Interreligious Leaders Support Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process in Letter to Secretary Kerry, Congressional Leaders

WASHINGTON—In a July 26letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, 30 Jewish, Christian and Muslimreligious leaders, including three Catholic bishops, voiced "strong support forhis determined initiative for Israeli-Palestinian peace." In letters to the leadershipof the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign AffairsCommittee, the leaders called on Congress "to support Secretary Kerry'scontinuing urgent efforts for peace."

Catholic signers were Cardinal Theodore McCarrick,retired archbishop of Washington and a founding member of the NationalInterreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East; BishopRichard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committeeon International Justice and Peace; and Bishop Denis J. Madden, auxiliarybishop of Baltimore and chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Ecumenicaland Interreligious Affairs.

The religious leaders warmlywelcomed Secretary Kerry's announcement of an agreement "that establishes thebasis for resuming direct final status negotiations between the Palestiniansand the Israelis." They noted the progress of earlier formal and informalnegotiations, saying "while these talks have yet to yield a blueprint forpeace, they have identified ideas for addressing key issues that must beresolved in a manner acceptable to both sides."

The Jewish, Christian and Muslimleaders offered their prayers for Secretary Kerry's efforts and pledged thatthey "are prepared through the national organizations we represent to activatemembers of synagogues, churches and mosques across the country to support boldAmerican leadership for peace."

"We know the path to peace iscomplex and challenging," the leaders said, "but peace is possible."

The full text of the letters is available online: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/global-issues/middle-east/israel-palestine/upload/letters-to-secretary-kerry-and-congress-from-nili-2013-07.pdf

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Keywords: Secretary of State, John Kerry,Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, peace, Israel, Palestine, Cardinal TheodoreMcCarrick, Bishop Richard E. Pates, Bishop Denis J. Madden, U.S. bishops,USCCB, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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