US Conference of Catholic Bishops - Middle East

On July 20, 2006, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a letter to the US Congress condemning the cycle of violence in the Middle East.

In the letter they condemn the violent and provacative actions of Hezbollah and Hamas, and clearly state that Israel has a right to defend itself. However, they also condemn Israel's disproportionate and indiscriminate bombing, which has killed so many civilians - many of them children - and undermines the work of those who seek a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This comes after many pleas by Pope Benedict XVI for an immediate cease fire in the region. Pleas that have not only gone unheaded, but mostly unreported in our main stream media. The Pope recently issued a day of prayer for July 23, 2006, specifically for peace in the middle east, and calling for a cease-fire in the region which would allow humanitarian aid corridors to reach the suffering populations.

The US bishops call on the United States to take the lead in ending the cycle of violence, beginning with an immediate cease fire. "Immediate!" As the Pope himself has repeatedly stressed. Will this administration listen?

Is anyone?