Last Sunday, around 1,000 people attended a multifaith peace walk in Central London, ‘Peace in every step’. Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and others participated. One Christian walker was Sr Elizabeth O’Donohoe, a Sister of the Holy Crossand former member of the Westminster Justice and Peace Commission.
Sr Elizabeth writes: Since October 7th there have been many ways of demonstrating the desire to find a path to Peace for the Middle East: last Sunday we did it in silence.
Hot foot from morning Mass, we arrived in Trafalgar Square to find that Prayers from the Faiths represented were already being offered. In this Vigil, beautifully organised by the Buddhists of Ticht nacht han’s Plum Village and the Quakers, the Walk was preceded by short prayer contributions by each Faith, after which there was a respectful pause and the gong of the Prayer bowl.
Other than religious dress, we had all been asked not to bring any flags or slogans, but instead to wear a white flower – many had made their own or bought fresh ones.
Led by the Faith representatives, we set off in silence down Whitehall. Traffic police cleared the way for us and vehicles were very patient. There really was nothing to disturb our contemplative walk: past Downing Street, round the Cenotaph and back to the Square.
Personally, I found a mantra coming to me – in fact from the music we had sung at Mass earlier: ‘Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy, Lord. Have mercy, have mercy have mercy, Lord.’ It seemed just right for this occasion.
Nearly an hour later, we were back in the Square.
A short thank you from Rabena Harilall and Judith Baker who had worked so hard to make this all-faiths vigil become a reality, and an invitation, in a gesture of common endeavour, to share our white flower with someone nearby. As can happen on such occasions, I gave mine to someone who recognised me from 30 years ago!
This weekend, campaigners will be holding local demonstrations in more than 50 locations around the country. For details click here or visit the ICN Listings page.
Up to half a million campaigners of all faiths and beliefs, marched through London on Saturday, from the Bank along Fleet Street towards Trafalgar Square down Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament, appealing for peace in Gaza and the West Bank.
Westminster Justice and Peace joined the Christian bloc, co-ordinated by Christians For Palestine, which included banners from Pax Christi, the Church of England, Quakers, the Columbans, London Catholic Worker, Passionists, Holy Land Trust, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Anglican Pacifist Fellowship, Sisters of St, Joseph of Peace and many more. We walked next to the Jewish bloc, which included hundreds of individuals and members of Na’Amod, International Anti-Zionist Network, Jews for Palestine, Torah Jews, JVL and other Jewish peace groups.
Columban Sisters Kate Midgley and Young Mi helped carry one of the Christian banners. Sr Mi said: “The reason I joined the demo is only a little gesture to show my solidarity towards suffering Palestinians. Because what is going on in Gaza and what Palestinians have to go through at this time is a total distortion of humanity.”
Little Amal – the 3.5 metre tall puppet of a nine-year-old Syrian refugee girl, who made the 8,000 km journey from the Syrian border to Manchester, in 2021, to highlight the plight of child refugees, led the front of the march, accompanied by a group of Palestinian children.
Speaking in Parliament Square, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, accused the British government of “complicity” with Israel. He said: “I stand before you with a broken heart but not a broken spirit.” He congratulated South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel at the UN’s international court of justice.
Sinn Féin’s president, Mary Lou McDonald, told the crowd that Palestinian freedom is possible. She said: “When I say this, standing in London, in common cause with you, having walked our own journey out of conflict, building peace for 25 years, this can happen. “This must happen and we will ensure that it does.”
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn thanked South Africa for their bravery bring their case to the ICJ. He pointed out that the weapons used in the onslaught on Gaza are provided by the United States and the UK. Corbyn thanked everyone around the world and especially those campaigners in Israel who are speaking up for peace, justice and hope.
This was the seventh National March for Palestine in London organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign since October.
Protests took place in 120 cities around the world on Saturday, including Dublin, Edinburgh, Washington DC, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Rome and Milan.
On Peace Sunday, 14th January 2024, Pope Francis made a heartfelt appeal for an end to armed conflicts and a firm condemnation of war as “a crime against humanity.”
“War itself is a crime against humanity. People need peace. The world needs peace,” said the Pope at the Sunday Angelus prayer.
He also mentioned a program he had seen on an Italian TV channel just minutes before, in which the Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land had spoken. Fr Ibrahim Faltas said: “we need to learn from John the Baptist how to cry out and show the path to follow.” Jesus, he added, is “the way. He is forgiveness, justice, love, and peace.”
“If we follow Jesus, we will truly have peace and there will be no war,” said Fr Faltas.
He noted that there are over 60 ongoing wars in the world, calling the global situation “utter confusion.” “We want to live in peace,” concluded Fr Faltas. “We want to follow Jesus, so we will have peace throughout the world.”
