Amidst another week of deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence, fifteen faith leaders representing U.S. churches and faith organizations have called on Congress to condition U.S. military aid to Israel upon Israel’s “compliance with applicable U.S. laws and policies.” These leaders--representing Baptist, Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Orthodox, Quaker and other major Christian denominations--agree that “unconditional U.S. military assistance to Israel has contributed to...sustaining the conflict and undermining the long-term security interests of both Israelis and Palestinians.” FCNL and AFSC both signed on to this landmark statement.

Just over a year ago, protesters took over Zucotti Park in New York, seeking to change the behavior of a Wall Street elite that doesn’t seem to count the well-being of the 99% among their priorities. This Sunday FCNL is hosting an opportunity to hear from Robert Levering, who is working with companies who are occupying Wall Street "from the inside”—seeking to make our society more just and equal by treating their employees better.

Did you know that Texas is home to the most important congressional district for the peaceful prevention of deadly conflict? Congresswoman Kay Granger represents Fort Worth, Texas and serves as chair of the subcommittee that is in charge of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development’s budget. Over the past two years, funding for diplomacy, development, and international cooperation has been under intense scrutiny. Critics say that while the U.S. faces a staggering budget and sluggish economy, government spending on non-military foreign policy tools should be significantly reduced. As a result, funding for critical programs like the Complex Crises Fund has been slashed. In fact, the House of Representatives voted to eliminate the Complex Crises Fund for the past two years in a row.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced yesterday that the two year troop surge in Afghanistan, which brought troop levels above 100,000, is now over. Roughly 68,000 U.S. troops still remain in Afghanistan. To be sure, the U.S. war is far from over.

The final withdrawal of these surge troops comes after a tough couple months for the U.S. war strategy in Afghanistan.

Last week marked the first week back for the House and Senate after the August recess. With less than a month until the beginning of the October 1 fiscal year, Congress has their hands full, having yet to find a solution to the federal budget deficit problem. The clock is ticking as not only the fiscal year steadily approaches but also the start of a new calendar year that brings the threat of sequestration, $1.2 trillion of automatic across the board cuts to domestic and defense programs. The conversation and activity on the Hill last week centered on the looming threat of the sequester.

Two significant bills passed the House and the Obama administration released their mandated report on the sequester.

Here’s a recap.

As deadly violence continues to rock the Middle East, former U.S. military officials and national security experts warn that attacking Iran could engulf the region in a multi-year conflict and encourage Iran to pursue nuclear weapons.

That is why FCNL is helping to lead a national call-in campaign, to set senate offices a-buzz with calls in support of this report’s warnings of the costs of attacking Iran. While this report does not provide policy recommendations, it’s a vital resource for influencing policymakers who aren’t yet convinced that an attack on Iran would be disastrous for U.S. national security.

In the midst of crisis in Libya, ongoing war in Afghanistan and Iraq, and myriad outbreaks of armed conflict in Cote d’Ivoire and elsewhere, the U.S. more than topped the charts for global arms sales in 2011. According to a report released two weeks ago by the Congressional Research Service, the value of U.S. arms exports tripled from 2010 to 2011, accounting for more than three-quarters of the global market and totaling $66.3 billion. (And that's just on the part of the U.S. government – the report's numbers do not include sales authorized for private companies based in the United States.) A quick look at the top recipients of U.S. weapons demonstrates that there are few qualms in either making sales to oppressive regimes or fueling potential for violent conflict. Arms transfers to Saudi Arabia were “extraordinary,” despite significant human rights concerns including swift repression of domestic democratic movements and sending troops to do the same in Bahrain. As a recent New York Times article on U.S. arms sales notes, Saudi Arabia is only one of a few major recipients deemed “Persian gulf nations concerned about Iran’s regional ambitions.” Even as diplomacy is underway, the U.S. is directly undermining prospects for peace.

BREAKING: the U.S. is still at war in Afghanistan.

You might not realize it by listening to most candidates on the campaign trail. Last week’s Republican National Convention omitted almost any mention of the U.S. war in Afghanistan—save for Clint Eastwood calling for an immediate, complete withdrawal. In fact, as we mark the 11th anniversary of September 11, 2001, campaign rhetoric on U.S. foreign policy largely centers on the possibility of the next U.S. war—this time on Iran.

As FCNL's communications director, I usually deal more with words than numbers. But right now numbers give a good picture of what's ahead. Here are some that are particularly important to keep in mind.

57: Days before the election. Now that both parties have finished their conventions, all eyes are on November 6.

6: Days that Congress is likely to be conducting business between now and Election Day. Between congressional recesses, days when votes don't start until 6:30pm, and pressure to get back on the campaign trail, there's not a lot of time for getting the business of governing done.

1: Things that Congress has to do before it can adjourn. Congress hasn't yet passed legislation to fund the government and pay government employees after September 30.

With the election looming, few legislative days left to act, and one big task remaining, it doesn't take a crystal ball to see that members of Congress are almost certainly going to push taking action on a number of other issues into their session after the November elections--issues such as whether to extend the expiring Bush tax cuts and whether to let across-the-board budget cuts to go into effect.

Which brings me to a few more important numbers.