FAIR WITNESS PLANS FACT-FINDING MISSION TO ISRAEL

Contact:
Sr.Ruth Lautt, O.P., Esq.
(516) 870-0335 Ext. 3
(Jericho, New York) August 8, 2006 –

Representatives from Christians for Fair Witness on the Middle East (“Fair Witness”), will be traveling to Israel during the third week of August. The goals of the trip, according to Sister Ruth Lautt, O.P., the group’s National Director, include  being with their friends, the residents of the Holy Land, during this time of crisis.
   
“We also want to affirm Israel’s right to self-defense,” Sr. Lautt said, “which is no different from that of any other sovereign nation.”
   
The group intends to learn more about the situation through meetings with both Christian and Israeli religious and political leaders.  The group also intends to seek assurance from first-hand sources that Israel has and will continue to make the maximum effort to avoid collateral damage and loss of innocent life and learn what specific efforts have been undertaken in that regard as Israel pursues its legitimate military goals of defending itself and dismantling the Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure.    
   
Another primary goal of the trip is to draw attention to the innocent suffering caused by the war and to encourage churches worldwide to increase humanitarian efforts to help innocent victims on both sides of the conflict.
   
“We pray that this war ends soon, and that a just peace can finally become a reality in this land called Holy by so many,” said Fr. James Loughran, S.A., Fair Witness Executive Committee member.