Photo: Holy Family Church in Gaza (Mazur/CBCEW.org.uk)
Bishops of the Holy Land Coordination have issued a statement after two Christian women were killed in a sniper attack on the Holy Family Church compound in Gaza on 16th December 2023.
Holy Land Coordination Statement
The Bishops of the Holy Land Coordination were profoundly shocked and distressed at the killing by snipers on 16th December of two Christian women sheltering in the compound of the Holy Family church, Gaza. Messages were sent immediately to the Patriarch, His Eminence Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and to the Parish Priest, Fr Gabriel Romanelli.
The Holy Land Coordination has been warmly welcomed by priests and parishioners on numerous occasions. We have witnessed firsthand the faith and commitment of the few parishioners who remain; and the dedicated care by the Missionaries of Charity of some fifty profoundly disabled people who live in the convent alongside the church.
The desecration of this compound and the destruction of the Sisters’ convent, ‘signalled’, according to the Patriarch, ‘as a place of worship since before the beginning of the war’, is profoundly disturbing. The shooting in cold blood of Nahida Anton and Samar Antoun, a mother and daughter seeking to enter the convent is unfathomable.
The Holy Land Coordination bishops represent a broad sweep of countries, each bishop committed to a just peace for all and to holding the plight of Christians of the Holy Land at the forefront of their governments’ concerns. We visit the Holy Land regularly to reassure these Christians that they are not forgotten. We seek also to understand better, and at first hand, the realities experienced by the people of three Abrahamic faiths sharing this Land; to fathom the possibility of hope in a two-state solution.
The atrocities perpetrated against Israeli Jews on 7th October and the subsequent killing by the Israeli Defence Force of nearly 20,000 Gazans, of whom 70% were women and children, would appear profoundly to jeopardise the prospects of any such resolution of this deep-seated conflict. Yet, the approaching celebration of Our Saviour’s birth two thousand years ago in the heart of the West Bank should serve as an incentive to people of faith, across the globe, to call down the Holy Spirit ever more fervently to move the hearts of all who can bring influence to bear on these lands and to find a way to cease the hostilities from all sides.
Bishop Nicholas Hudson (Chair of the Holy Land Coordination) Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster England and Wales
Bishop Nicolo Anselmi Bishop of Rimini Italy
Archbishop Udo Bentz Archbishop-elect of Paderborn Germany
Bishop Pierre Burcher Bishop Emeritus of Reykjavik Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden
Bishop Christopher Chessun Anglican Bishop of Southwark Church of England
Bishop Michel Dubost Bishop Emeritus of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes France
Archbishop Richard Gagnon Archbishop of Winnipeg Canada
Bishop William Kenney Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Birmingham England and Wales
Bishop Declan Lang Bishop of Clifton England and Wales
Bishop Donal McKeown Bishop of Derry Ireland
Archbishop William Nolan Archbishop of Glasgow Scotland
Archbishop Joan Enric Vives i Sicilia Bishop of Urgell and Co-Prince of Andorra Spain
Bishop Sithembele Sipuka Bishop of Mthatha South Africa
Bishop Paul Terrio Bishop Emeritus of St Paul Canada
Since 1998, the Bishops’ Conference’s Department for International Affairs has organised the annual meeting of the Coordination of Episcopal Conferences in Support of the Church of the Holy Land.
CAFOD, Christian Aid and other humanitarian agencies and Christian church leaders from around the world have signed a joint letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP appealing for peace in Gaza. They say: “enough is enough” as Palestinian families in Gaza are being “wiped out.”
They also condemn the vitriolic “crimes of hate” against Jews and Muslims which are “straining community cohesion and interreligious efforts”.
The church leaders say: “We write as religious leaders to say enough is enough. We cannot remain silent as generations of families in Gaza are wiped out in an instant. World leaders cannot sit by while Palestinian civilians in Gaza experience such catastrophic destruction and trauma.
“The relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign with horrific indiscriminate effects and the ground invasion by Israel must end. We weep with broken hearts as we hear of hospitals, mosques, churches, and schools damaged and destroyed by this war. In Gaza, there is no safe place. There is no refuge. There is no escape.”
Since 7 October, more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. 1,200 Israelis have also been killed. During the seven-day pause last week more than 100 Israeli hostages were exchanged for 240 Palestinian detainees and some humanitarian aid delivered.
Along with church leaders and other relief agencies, CAFOD is calling on all world leaders to press for a full and permanent ceasefire to come into effect immediately. The charity says this is the only serious option to stop further loss of civilian life and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe.
See the full letter and signatories below:
Rt Hon Rishi Sunak
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No 10 Downing Street, London, SW1P 2AB
November 29, 2023
“My eyes fail from weeping,
I am in torment within;
my heart is poured out on the ground
because my people are destroyed,
because children and infants faint
in the streets of the city.”
Lamentations 2:11
Dear Prime Minister,
We have watched in horror and sadness at the devastation unfolding in Palestine and Israel since October 7th. As leaders of Christian communities throughout the world, we join in grief for the Israelis and Palestinians who are mourning loved ones who have died.
Our faith compels us to speak out. To make clear that we oppose violence, whether directed toward Israelis or Palestinians. Even the loss of one more life is one too many. International humanitarian law must be respected and adhered to by all sides.
We welcome the recent announcement about the release of dozens of hostages and a parallel prisoner exchange, in addition to the desperately needed few days of a cessation of violence. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to insist that a long-standing bilateral ceasefire comes to fruition.
We acknowledge the profound and existential grief experienced as a result of the actions of Hamas on October 7 as a tragedy for Jewish people in Israel and around the world. We weep with those who have loved ones held hostage, and we pray for their immediate release.
Like the author of Lamentations, our broken hearts weep as we hear of Palestinian babies in Gaza dying and of the thousands of children who have lost their lives. More than eleven thousand Palestinians have been killed, tens of thousands have been wounded, and 1.6 million have been displaced from their homes and communities.
It is unacceptable that millions of people are in desperate need of clean water, adequate food, fuel for electricity, and urgently needed medical supplies. Without safe drinking water and proper medical supplies, poor hygiene conditions have already led to more preventable deaths, especially among children.
We weep with broken hearts as we hear of hospitals, mosques, churches, and schools damaged and destroyed by this war. In Gaza, there is no safe place. There is no refuge. There is no escape.
The escalation of war cannot be adequately understood without acknowledging the conflict’s broader backdrop – ongoing Israeli occupation and the disenfranchisement of Palestinians for more than 70 years. Three-quarters of Palestinian residents of Gaza are refugees dating back to 1948. Before 7 October 2023 had already been on track to be the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the Second Intifada in 2000.
Under the current Israeli government, there has been a significant expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, emboldening Israeli settlers to act with impunity as they attack Palestinians and force them from their homes.
Settler violence has brutally intensified since 7th October, while there has been an increase in abuse, harassment, and discrimination of Palestinian Israeli citizens in Israel. A future where all human dignity in the region is respected looks distant if these realities are not acknowledged.
We stand up ardently against the vitriolic hatred that is being expressed around the world toward Jews, Muslims, and others because of firmly held convictions about the war. We condemn crimes of hate and uphold that all people should be able to live without fear, with security, and with equally protected human rights. We lament how this conflict is straining community cohesion and interreligious efforts.
We write as religious leaders to say enough is enough. We cannot remain silent as generations of families in Gaza are wiped out in an instant. World leaders cannot sit by while Palestinian civilians in Gaza experience such catastrophic destruction and trauma. The relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign with horrific indiscriminate effects and the ground invasion by Israel must end.
We are deeply grieved by the complicity of the United States and several other Western countries in the continued violence through efforts to actively oppose a ceasefire, including by vetoing multiple United Nations Resolutions.
Instead, we call on governments worldwide to do everything possible to secure a bilateral ceasefire, one that will stop all violence from Hamas and Israel, allow for the safe release of civilian hostages held in Gaza, and give immediate and adequate access to desperately needed humanitarian aid to be delivered, including through crossings to Israel.
Without an agreed upon end to violence from all parties – there is no path forward. We call on all governments to show support for the protection of all human life, advocating for a just and durable resolution to this crisis in which all Israelis and Palestinians might realize a vision of a just peace, illuminating human dignity, advancing security and self-determination for all.
