Religious leaders urge renewed Israel-Palestine peace initiative

Published: 2007-01-25

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Several Catholics were among nearly 40 U.S. religious leaders who called on President George W. Bush to launch a new Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative. "We ask that you make Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, in the context of a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace initiative, an urgent priority for your administration," the leaders said in a letter delivered to the White House Jan. 23 and to all members of Congress Jan. 25. Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., chairman of the international policy committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, was among the five chief signatories on the letter. Among 34 other signers joining in were eight representatives of Catholic organizations. "The United States and the world will become safer as confidence grows that the U.S. is willing to take leadership and work cooperatively with the United Nations and other nations to resolve this conflict," the letter said.

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