Churches for Middle East Peace
Encyclopedia
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. As a coalition of Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches, CMEP works to influence American policy in ways that will bring justice and peace for all people and countries in the Middle East. Currently, Churches for Middle East Peace has over 100 partner churches.
CMEP is a sponsor of the Shared Jerusalem Campaign, which proposes to make the city a shared property of the Israelis and Palestinians.
CMEP emphasizes the important role that Christians have to play in prospects for pluralism and democracy in Palestinian society and supports a safe and secure state of Israel. It urges the United States to pursue the creation of a Palestinian state and the end of Israel’s occupation as integral to helping Israel achieve the security, recognition and normalization of relations with all countries of the region that it has long been denied.
CMEP has vocally supported the efforts of the Obama Administration to re-establish direct negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian parties. On August 30, 2010 they organized a letter to President Obama stating support for his goal of ending the occupation that has existed since 1967 and achieving a just and comprehensive two-state solution to the current conflict. Signed by the leadership of 29 national Christian denominations and organizations, the letter acknowledged the difficulties in achieving this goal, but pledged the U.S. Christian community’s efforts to expand the dialogue with American Jewish and Palestinian communities to help achieve this goal.
CMEP has also advocated for U.S. leadership in ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In June 2010 they issued a statement advocating for the relief of the blockade of Gaza. In doing so, they affirmed their position that Palestinians have the right to more than just humanitarian aid. They are entitled “to trade, travel, study, and engage in productive work, subject only to reasonable security requirements, and to take part in building a viable Palestinian state together with those who live in the West Bank. Israel has the right to self-defense and to prevent illicit trafficking in arms.”
According to Haaretz
, the Foreign Ministry of Israel would not meet with a US Congressional delegation sponsored by CMEP and J Street
because the Ministry viewed these organizations as an "anti-Israel." Congressman Bill Delahunt
, a member on the congressional delegation noted: “We were puzzled that the Deputy Foreign Minister has apparently attempted to block our meetings with senior officials in the Prime Minister's office and Foreign Ministry - questioning either our own support of Israel or that we would even consider traveling to the region with groups that the Deputy Foreign Minister has so inaccurately described as "anti-Israel."”
According to Rabbi A. James Rudin
, director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee
, CMEP and its member churches "basically take an anti-Israel position and historically have had a double standard for Israel and Palestinians."
According to Eugene Korn
of the American Jewish Congress
, CMEP's "rhetoric" is "anti-Israel."
These extreme views do not however reflect the reality of CMEP's balanced approach. For example, during the 2008-2009 Gaza War, CMEP acknowledged that "Israel's massive military operation has taken a terrible toll on Gaza's population and public infrastructure, while ongoing indiscriminate rocket attacks against towns in southern Israel have made normal life there impossible." In addition, CMEP has received praise for its bi-partisan and even handed approach, seeking only to move toward a negotiated peace for both Israel and Palestinians.
and chaired the Commission on Peace for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. He also has served as a chaplain at Sibley Hospital.
CMEP's governing board, which makes all policy decisions, is composed of staff from the national policy offices of the coalition members. This board makes all policy decisions. CMEP staff and the board implement these through concrete educational and advocacy actions. CMEP's Board Members include:
Martin Shupack, CMEP Board Chair, Church World Service
Catherine Gordon, CMEP Board Vice Chair, Presbyterian Church, USA
Aura Kanegis, CMEP Board Secretary-Treasurer
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, CMEP Executive Committee, Armenian Orthodox Church
Bob Tiller, Alliance of Baptists
Jonathan Evans, Friends Committee on National Legislation
Alex Patico, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Fr. George Rados, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
John Sullivan, M. M., Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, Mennonite Central Committee
Michael McNulty, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men’s Institutes
Wayne Burkette, Moravian Church in America
Rev. Michael Kinnamon, National Council of Churches
Peter Makari, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Jay Wittmeyer, Church of the Brethren
Rev. Marlin Vis, Reformed Church in America
and Christian Reformed Church
Eric Cherry, Unitarian Universalist Association
Alex Baumgarten, Episcopal Church
Dennis Frado, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Peter Makari, United Church of Christ
Russ Testa, Franciscan Friars (OFM)
Mark Harrison, United Methodist Church
Tatiana Dwyer, United Methodist Office for the UN
Website: http://www.cmep.org/
Advocacy
According to its website, CMEP promotes positions that:- 1) realize the vision of a region where two viable states, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and PalestinePalestinePalestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, live side-by-side within secure and recognized borders;
- 2) promote the sharing of an undivided Jerusalem by the two peoples -- Israelis and Palestinians -- and by the three religious communities that call it sacred;
- 3) encourage negotiated, just, and peaceful resolutions to conflicts in the region; promote the right of people to live in peace and security, free of fears of harassment, oppression, and violence;
- 4) encourage the demilitarization of conflicts and help to establish the Middle East as a region free of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons;
- 5) foster respect for human rights based on full observance of the Universal Declaration of Human RightsUniversal Declaration of Human RightsThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
, human rights covenants of the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, and the Geneva ConventionsGeneva ConventionsThe Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
;
- 6) encourage equitable development and humanitarian assistance to the region by the United States and other nations;
- 7) promote the rights, and meet the humanitarian needs, of refugees and displaced persons in the region;
- 8) support the United Nations in playing an important role in seeking a just resolution of problems and the maintenance of a region without conflict;
- 9) recognize the religious importance of the region to JewsJewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, Christians, and Muslims and protect the religious freedom of all.
