Churches for Middle East Peace: Mitchell Returns From Mideast; Ask your Rep. to Support Resolution Backing Envoy

by Global Ministries | published on Oct 10, 2014

After being appointed as Special Mideast Envoy on January 22nd, former Senator George Mitchell quickly headed to the Middle East for a whirlwind trip Jan. 26 – Feb. 3 that included visits with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, a roundtable meeting in Jerusalem with humanitarian agencies working in Gaza. He also made stops in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and France.

Mitchell is set to return to the region before the end of the month. His challenging and complex mission, coming on the heels of the Gaza war and amidst political changes in Israel and ongoing strife between Fatah and Hamas, will require a diligence and commitment that deserves strong public and Congressional support.

Click here to contact your Representative today and ask him or her to co-sponsor H. Res. 130, a new resolution backing Special Mideast Envoy Sen. Mitchell!

Further Background on the Resolution: H. Res. 130 cites key recent statements by Obama, Clinton and Mitchell demonstrating their commitment to achieving Israeli-Palestinian peace, including President Obama’s January 22nd statement that he, ”was deeply concerned by the loss of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent days and by the substantial suffering and humanitarian needs in Gaza'” The resolution refers to Senator Mitchell’s “well-received report on the causes of the second intifada in April 2001” – a report that cited both Israeli settlement activity and Palestinian violence. H. Res. 130 also expresses its appreciation to those engaged in helping to achieve the recent cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel, and calls on the international community “to aggressively pursue efforts that facilitate a just and lasting resolution of these conflicts”.

Click here to view the full text of the resolution and the list of original co-sponsors.

Click here to view other action alerts issued by Churches for Middle East Peace, and join the mailing list.