Press Release

Washington, D.C. - November 9, 2023

Media Contact:
media@cmep.org
202-543-1222

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR VIRTUAL PRESS BRIEFING NOVEMBER 13, 2023 1:30PM EST
IMPLICATIONS OF ARMING THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT

WHAT:  As casualties mount in Israel-Palestine and the U.S. Congress considers a $14 billion request for additional weapons for Israel, at least one U.S. official has resigned and leading human rights organizations are calling for a halt to arms transfers into the conflict, at times focused on specific weapons systems. Faith groups are also pressing for a change in the U.S. approach. This press briefing is meant to give interested media an update on findings on how weapons are being used in the conflict and the reasons behind these calls. We anticipate that some groups may have new data to share during this briefing. This briefing is for media only.

WHEN: Monday, November 13th at 1:30PM EST 

WHERE:  Virtual event, please email info@forumarmstrade.org to receive Zoom details

WHO: 
Josh Paul - former Director, State Department Office of Congressional and Public Affairs
Sarah Yager - Washington Director, Human Rights Watch 
Amanda Klasing - National Director of Government Relations and Advocacy, Amnesty International USA 
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace 

NOTE: This event is on the record and a recording will be made available afterwards for media who attend. It is organized by the Forum on the Arms Trade, which provides a platform for expert views but does not itself take positions. Comments may be attributed to the speakers and, unless otherwise indicated, do not necessarily indicate endorsement of comments by other speakers.

Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. CMEP works to mobilize US Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.

Recent CMEP Statements:

November 3, 2023: Ceasefire Now! Biden Administration’s Response Inadequate to Catastrophe in Gaza The devastating October 7 murder of nearly 1,400 Israelis and internationals by Hamas does not justify the displacement of 1.5 million people, more than sixty percent of the population, in Gaza – many of whom are refugees already; the indiscriminate impact upon civilians by large-scale bombing; the destruction of hospitals, churches, cultural centers, and other infrastructure. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the death toll in Gaza as of November 2 is 9,061, more than 60 percent of whom are women and children. The total number of Palestinian children killed totals 3,760. The mass slaughter of civilians by any party to the conflict is unacceptable and must stop. The lives of all people, be they Israelis or Palestinians, must be protected.

November 1, 2023: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Co-Sponsors: Catholic Pray-in at the White House Calls for President Biden to Support Israel-Hamas Ceasefire. Washington, DC – On Thursday, November 2 at 12:30 PM, Catholic and other Christian peacemakers will conduct a “pray-in” near Lafayette Park outside the White House to call on President Joe Biden, a Catholic, to abide by Jesus’s way of courageous love and heed Pope Francis’s plea to take the side of peace, and urge all parties to de-escalate hostilities; abide by an immediate ceasefire; and release all hostages.

October 26, 2023: End the War Now: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Fears Catastrophic Deaths of Civilians in Gaza. The war in Israel and Palestine must be brought to an end. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) calls for an immediate ceasefire, an end to all violence, and a rapid and substantial increase in the delivery of lifesaving aid to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of people in Gaza. CMEP calls on Hamas to release all hostages and do no harm to those still remaining. CMEP also calls on the international community and the United States to stop supporting further militarization and pursue every alternative means to protect all Israeli and Palestinian civilians. 

See all of our public statements by clicking here.