Episcopal Press and News

Netanyahu's Visit Prompts Religious Groups to Press for Peace

Episcopal News Service. July 25, 1996 [96-1532F]

(ENS) The U.S. Interreligious Committee for Peace in the Middle East, Churches for Middle East Peace and the Jewish Peace Lobby all took advantage of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent meeting with President Clinton to issue letters and statements pressuring Israel and the Palestinians to abide by the landfor-peace provisions of the Middle East peace process. The Interreligious Committee (IC) -- which claims a membership of 2,300 American Christians, Jews and Muslims -- called for "consistent, creative" U.S. leadership to assure that both the Israelis and Palestinians "recognize and respect the historic accomplishments already achieved through negotiations." IC said American presidential politics should not be allowed to impact the peace process. "All too often in the past, positions taken by candidates have been extremely provocative," the letter said. The letter was signed by Dawud Assad, president of the Muslim Council of Mosques; the Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary of the NCC; and Albert Vorspan, former vice president of the Reform Jewish Union of American Hebrew Congregations.