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08304 April 18, 2008
Christian Middle East peace advocates to gather
CMEP annual conference to continue push for 'two-state' solution
by Jerry L. Van Marter Presbyterian News Service
WASHINGTON - The push for a two-state solution to the protracted Israel-Palestine conflict continues April 20-22 when representatives of 22 U.S. church and church-related organizations - including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - gather here for the annual advocacy conference sponsored by Christians for Middle East Peace (CMEP).
The theme of the conference is "Calming the Storm: Middle East Peacemaking in a Turbulent Time."
"The Annapolis peace process now underway deserves robust support from the U.S. Congress," said Warren Clark, CMEP's executive director. "The achievement of a two-state peace agreement will be an important step towards durable peace with security for Israel and will help build a positive future for all the people of the Holy Land, including the now rapidly declining Palestinian Christian community."
The event will include conversations between church members and clergy from around the country, high-level Christian leaders, policy experts and government officials. It will culminate in a Congressional Prayer Breakfast for Peace in the Holy Land at the start of a day of advocacy visits with U.S. Representatives and Senators and their staffs.
"We are pleased to host this important gathering," Clark said. "This is a crucial time for peacemaking in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Next week CMEP advocates will let their elected officials know that American Christians want them to work vigorously towards the peaceful solution that is supported by both Israeli and Palestinian governments and a majority of people on both sides of the conflict."
Major speakers at the conference will include Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Professor Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland; Gary Sick of the "Gulf 2000/Project"; Ziad Asali of the American Task Force on Palestine; Ori Nir of Americans for Peace Now; B. Todd Deatherage of the U.S. State Department's Office of Policy Planning; and Aaron David Miller of the Woodrow Wilson Center.
Workshops will cover a range of topics such as Evangelical peacemakers, with Chris Seiple from the Institute for Global Engagement; Palestinian Christians, with Bernard Sabella; and Iran-Israel-US relations, with Trita Parsi of the National Iranian American Council.
The Congressional Prayer Breakfast will feature greetings from Representatives David Price of North Carolina, Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland; a message from Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and prayers and reflections from House Chaplain the Rev. Daniel Coughlin, Bishop John Chane of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and Archbishop Vicken Aykayzian of the Armenian Orthodox Church of America, who is also president of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC).
Information for this story furnished by Catherine Gordon, Presbyterian Washington Office.
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