Middle East Peace Initiative

We do this by increasing awareness of tense stand-offs in the Middle East as well as simmering pots of strife where actions for peace are clearly necessary. We also support many excellent organizations dedicated to peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance in this trouble-plagued region.

Current Trouble Spots

In Lebanon — There are currently 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. As the Palestinian refugee camps have shown us, these bare-existence camps are not only painful hardships for the refugees, they are breeding grounds for angry young men who then feel driven to violence as their only way out. Lebanon is suffering from many disasters and has no resources to make these people’s lives better. Repatriation is urgently needed to places where these refugees can begin their lives again. Before violence occurs.

In Iran — The current nuclear development activities in Iran are seen as a worldwide military threat. So the ongoing negotiations are a clear peace initiative. But the problems in Iran are deeper than that. The sanctions imposed on this country are having a painful impact on the people who live there. This has resulted in angry protests, making the prospects for instability a growing concern.

In Israel — The Palestinian situation in Israel is well known, but what to do about it has been an ongoing thorn in the side of all involved. Negotiations continue in fits and starts. Many countries and non-government organizations continue to be involved. Yet the solution and outcome remain undecided.

In Syria — The civil war which has racked this country since 2011 seems to have no end. More than 350,000 Syrians have died in this conflict, with main opposition groups being brutally beaten down by national leaders with Russian support. In some ways this may have been a training ground for later Russian attacks in Ukraine. Given the death count, the lack of success in peacekeeping here is notable.

In Jordan — Refugees from Syria now number 1.3 million and are a tremendous burden on this country. Most of them have no jobs to pay for their living, contributing to Jordan’s 25% unemployment rate in 2021, with that number soaring to 50% among young people of working age.

In Iraq — The divisions and conflicts in Iraq which became apparent during and after the fall of Saddam Hussein have never gone away. The people involved have shifted alliances and the names of their groups but have continued their struggles. In 2022 the Shi’a group led by Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the protected Green Zone and overran parliament to make their demands known. This remains a country on the brink of war, and deeply in need of a peaceful way forward.