Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That the 76th General Convention, considering the Church's mission to promote peace for all God's people, warmly applauds the initiative of President Barack Obama and his Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, to bring stronger and more resolute American diplomatic leadership to the cause of peace between Israel and Palestine and to the Middle East; and be it further

Resolved, That the Convention acknowledge the tragic histories of the Jewish and Palestinian people as victims of injustice, wars, dispersion and exile, the existential fear and insecurity this has created for both peoples, and the distress their conflict has caused throughout the Middle East; and be it further

Resolved, That the Convention respect the profound commitment of Israelis and Palestinians to the land they regard as their homeland and their national aspirations, and call upon the U.S. Government, in keeping with American ideals of equality, justice, and human rights, to pursue a fair and balanced approach to making peace that fulfills the fundamental needs of both peoples; and be it further

Resolved, That the Convention acknowledge that peace between Israel and Palestine can be achieved only by a division of historic Palestine into two sovereign states, and that this division should be defined, more or less, by the 1949 Armistice line, with mutually agreed border adjustments; and be it further

Resolved, That the humanitarian situation in Gaza calls for the unrestricted opening of borders for both humanitarian and reconstruction resources; and be it further

Resolved, That the Convention understand and respect the religious and historic claims of both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as of Jews, Christians and Muslims, worldwide, toward the Holy City of Jerusalem and its sacred holy sites, and that a just and lasting territorial division must include a shared Jerusalem in which the State of Israel and a future State of Palestine will maintain their respective capitals; and be it further

Resolved, That the Convention recognize that the use of force, violence or arbitrary power by Israelis or Palestinians to determine the outcome of this conflict must be condemned absolutely, and that peace can be achieved only through peaceful negotiations that would lead to the emergence of a Palestinian state living side by side and at peace with Israel; and be it further

Resolved, That the Convention urge all Episcopalians to work and pray for the liberating of Israelis and Palestinians from generations of conflict, freeing the Middle East and the world from tensions wrought by this struggle, restoring harmony among Jews, Muslims and Christians worldwide for whom the Holy Land is sacred, and for creating peace based on the universal value of justice, as a compelling priority for the Church and for the United States of America.