WASHINGTON—In a letter issued yesterday congratulating
Secretary Rex Tillerson on his confirmation as Secretary of State, Bishop Oscar
Cantú, chair of the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), called on the Secretary to work for
peace in Israel and Palestine.

Bishop Cantú, who recently participated in a solidarity visit
to Israel and Palestine, enclosed a joint communiqué by bishops from Europe,
Canada, South Africa and the United States. The bishop notes that “2017 marks
the fiftieth anniversary of a crippling occupation of the West Bank, East
Jerusalem and Gaza, crippling for both peoples.” Quoting the joint communiqué of the bishops,
he goes on to state that “[t]he occupation violates ‘the human dignity of both
Palestinians and Israelis.’ Settlement
expansion on occupied Palestinian lands undermines a two-state solution,
destroying the homes and the livelihoods of Palestinians as well as the
long-term security and future of Israelis.”

Decrying “egregious injustices and random acts of violence,” Bishop
Cantú expressed the opposition of U.S. and international bishops to Israeli
settlement expansion and confiscation of Palestinian lands. In addition, he
implored the Secretary to maintain the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv. He wrote, “Moving the embassy
to Jerusalem would erode the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution, and is a
threat to pursuing peace and ending conflict. Its impact would incite and
destabilize the area, compromising U.S. security. As Pope Francis declares,
‘the two-state solution must become a reality and not merely a dream.'”

Bishop
Cantú called on Secretary Tillerson to
work “to end fifty years of occupation and build a brighter future for both
Israelis and Palestinians.” He concluded, “[T]he United States has always
provided leadership and support to the peace process. We continue to profess
hope for a diplomatic solution that respects the human dignity for both
Israelis and Palestinians and advances justice and peace for all.”

The
full text of the bishops’ joint communiqué and
Bishop Cantú’s letter to Secretary Rex Tillerson are available online at www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/global-issues/middle-east/israel-palestine/letter-to-secretary-tillerson-from-bishop-cantu-on-israel-palestine-2017-02-01.cfm.

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,
USCCB, Bishop Oscar Cantú, Committee on International Justice and Peace, Rex
Tillerson, Secretary of State, Israel, Palestine, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza,
peace, Pope Francis

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Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops