Churches For Middle East Peace (CMEP) is encouraging people to advocate a strong Middle East peace message to their Congressional Members during the upcoming Spring Recess, April 6-17. With their largest district mobilization ever, CMEP wants people to stress the need for bi-partisan support for the U.S. diplomatic engagement needed to reach a just and lasting peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. CMEP is a coalition of 22 Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant national church bodies and organizations, which works in support of U.S. policies that are conductive to Israeli-Arab peacemaking and a positive future for all peoples of the region.
CMEP supports a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that includes an end to violence, security for the State of Israel, an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the establishment of a viable and contiguous Palestinian State, and an agreement on Jerusalem that allows the city to be shared by the two peoples and three Abrahamic faiths.
This week, CMEP is seeking volunteers who would like to attend these meetings and/or be a district organizer. Below are general and specific advocacy recommendations from CMEP.
Instructions For Holding A Meeting At A Representative or Senator's Local Office
- Obtain contact information for the Member's local office
- Call the office, find the name of the person who schedules appointments, his/her e-mail address, and/or fax number.
- E-mail or fax a brief letter to the scheduler's attention requesting an appointment. If you are a representative of an organization, consider using its letterhead.
- Follow-up a day later by calling and asking to speak with the scheduler.
- If the scheduler states that the Member will be unable to meet with you, then request a meeting with the Foreign Affairs Legislative Assistant.
General Advocacy Tips
- Introduce yourself and state if you are a constituent and/or have social, business, or political ties to the Legislator.
- Be courteous at all times.
- If possible, thank the Member for a recent positive stand regarding your issue.
- Concisely state the issue, your position, and the action that you want the Member to take.
- Briefly state your personal connection to the issue, highlighting any relevent experience and education that you may have.
- Mention other prominent individuals, government officials, legislators, or religious leaders who support your position.
- Stress how the issue affects the Member's district or state, if applicable.
- Don't dominate the conversation or act like a know-it-all. The most important part of lobbying is listening.
- Stay on message. Politely steer the conversation back to the issue when it is off-track.
- Answer any questions to the best of your ability. If you don't know an answer, don't lie or fake it. Instead, use it as an opportunity to follow-up with the information.
- Leave a fact sheet or packet that outlines your position(s).
- Don't be intimidated. You know the issue well and have a responsibility to present the information to your Legislators.
- At the end, restate your commitments or follow-up. Thank the Member or staff for their time, even if they disagree with you.
How To Get Your Message On Holy Land Peace Heard By Washington's Policymakers
Policymakers will be interested in what you have to say, if you take a fair approach to the Middle East conflict. If you are advocating as a representative of CMEP, then your recommendations should be based on information and policies passed by national bodies of the Churches associated with CMEP.
- Present your hope for a positive future for both Israelis and Palestinians.
- Avoid references to historical occurances in the Middle East, as much as possible, since they spark controversy and easily distract from the point you are trying to make.
- Express the importance of your religious faith, but don't be excessive or self-righteous.
- Recognize that there is pain for both Palestinians (separation barrier, military incursions, settlements, housing demolitions, land confiscation, checkpoints) and Israelis (suicide bombings, rockets, countries and groups seeking their destruction).
- The United States should be a friend to Israel, as well as to the Palestinians.
- Focus on the necessity for a Palestinian Unity Government and for U.S. actions that ease the humanitarian situation, help moderate Hamas, and reduce intra-Palestinian friction.
Ask Legislators To Support:
- Robust and sustained diplomatic engagement by the Obama Administration that holds both Israel and the Palestinians accountable and makes real progress towards a just and lasting two-state solution.
- Sustainable Gaza Cease-Fire that ends military incursion, rocket attacks, and weapons smuggling.
- Palestinian Unity Government that is committed to pursuing a negotitated two-state solution.
- Full freeze on Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
- Palestinian efforts to end violence.
- Co-Sponsorship of H.R. 130, welcoming the appointment of George Mitchell as Special Middle East Envoy and supporting a vigorous diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts. (Be sure to thank him/her if already one of 93 Co-Sponsors.)
- The Obama Administration request for $900 million in U.S. aid for the Palestinians that will be part of the upcoming supplemental bill, together with the opening of Gaza's border crossings.
- Upholding U.S. policy that the status of Jerusalem be determined through negotiations, not unilateral actions.
- Religious freedom for all citizens of Jerusalem.
To discuss the meetings, coordinate your group with CMEP, or obtain more information about CMEP, contact Carolyn Deckert, Grassroots Field Director, at carolyn@cmep.org or Julie Schumacher Cohen, Legislative Director at julie@cmep.org.
Hat Tip: Julie Schumacher Cohen of CMEP
