July 20, 2006
By David Coplon

The United States immediately should pursue substantive diplomatic efforts, in concert with the international community, to intervene in the Mideast crisis in order to achieve a ceasefire and the release of Israeli soldiers.

With the U.S. on the sidelines, the ferocious cycle of violence in the region has escalated rapidly over the past weeks, including the kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers, the subsequent Israeli military actions in Gaza and Lebanon that have caused significant loss of civilian lives and damage to infrastructure, and the hundreds of Hezbollah/Hamas rocket attacks that have led to additional loss of lives and destruction in the western Negev and northern Israel.

A ceasefire now would prevent further escalation of violence and the widening of this crisis into an all out regional war.

A ceasefire now would facilitate the return of kidnapped Israeli soldiers.

A ceasefire now would prevent further loss of innocent lives in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon.

Continuation of violence will destabilize the Lebanese and Palestinian governments and only increase support for extremism in the entire Islamic world.

The history of the region demonstrates that military solutions will not solve the underlying conflicts. Such actions have failed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and in 1982 in Lebanon.

Contact President Bush and Congress and urge substantive U.S. diplomatic intervention now!