Home About Us Principles of Cooperation Advocacy Get Involved Resources

Inspired by the Abrahamic traditions, NILI represents
Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders united for the Peace of Jerusalem

WELCOME

NILI leaders with Secretary of State Clinton, October 2010
Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders of NILI meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

ACTION ALERT — Contact the White House, Secretary of State, and members of Congress

  • In response to the Hamas-Israel War, on August 14, 2014, thirty-three American Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders, representing the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, issued a statement welcoming the ceasefire in Gaza and Israel, mourning the innocent civilians killed, offering prayers for the wounded and families of all the victims of violence, and calling urgently for renewed efforts by the United States and the international community to press for a negotiated two-state peace agreement, the only realistic resolution of the conflict in which both peoples can live in peace, security, and mutual recognition.
  • Recalling the words of President Obama in Jerusalem, “Peace in necessary…peace is also just…and peace is possible,” the leaders said, “we believe the outline of a possible two-state agreement is widely known. Ideas drawn from previous official and informal negotiations (including) the Taba Agreement (2001), the Arab Peace Initiative (2002), People’s Voice Initiative (2003), Geneva Initiative (2003), and the (unofficial) Israeli Peace Initiative (2011) provide sources for principles and practical ideas to help resolve all the issues, including borders and security, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem.
  • Send NILI’s August 2014 Statement Welcoming the Ceasefire, with the list of endorsers to the President, Secretary of State Kerry, and to your members of Congress.

What is NILI?

  • The unique contribution of the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East (NILI) is its ability to unite high level national religious leaders, representing a broad range of Jewish, Christian and Muslim national organizations, in support of a common, substantive message for peace.
  • NILI’s focus is on building support for strong U.S. leadership for a two-state solution to the conflict that brings security and recognition to Israel and establishes a viable and independent state for the Palestinians—two states living side by side in peace and security—with peace agreements between Israel and all her Arab neighbors.

What We Are Doing

  • Based upon founding principles of cooperation established in 2003, NILI consistently works to build consensus among Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders and works in a bipartisan manner with policy makers and members of Congress to build public support for peace.
  • NILI’s work complements that of other peace organizations that tend to work within one tradition or community and strengthens their efforts by persistently uniting the voices of religious leaders at the highest levels across interreligious lines.
  • See what Peter Steinfels had to say about us in The New York Times.

What You Can Do

  • Send NILI statement with list of endorsers to the President, Secretary of State, and members of Congress.
  • Share NILI’s website and Facebook page with others in your community.
  • Write a "letter to the editor" of your newspaper utilizing NILI's message.

Please feel free to copy and distribute this material, using the citation:
From The National Interreligious Initiative For Peace In The Middle East
For more information, please contact Ron Young.