CMEP is a sponsor of the Shared Jerusalem Campaign, which proposes to make the city a shared property of the Israelis and Palestinians.
CMEP emphasizes the important role that Christians have to play in prospects for pluralism and democracy in Palestinian society and supports a safe and secure state of Israel. It urges the United States to pursue the creation of a Palestinian state and the end of Israel’s occupation as integral to helping Israel achieve the security, recognition and normalization of relations with all countries of the region that it has long been denied.
CMEP has vocally supported the efforts of the Obama Administration to re-establish direct negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian parties. On August 30, 2010 they organized a letter to President Obama stating support for his goal of ending the occupation that has existed since 1967 and achieving a just and comprehensive two-state solution to the current conflict. Signed by the leadership of 29 national Christian denominations and organizations, the letter acknowledged the difficulties in achieving this goal, but pledged the U.S. Christian community’s efforts to expand the dialogue with American Jewish and Palestinian communities to help achieve this goal.
CMEP has also advocated for U.S. leadership in ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In June 2010 they issued a statement advocating for the relief of the blockade of Gaza. In doing so, they affirmed their position that Palestinians have the right to more than just humanitarian aid. They are entitled “to trade, travel, study, and engage in productive work, subject only to reasonable security requirements, and to take part in building a viable Palestinian state together with those who live in the West Bank. Israel has the right to self-defense and to prevent illicit trafficking in arms.”
According to Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, the Foreign Ministry of Israel would not meet with a US Congressional delegation sponsored by CMEP and J Street
J Street
J Street is a nonprofit liberal advocacy group based in the United States whose stated aim is to promote American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israel-Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically. It was founded in April 2008....
because the Ministry viewed these organizations as an "anti-Israel." Congressman Bill Delahunt
Bill Delahunt
William D. Delahunt is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1997 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Delahunt did not seek re-election in 2010, and left Congress in January 2011. He was replaced by Norfolk County District Attorney Bill Keating...
, a member on the congressional delegation noted: “We were puzzled that the Deputy Foreign Minister has apparently attempted to block our meetings with senior officials in the Prime Minister's office and Foreign Ministry - questioning either our own support of Israel or that we would even consider traveling to the region with groups that the Deputy Foreign Minister has so inaccurately described as "anti-Israel."”
According to Rabbi A. James Rudin
A. James Rudin
A. James Rudin is an American rabbi noted for his work in inter-religious affairs.He was born in Alexandria, Virginia. He is a 1957 graduate of Wesleyan University...
, director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee
American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee was "founded in 1906 with the aim of rallying all sections of American Jewry to defend the rights of Jews all over the world...
, CMEP and its member churches "basically take an anti-Israel position and historically have had a double standard for Israel and Palestinians."
According to Eugene Korn
Eugene Korn
Rabbi Eugene B. Korn is a lecturer, scholar and educator.In 2003 he was ordained as an Orthodox rabbi by the Israeli rabbinate. He has a PhD in Moral Philosophy from Columbia University....
of the American Jewish Congress
American Jewish Congress
The American Jewish Congress describes itself as an association of Jewish Americans organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts....
, CMEP's "rhetoric" is "anti-Israel."
These extreme views do not however reflect the reality of CMEP's balanced approach. For example, during the 2008-2009 Gaza War, CMEP acknowledged that "Israel's massive military operation has taken a terrible toll on Gaza's population and public infrastructure, while ongoing indiscriminate rocket attacks against towns in southern Israel have made normal life there impossible." In addition, CMEP has received praise for its bi-partisan and even handed approach, seeking only to move toward a negotiated peace for both Israel and Palestinians.
Management and Organizational Structure
Churches for Middle East Peace Executive Director, Warren Clark, was a career U.S. Foreign Service officer in the Department of State, serving in the Middle East, Europe, Canada, Africa, and at the United Nations. He was Chargé d'affaires in Lagos, Nigeria; the U.S. Ambassador in Libreville, Gabon; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa in Washington; and represented the U.S. on the UN Security Council for Middle East and African issues. In addition to his diplomatic service, Ambassador Clark worked on international programs at the Washington National CathedralWashington National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
and chaired the Commission on Peace for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. He also has served as a chaplain at Sibley Hospital.
