Washington D.C., Feb 5, 2020 / 14:01 pm
After US president Donald Trump and Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu last month proposed a two-state peace plan for Israel and Palestine, the bishops of the United States are encouraging Israel and Palestine to "negotiate directly" with each other and agree on a common resolution for peace.
"Intrinsic to a fruitful discussion is the necessity that each state recognizes and supports the legitimacy of each other," Bishop David Malloy of Rockford, chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, said in a Feb. 3 letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
"The United States and all other interested parties who offer their counsel and aid must do so as contributors to strengthen bilateral agreement between the two principal entities."
Trump and Netanyahu unveiled their plan Jan. 28, which includes an independent Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem.