{"id":22876,"date":"2023-10-12T19:23:55","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T19:23:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/?p=22876"},"modified":"2023-10-18T20:01:22","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T20:01:22","slug":"church-of-the-brethren-signs-letter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/news\/2023\/church-of-the-brethren-signs-letter\/","title":{"rendered":"Church of the Brethren and the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy join ecumenical and interfaith calls for ceasefire in Israel and Palestine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The denomination\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full text of the Oct. 12 letter to Congress from denominations and church-based organizations (list of signers may be incomplete):<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

October 12th, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Members of Congress,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We unequivocally condemn Hamas\u2019 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Publicly call for ceasefire, de-escalation and restraint by all sides<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Call on all parties to abide by the laws of war, including the Geneva conventions and customary international law<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. 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.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We are grateful for your service to this country. We pray for wisdom and discernment on your behalf in the days ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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 \u2013 General Board of Church and Society
    United Women in Faith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Full text of the Oct. 16 interfaith letter to the Biden administration and Congress (list of signers may be incomplete):<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    October 16th, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1) Publicly call for a ceasefire to prevent the further loss of life;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3) Urge all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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 \u201cdevastating humanitarian consequences.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sincerely,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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