CMEP's governing board, which makes all policy decisions, is composed of staff from the national policy offices of the coalition members. This board makes all policy decisions. CMEP staff and the board implement these through concrete educational and advocacy actions. CMEP's Board Members include:
Martin Shupack, CMEP Board Chair, Church World Service
Church World Service
Founded in 1946, Church World Service is a cooperative ministry of 37 Christian denominations and communions in the United States, providing sustainable self-help, development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance around the world...
Catherine Gordon, CMEP Board Vice Chair, Presbyterian Church, USA
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
Aura Kanegis, CMEP Board Secretary-Treasurer
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, CMEP Executive Committee, Armenian Orthodox Church
Bob Tiller, Alliance of Baptists
Alliance of Baptists
The Alliance of Baptists is a fellowship of Baptist churches and individuals in the United States. In its theology and social stances, the Alliance is characterized as a progressive or liberal Christian fellowship...
Jonathan Evans, Friends Committee on National Legislation
Friends Committee on National Legislation
The Friends Committee on National Legislation a 501 lobbying organization in the public interest founded in 1943 by members of the Religious Society of Friends...
Alex Patico, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, headquartered in New York City, is an eparchy of the Church of Constantinople. Its current primate is Archbishop Demetrios of America.-About the Archdiocese:...
Fr. George Rados, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is the sole jurisdiction of the Antiochian Orthodox Church in the United States and Canada with exclusive jurisdiction over the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in those countries, though these faithful were originally cared for by the...
John Sullivan, M. M., Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, Mennonite Central Committee
Mennonite Central Committee
The Mennonite Central Committee is a relief, service, and peace agency representing 15 Mennonite, Brethren in Christ and Amish bodies in North America. The U.S. headquarters are in Akron, Pennsylvania, the Canadian in Winnipeg, Manitoba.-History:...
Michael McNulty, Catholic Conference of Major Superiors of Men’s Institutes
Wayne Burkette, Moravian Church in America
Rev. Michael Kinnamon, National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
Peter Makari, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples...
Jay Wittmeyer, Church of the Brethren
Church of the Brethren
The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination originating from the Schwarzenau Brethren organized in 1708 by eight persons led by Alexander Mack, in Schwarzenau, Bad Berleburg, Germany. The Brethren movement began as a melding of Radical Pietist and Anabaptist ideas during the...
Rev. Marlin Vis, Reformed Church in America
Reformed Church in America
The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
and Christian Reformed Church
Christian Reformed Church in North America
The Christian Reformed Church in North America is a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. Having roots in the Dutch Reformed churches of the Netherlands, the Christian Reformed Church was founded by Gijsbert Haan and Dutch immigrants who left the Reformed Church in...
Eric Cherry, Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
Alex Baumgarten, Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
Dennis Frado, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
Peter Makari, United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
Russ Testa, Franciscan Friars (OFM)
Mark Harrison, United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
Tatiana Dwyer, United Methodist Office for the UN
Statements about CMEP
"By your presence and activity, you manifest the true spirit of this country. I applaud you for your work and I am happy to be on the same team as CMEP" -Representative Brian BairdBrian BairdBrian Norton Baird is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1999 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district comprises the counties of Thurston, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Skamania....
(Washington)
"Churches for Middle East Peace presents opinions and information both to me and to my staff that are balanced and that I take seriously. On the thorny issues that are part and parcel of Middle East policy, CMEP gives clarity to the voice of the churches." –United States Senator Jim JeffordsJim JeffordsJames Merrill "Jim" Jeffords is a former U.S. Senator from Vermont. He served as a Republican until 2001, when he left the party to become an independent. He retired from the Senate in 2006.-Background:...
(Vermont)
"As one who believes that peace in the Middle East is possible, I applaud the work of Churches for Middle East Peace. I have found CMEP’s advocacy efforts in Washington to be indispensable, both in my role as general secretary of the National Council of Churches and as a former member of Congress." – Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, National Council of Churches
"...Your organization's bipartisan efforts...to advocate for sustained U.S. leadership in the peace process are admirable...Your vision for a negotiated agreement to end the conflict, with a secure Israel living side by side with a viable and independent Palestinian state, is both valuable and timely...CMEP's advocacy work is important. Thanks to you and your members for your continued work to promote a just, lasting and comprehensive peace." -Sen Richard Lugar (Indiana)
"The Arab – Israeli conflict is not primarily religious in nature. But I believe religious leaders – Christian, Jewish and Muslim – can play a critical role in finding solutions. Of course, the path to peace will be long and difficult. But we will find strength if we travel it together. I thank you for your commitment in this endeavor and congratulate you on a successful conference." -Sen. John KerryJohn KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
(Massachusetts)
"While it is important to always pray for peace, your active commitment to peacemaking at the grassroots level is imperative to the success of hte President's peace efforts" -Rep. Donald PayneDonald M. PayneDonald Milford "Don" Payne is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1989. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district encompasses most of the city of Newark, parts of Jersey City and Elizabeth, and some suburban communities in Essex and Union counties...
(New Jersey-10)
Website: http://www.cmep.org/