US bishops condemn illegal Israeli settlements in West Bank

Jerusalem today

On the eve of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visit to Israel this week, Bishop Richard E Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, called on Secretary Clinton to "reinforce strongly" the opposition of the United States to an Israeli commission that recommends legalizing all settlement outposts in the West Bank. In his 13 July letter, Bishop Pates said such a move would "undermine a two-state solution to the conflict, a secure and recognized Israel living in peace alongside a viable and independent Palestinian state."

Bishop Pates, who chairs the Committee on International Justice and Peace of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), echoed Pope Benedict XVI who, earlier this year, expressed hope for "a lasting peace which guarantees the right of the two peoples to dwell in security in sovereign states and within secure and internationally recognized borders."

Full text of the letter is available online: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/global-issues/middle-east/israel-palestine/upload/pates-letter-to-clinton-on-mepeace-2012-13-12.pdf

Source: USCCB