Christian leaders urge Bush to end Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Published: 2005-01-24

NEW YORK (CNS) -- Defeating terrorism requires stepped up efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a group of U.S. Christian leaders told President George W. Bush. "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become a threat to the people of the United States. Every day the conflict continues, hatred of the United States government is fueled," the group said in an open letter to Bush. "With each news report of Palestinian suffering ... popular support in Arab and Muslim countries for terrorism grows and the threat of attacks directed at the United States increases," said the letter, which appeared as a full-page ad in the Jan. 21 New York Times. The ad was sponsored by Christians for Middle East Peace. Among the 57 signers was Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala of Los Angeles, president of Pax Christi USA. "We believe that the promise of peace in Jerusalem is the best defense against terror," the letter said. It asked Bush to work with world leaders to "guarantee two viable states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side and sharing Jerusalem as their capital." Both states would recognize the right of the other to exist and would cooperate for security and economic well-being, the letter said.

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