Why should we be interested in this conflict as Christians and as Americans?

As Christians, Christ told us that we are "peacemakers," concerned for those who are suffering and oppressed. We have a special obligation to help our fellow Christians who have been living in the Holy Land since the time of Christ. Several Christian denominations have a church presence in the Holy Land, especially in Jerusalem, and support hospitals, clinics, schools and churches throughout Israel and Palestine.

As Americans, our failure to help resolve this critical conflict has undermined our foreign policy goals in the Middle East and increased the threat to our homeland security. Recently, over 120 former global leaders called for urgent international action, including a new international conference, towards a comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Iraq Study Group, headed by former Secretary of State Jim Baker and former Congressman Lee Hamilton, stated: "The United States will not be able to achieve its goals in the Middle East unless the United States deals directly with the Arab-Israeli conflict." And now, with the Annapolis Conference sponsored by the United States in December 2007, America has the chance to help bring true peace to the region. The Sharing Jerusalem 2008 campaign is seeking to support this peace initiative by helping to facilitate a year-long series of non-violent actions designed to change condtions on the ground in Isreal and Palestine in order to "Give Peace a Chance".

For those of us who live, work, and worship in the nation's capital and its surrounding communities, we have a unique opportunity to help "reshape" our foreign policy through "grass roots" support of a more pro-active American involvement in the Arab-Israeli negotiations. The Sharing Jerusalem campaign offers a visible and focused way to join with other members of the Abrahamic faith community - Christians, Jews, and Muslims - to help bring a lasting peace to the Holy Land.