
>> years of his administration. CALME's policy objectives are consistent 
>> with the policies of Churches for Middle East Peace.
>> 	? Join with thousands of Americans by signing the CALME petition to 
>> show your support for U.S. involvement in resolving the conflict. Go 
>> to  www.mideastcalm.org.
>> 	? Type or handwrite the following letter and send it to President 
>> Bush, your Representative and your Senators by email, mail or fax 
>> (For contact information, see CMEP' s Government Contacts Page). ??
>>
>> Dear (President, Representative, Senator)
>>
>> I agree with CALME, the Campaign for American Leadership in the 
>> Middle East, that resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is 
>> critical to U.S. national security interests and essential to reduce 
>> the threat posed by international terrorism. My support and that of 
>> Churches for Middle East Peace underscores American public support 
>> for efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We encourage 
>> you to make this a central and sustained objective of American 
>> foreign policy. A peaceful resolution of the conflict will enhance 
>> our efforts to build a secure, stable, and more democratic Middle 
>> East, and in so doing, serve U.S. national security interests.
>>
>> It is only right that the United States use all the resources at its 
>> disposal to help Israelis and Palestinians overcome the differences 
>> and fears that divide them in order to reach a settlement that will 
>> provide true security for Israel, help the Palestinians to achieve 
>> their own democratic state and lead to peace and prosperity for all 
>> the peoples of the region.
>>
>> Although details can only be agreed through negotiations by the two 
>> sides, the basic elements of settlement are both achievable and 
>> clear: a two- state solution, rigorous security guarantees and the 
>> protection of human rights and access to holy sites.
>>
>> We urge you to mobilize international support for that goal and to 
>> pursue progress with determination, fairness and creativity until 
>> success is achieved. We fully understand the potential obstacles 
>> ahead. We also understand the consequences of failure. Failure must 
>> not be an option. You have our strong support to stay the course. ?
>>
>> Sincerely, YOUR NAME
>>
>>
>> Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace is a Washington-based 
>> program of the Alliance of Baptists, American Friends Service 
>> Committee, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Armenian 
>> Orthodox Church, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men's 
>> Institutes, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Church of the 
>> Brethren, Church World Service, Episcopal Church, Evangelical 
>> Lutheran Church in America, Franciscan Friars OFM (English Speaking 
>> Conference, JPIC Council), Friends Committee on National Legislation, 
>> Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Maryknoll Missioners, 
>> Mennonite Central Committee, National Council of Churches, 
>> Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, Unitarian 
>> Universalist Association, United Church of Christ, and the United 
>> Methodist Church (GBCS & GBGM).
>>
>> Contributions to CMEP are tax deductible and can be made by check or 
>> online by secure, on-line credit card service.
>>
>>  Corinne Whitlatch, CMEP Executive Director
>>  Churches for Middle East Peace
>>  Email:  info at cmep.org
>>  Phone: 202-543-1222
>>  Web:  http://www.cmep.org
>>
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>>
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