The Church of the Brethren has joined more than 20 Christian churches and other faith-based and peace and justice groups in sending a letter to the US Congress, dated Oct. 12, mourning the loss of life in Israel and Palestine and calling for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages.
The denomination’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy signed an interfaith letter to the Biden administration and Congress, dated Oct. 16, also calling for a ceasefire. The interfaith statement was led by prominent Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Arab-American groups, and condemns all violence against civilians by Hamas and the Israeli military.
Full text of the Oct. 12 letter to Congress from denominations and church-based organizations (list of signers may be incomplete):
October 12th, 2023
Dear Members of Congress,
We have watched in sadness the devastating loss of life in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories over the last several days. As Church based denominations and organizations with deep ties to the Holy Land, we mourn with our Israeli and Palestinian siblings as they grieve the loss of loved ones and remain fearful of continued violence. Our commitment remains to a future in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace, with security and human rights protected for all.
We unequivocally condemn Hamas’ attacks and violent treatment of civilians and call for the immediate release of all hostages in captivity. We also condemn the indiscriminate and violent Israeli response that has already claimed hundreds of civilian lives. The Israeli government’s decision to shut off power, water, and fuel will have a disastrous impact on millions of civilians in Gaza, including over a million children, especially those who need immediate medical attention.
At this critical time it is incumbent upon Congress to act in ways that will help de-escalate the violence and stop further loss of life. Specifically, we call on Congress to:
- Publicly call for ceasefire, de-escalation and restraint by all sides
- Call on all parties to abide by the laws of war, including the Geneva conventions and customary international law
- Prioritize steps to secure immediate release of hostages and ensure international protection for civilians During this time of heightened tension, we implore Congress to refrain from steps that only exacerbate the violence and increase the risk of expanding war into the broader region. Any Congressional effort that is one-sided, and rushes to send new weapons to Israel, will only intensify the conflict leading to further deaths and destruction. Congress must work to prevent the spread of more violence, including against Palestinian civilians in Israel and the West Bank.
Year after year, we have seen that increasing violence begets more violence. Our past responses have failed to end the bloodshed. As these horrific events unfold, we are reminded once again that only by addressing core systemic issues, including decades of institutionalized oppression and collective punishment of Palestinians through brutal military occupation and a 16-year Gaza blockade, will Israelis and Palestinians live in peace.
We are grateful for your service to this country. We pray for wisdom and discernment on your behalf in the days ahead.
Sincerely,
Alliance of Baptists
American Baptist Churches USA
American Friends Service Committee
Churches for Middle East Peace
Church of the Brethren
Community of Christ
Church World Service
Evangelicals4Justice
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Fellowship of Reconciliation USA
Franciscan Action Network
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention
Maryknoll Office for Global
Mennonite Central Committee
National Council of Churches
Pax Christi USA
Presbyterian Church USA Office of Public Witness
Quixote Center
Reformed Church in America
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Institute Leadership Team
Sojourners
The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society
United Women in Faith
Full text of the Oct. 16 interfaith letter to the Biden administration and Congress (list of signers may be incomplete):
October 16th, 2023
We, the undersigned organizations, write to express our urgent concern regarding dire and escalating violence in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory, which continues to result in significant human suffering and loss of civilian life.
We condemn all violence against civilians by Hamas and the Israeli military. In this critical moment, we believe it is imperative that U.S. policymakers take measures to immediately de-escalate the violence to prevent the further loss of civilian life. We urge Congress and the Administration to:
1) Publicly call for a ceasefire to prevent the further loss of life;
2) Prioritize the protection of all civilians, including by urgently securing the entrance of humanitarian aid into Gaza and working to secure the release of hostages; and
3) Urge all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law.
We implore Congress and the Administration to abstain from rhetoric that exacerbates violence and to unequivocally condemn all violations of international law. Over the last several days, the Israeli government has cut all food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip. On October 12, Israel issued an evacuation order for the entire northern Gaza Strip, telling residents to evacuate south of Wadi Gaza. This amounts to approximately 1.1 million people. The U.N. is calling for this order to be rescinded, warning it will have “devastating humanitarian consequences.”
We again urge Congress and the Administration to publicly call for, and help to facilitate, an immediate ceasefire to prevent the tragic loss of more innocent Palestinian and Israeli lives. Thank you for your urgent consideration.
Sincerely,
American Baptist Churches USA
American Friends Service Committee
American Muslims for Palestine
Americans for Justice in Palestine
Auburn Theological Seminary
Center for Civilians in Conflict
Center for Jewish Nonviolence
Center for Victims of Torture
Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
Churches for Middle East Peace
Common Defense
Council on Islamic-American Relations
Demand Progress
Democracy for the Arab World Now
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Freedom Forward
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
Historians for Peace and Democracy
If Not Now
Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project
International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Jewish Voice for Peace Action
Just Foreign Policy
Justice Democrats
Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Convention
MADRE
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Mennonite Central Committee U.S.
Minnesota Peace Project
MPower Change Action Fund
National Council of Churches
National Iranian American Council
Neighbors for Peace
Nonviolent Peaceforce
Pax Christi USA
Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness
Peace Action
Project on Middle East Democracy
Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
Quixote Center
ReThinking Foreign Policy
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
RootsAction
Sojourners
The Duty Legacy
The Unitarian Universalist Association
The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society
The Zomia Center
United Church of Christ
United for Peace and Justice
UNRWA USA
Women for Weapons Trade Transparency
Working Families Party
World BEYOND War
Yemen Freedom Council
Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation
Yemeni Alliance Committee
‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑
Find more Church of the Brethren news: