Bipartisan Peace Agreement Hopes to Resolve Middle East Conflict

Middle East scholar David Hulme explores how identity, ideology and other moral issues in society fuel the Middle East conflict.

Pasadena, CA (PRWeb) February 1, 2007 -- In an attempt to resolve conflicts in the Middle East a delegation of Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday January 29 at the State Department with the goal of providing support for positive American engagement toward a bipartisan Israel-Palestine peace deal (http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_070129isrpal.shtml). Ironically, author David Hulme's original work about conflicts in the Middle East illuminates Jerusalem as an identity symbol, explaining why it is so difficult to find a solution to the contested city of Jerusalem.

In a press briefing following the meeting, Theodore McCarrick noted that the meeting was "substansive and excellent" with honest dialogue over the best way forward."

Originally the faith leaders had asked for a meeting with Secretary Rice in a letter that recognized her "personal commitment to the creation of a viable, independent, and democratic Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel, with security and peace for both peoples."

Author and Vision.org's (http://vision.org/visionmedia/page.aspx?id=1612) publisher David Hulme has spent years searching for a resolution to the final-status issue of Jerusalem. In his recent book entitled Identity, Ideology, and the Future of Jerusalem, Hulme explores the lives of fourteen key Palestinian and Jewish leaders. Though initially intended to be an important resource for scholars and students interested in the Arab-Israeli conflict, peace studies, and political psychology, many people interested in final resolution towards peace in the Middle East are finding the book of extreme importance.

"Whether it's Hezbollah, Hamas, the PLO or Israel, none of the immediate parties will achieve lasting and sustainable peace without recognition of an unavoidable truth: identity and ideology matter to everyone," said Hulme.

He also recently talked about the Middle East conflict in his blog (http://blog.vision.org/), stating "Indeed, a resolution of the Jerusalem question could only improve the economic outlook for the city, East and West, considering the influx of international funding that peace would bring, to say nothing of the boom in tourism that would also ensue."

By scrutinizing the roles of identity and ideology, other scholars including George Washington University's James N Rosenau said, "While those problems will have to be solved in the political arena, a reading of this book clarifies the potential for resolution. It is a magisterial work, one that will surely serve as a reference for years to come. "

Hulme's Vision.org (http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/default.aspx) Foundation will contribute a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Identity, Ideology, and the Future of Jerusalem to intercommunal peace efforts in Israel and Palestine.

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