Seven steps to peace

["Charles Brown" <CharlesB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Seven steps to peace

Peace Action deplores the breakdown of the peace process due to current 
provocations
and the use of violence and urges the government of Israel and the Palestinian
Authority to take all peaceful steps to end the escalating violence.

Ultimatums and threats of even greater violence are not solutions to this 
crisis, and
should be ended. We note that the vast majority of victims of this violence are
Palestinians , and that the Israel Defense Forces and police are clearly using
disproportionate force, including heavy weapons and helicopter gunships against
civilians.

We ask Prime Minister Barak to pull back all armed forces and police , and for
Chairman Arafat to make every effort to restrain armed civilians. We call for 
and
support U.N. and multilateral efforts to broker peace rather than unilateral 
actions
by the U.S.

Further, we call for the U.N. to establish an international commission to 
investigate
the causes for violence. We call upon the U.S. government to halt the sale and
delivery of weapons to Israel and other countries in the Middle East, including 
Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, as the weapons are contributing to the violence and abuse of human
rights. With sadness we note that the U.S. is the major arms merchant to Israel 
and
other countries in the Middle East. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to all 
those
families, Palestinian and Israeli alike, who are mourning personal losses. We 
call
upon the members of Peace Action to:

1) Support humanitarian relief efforts.

2) Stand alert to oppose further escalations of violence, especially in light 
of the
death of U.S. sailors off the coast of Yemen.

3) Seek common ground in our work as peace activists and oppose stereotyping of 
Arabs
and Jews.

4) Use the press, public vigils and other public activities and forums to call 
for
peacemaking rather than violence.

5) Urge the implementation of all United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

6) Express solidarity with the strong efforts of the peacemakers in both Israel 
and
Palestine and honor their courage in demonstrating against the violence.

7) Redouble efforts to have Congress pass comprehensive Arms Transfer Code of 
Conduct
legislation.

- Issued by Peace Action (U.S.)