On 26 October 2007, several evangelical leaders met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to affirm her leadership in working diligently for a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine—a policy supported by the Israeli, Palestinian, and American governments. Secretary Rice, who made clear the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, also made emphasized that a strategic window of opportunity for peace currently exists, supported by both Palestinian and Israeli sides of the issue. In a wide-ranging discussion, the evangelical leaders stressed that it is critical for evangelicals to be a voice for peace and justice in the Holy Land by supporting the two-state solution. The evangelical leaders present included Joel Hunter, John Jenkins, David Neff, Bob Roberts, Chris Seiple, and Ron Sider.

The meeting with Secretary Rice occurred within the context of a letter sent on 27 July 2007 from 34 prominent evangelicals to President Bush, supporting his recent efforts to seek a two-state solution. The letter encouraged President Bush to support both Israelis and Palestinians to make the necessary compromises for a just and peaceful solution. For more background on this new movement aimed to correct widespread views that all evangelicals are opposed to a two-state solution, please click here to view a CNN report. For more background information on Secretary Rice’s commitment to furthering the Middle East peace process, please visit the State Department’s webpage on Middle East Peace.

To read attendee perspectives on the visit, please visit:

Please direct all questions to IGE’s Press Officer, Amy McDowell /703.527.3100.