We take this position on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict because we see that the resolution of many conflicts, including the "war on terror" undertaken by our own country and various conflicts in the Middle East, requires movement toward peace in Palestine and Israel. We also accept responsibility as Americans to work toward a just and sustainable peace because the United States has played and continues to play a major role in the region with considerable power to influence events and the states involved. The United States has been the major supporter of Israel, even while it has brokered peace treaties between Israel, Egypt and Jordan, and has supplied those countries with billions of dollars of military and financial aid annually. In a conflict where consensus is rare, it is widely agreed that the United States holds unique power to influence events and bring both sides to the peace table.
With these considerations in mind, we believe that the following six elements could form the basis of a just and sustainable peace in Palestine and Israel, and we pledge to work for their advancement. We do not see ourselves as instructing either side on the content of a full and complete resolution. That is not our task. Our work involves supporting those Palestinians and Israelis who are working for peace through non-violent means; educating our local community and ourselves about the nature of the conflict and the potential means for resolving it; and encouraging our elected representatives and our government to develop and maintain a policy consistent with these elements.