Wolf Announces New Middle East Initiative

WOLF ANNOUNCES NEW MIDDLE EAST INITIATIVE

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), who initiated the effort to create the Iraq Study Group, today announced a new initiative on the Middle East that will combine economics and faith.

Amb. Dennis Ross, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and former presidential negotiator in the Middle East, and Amb. Tony Hall, who served in Congress from 1979- 2002, will be key players in the initiative.

"We are deeply concerned that time is running out to find a peaceful solution to the issues that separate the people in the land so many call holy," Wolf said. "In the Middle East, religion plays such an important role in people's lives. If you're Jewish, you have the Western Wall. If you're Christian, you have the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. If you're Muslim, you have the Dome of the Rock. We cannot work toward peace in the Middle East without taking into account the religious roots of its people.

"The U.S. government doesn't have the capacity to deal with this reality in the lives of those who live in that region," Wolf continued. "That is why I have put together an initiative that includes the faith component. The faith component of this initiative will be led by former Congressman Tony Hall. His depth of faith and experience in building bridges between people is critical to this initiative. The economic development component will be led by Amb. Dennis Ross. Dennis is a seasoned diplomat who has maintained a significant role in shaping US involvement in the Middle East peace process for many years."

The initiative will be coordinated by the Center for the Study of the Presidency and be supported by a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Amb. David Abshire, president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency, and Hall joined Wolf in making the announcement. Wolf is the ranking Republican on the House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee and from 2001 - 2006 was the chairman of the House Science-State-Justice-Commerce Appropriations subcommittee.

Below is the full text of Wolf's remarks:

Thank you for coming today. I also want to thank and recognize Amb. David Abshire and Amb. Tony Hall for joining me today. Both will be speaking in a few minutes. I have known and worked with both David and Tony for a number of years and have great respect for them. And I can honestly say that Tony was my best friend when he was in Congress and remains so today.

Today we are here to announce the launching of a new initiative in the Middle East that will combine economics and faith. It will be coordinated by the Center for the Study of the Presidency and be supported by a grant from USAID.

We are deeply concerned that time is running out to find a peaceful solution to the issues that separate the people in the land so many call holy. In the Middle East, religion plays such an important role in people's lives. If you're Jewish, you have the Western Wall. If you're Christian, you have the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. If you're Muslim, you have the Dome of the Rock. We cannot work toward peace in the Middle East without taking into account the religious roots of its people.

The U.S. government doesn't have the capacity to deal with this reality in the lives of those who live in that region. That is why I have put together an initiative that includes the faith component. The faith component of this initiative will be led by former Congressman Tony Hall. His depth of faith and experience in building bridges between people is critical to this initiative. The economic development component will be led by Amb. Dennis Ross. Dennis is a seasoned diplomat who has maintained a significant role in shaping US involvement in the Middle East peace process for many years.

Dr. Bob Cooley, president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, recently provided me some insightful observations about the faith dynamics in the Middle East. He has worked with Palestinian Muslims, Palestinian Christians, and Israelis during his 48 years of pursuing Hebrew Studies and Syro-Palestinian Archeology. He points out that the three major religious groups in the land are "all Sons of Abraham, who share a common understood relationship that serves as a basis for living together in harmony today."

It is largely the past 50 years of failed politics that have undermined communal harmony in the region and modified the relationships between these groups. A complete copy of Dr. Cooley's remarks about the relationships between these groups is attached to my statement.

The faith dynamic in the region is critical to forming the most effective approach to the political situation. If you buy a young plant, you can't place it in the ground without tilling the soil first. The purpose of this initiative isn't to deal with boundaries, or questions of status. It is to build relationships; to prepare the soil in preparation for the diplomatic efforts of Secretary Rice and others to find a political solution for the region.

Psalm 122:6 tells us to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem." I do this every day. I believe that this initiative will bring the people of different faiths together and build bridges between them.

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