MoveOn Moves On to Middle East Peace..

From: Ricken Patel - Avaaz.org [mailto:avaaz@avaaz.org]
Sent: 14 February 2007 08:02
To: angela@icahd.org
Subject: 7 years on, a real chance


Dear friends,

It will soon be seven long and devastating years since the top Israeli, Palestinian, and international leaders sat down together to talk peace. But this week that tide could turn - on Monday, President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert will meet briefly with US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice in Jerusalem.

We cannot afford to let Monday's summit lead nowhere. This may be our best chance in years at peace, but only if the players agree to meaningful negotiations. We have to show them the world is watching. Click below to sign our petition calling for full Middle East peace talks -- your message will be delivered to summit leaders and published in leading Israeli and Palestinian newspapers on Monday:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/real_middle_east_talks/av.php

Our ad will include the number of signatures and the number of countries from which they've come. The more signatures there are, the louder our voice will be. Can you sign, tell your friends and family, and help us get to 100,000 signatures from 150 countries by Monday? Our petition will also be delivered to the "Quartet" powers (the UN, US, European Union and Russia) meeting in another MidEast summit next Wednesday:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/real_middle_east_talks/av.php

It's time for the international community to step up on this issue. We can't afford another seven years of bloodshed and war in the Middle East. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict sits at the heart of regional instability, and tensions in the Middle East threaten our security around the world.

All the pieces for a renewed peace process are falling into place. The Palestinians have decided to share power, end internal conflict and restart peace talks; the vast majority of Israelis stand ready to support a viable accord. The international community must help cross the next hurdle by bringing all parties to the table.

Billions of us around the world want this conflict solved. That's just one of the things we have in common. Let's join across cultures and borders to call for real Middle East talks today. Add your voice and tell your friends – together we will make a difference:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/real_middle_east_talks/av.php

With hope,

Ricken, David, Iain, Andrea, Jeremy, Rachel, Tom, Hannah, Paul, Lee-Sean, Galit, Graziela, Nicole and the whole Avaaz team

________________

PS - In our first four weeks Avaaz has made tremendous progress, with over 100,000 new members, and press coverage in major newspapers in Germany, Mexico, the US, the UK, France, Colombia and many other countries. Our climate change campaign has run a TV ad on three continents, and 92,000 Avaaz members participated in a global virtual march for peace on Washington DC. The new site is up in 10 languages and has the climate change ad and pictures from the March in Washington, so after you sign the Middle East peace talks petition, check out our site!