Middle East Peace Process (2018 Update)

In May of 1989, the Social Action Committee of CSJO drafted a statement regarding the Middle East Peace Process, officially calling for "the recognition of Israel by the Palestinian people and for the recognition by Israel of the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people." Further, the 1989 statement urged for all parties to cease utilizing confrontational tactics, stating that "[termination] of interpersonal and intercommunity conflict will contribute to creating the climate for the successful solution of the problems faced by both peoples." (Access the statement here.)

Sadly, although it has been 29 years since the release of this previous statement, the events of the past few weeks have shown how far the region still needs to go before there is any progress towards peace. The current state of affairs is a serious setback to the peace process and has generated tragic losses of life. The position of the Social Action Committee of CSJO remains the same as it has always been: that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve a home state to call their own and leadership that accurately represents their interests.

We urge our membership to seek out unbiased journalism about the conflict in order to stay up to date and properly informed. We also ask that members try to engage respectfully with other people and recognize the trauma experienced by those involved when discussing the conflict, even as tensions are running particularly high.