Yours sincerely,
Christine Allen Director, CAFOD
Dr Nicola Brady General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
The Rt Rev Christopher Chessun The Lord Bishop of Southwark, Church of England
Rt Rev Michael Doe Assistant Bishop and Preacher to Gray’s Inn (London)
Anglican Diocese of Southwark Trustee The Balfour Project
Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church
John Hill Interim General Secretary, The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society
The Most Rev Dr Michael Jackson Archbishop of Dublin, Church of Ireland
Rt Rev Dr Michael Langrish Former Bishop of Exeter
Tim Livesey Chief Executive, Embrace the Middle East
Very Rev Andrew RC McLellan, CBE Former Moderator, General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Rev Gill Newton President, Conference of the Methodist Church in Britain
Paul Parker Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain
Father Timothy Radcliffe, OP Former Master of the Order of Preachers
Rev Chris Rose Director, Amos Trust
Patrick Watts Director, Christian Aid
The R. Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells Deputy Secretary General, Anglican Communion, London
Joyce Ajlouny General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate Diocese, Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
Rev David E Bennett President, Moravian Church Provincial Elders’ Conference
Rev Bronwen Boswell Acting Stated Clerk, General Assembly Presbyterian Church (USA)
Bishop Susan J Briner Southwestern Texas Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev LaMarco Antonio Cable Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ (UCC)
Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar Oregon Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Dr Mae Elise Cannon Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
The Rt. Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler Episcopal Bishop of Wyoming, Founding President of CARAVAN
Stassi Cramm President, Community of Christ
Rev Dr Rob Dalrymple Leadership Board, Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME)
Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe Diocese of Central New York, The Episcopal Church
The Rev Elizabeth A Eaton Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Pastor Ps L Elliott General Secretary, Rhema Family Churches
Bishop Paul D Erickson Greater Milwaukee Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Wesley Granberg-Michaelson General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in America (RCA)
Susan Gunn Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Andrew S Hamilton District Executive, Southeastern District Church of the Brethren
Lisa Sharon Harper President and Founder, Freedom Road
The Rev Deborah Hutterer Bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod, Evangelical Church in America (ELCA)
Bishop Richard Jaech Southwestern Washington Synod, Evangelical Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Kevin T Jones Bishop of Northeastern Iowa Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Nicolas Kazarian Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Dr Peter Makari Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ (UCC)
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Anglican Church of Southern Africa
Rev Felix Malpica Bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The Rev Lee M Miller II Bishop of the Upstate NY Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Professor Leepo Modise University of South Africa
Bridget Moix General Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Dr Lungile Mpetsheni General Secretary, The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa
Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana General Secretary, South African Council of Churches
Scott Murphy President, Community of Christ
Rev Siphiwe Ndebele Evangelical Alliance of South Africa
Rev. David M. Neuhaus, SJ Superior of Holy Land Jesuits
Rev. Amy J Odgren Northeastern Minnesota Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada
Rev Dr Tyrone S. Pitts General Secretary Emeritus/Ecumenical Office , Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc.
The Rt Rev Bavi Rivera Bishop of Eastern Oregon, The Episcopal Church
Richard L. Santos President and CEO, Church World Service (CWS)
Bishop GS Seane Central Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Africa (ELCSA)
Bishop Sithembele Sipuka Catholic Bishop of Umtata, South Africa
Andrea Smith Founding Board Member, Evangelicals4Justice
Rev Jason Smith Executive Director, BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz
Bishop Kevin L. Strickland outhwestern Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Bishop Pedro M Suarez Florida-Bahamas Synod. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Rev Adam Taylor President, Sojourners
Rev Dr Karen Georgia Thompson General Minister and President. United Church of Christ (UCC)
Rev N Tyokolwana Moravian Church, South Africa
Nikki Toyama-Szeto Executive Director. Christians for Social Action (CSA)
Rev Sandra María Van Opstal Founder, Chasing Justice
Father Thomas Zain Vicar General, Antiochian Orthodox Church
CAFOD partner in Khan Younis supports people with cash so they can buy mattresses and bedding
By Sarah Balwin
Ahead of the potential vote in Parliament on the motion calling for a ceasefire in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Neil Thorns, Director of Advocacy at CAFOD said:
“How have we got to this point? For six weeks we have seen bloodshed upon bloodshed – over 12,000 Israeli and Palestinian civilians have been killed, including several staff from our partner organisations and their families. Politicians from every political party must call for a ceasefire, now – not next week, or next month.
A humanitarian pause does not go far enough. Only a ceasefire can put an end to the killing of civilians, ensure hostages are freed and allow enough aid to meet the huge humanitarian need. Our partners have told us of the unspeakable realities of coping without enough fuel, electricity, water or food.
We cannot sit by and watch as this humanitarian catastrophe unfolds before our eyes. As Pope Francis says, “war is always a defeat”.
LINKS
Donate to CAFOD’s Israeli-Palestinian Crisis Appeal Write to the UK Foreign Secretary: HERE
Hundreds of thousands of people – of all faiths and none – took to the streets of London on Saturday to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The ‘National March for Palestine’ was the latest in a series of rallies in the capital to appeal for peace since Israel launched an air and ground offensive on Gaza following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October. 1,200 people were killed that day and more than 240 people were taken hostage. Israel’s revenge attacks and relentless bombardment have killed more than 11,000 people in 34 days, including over 4,500 children. Water, electricity, food and medical supplies have been stopped. A million people, including hospital patients have been forced to leave north Gaza on foot. Aid agencies warn the death toll will rise as starvation and disease set in.
The head of the World Health Organization told the United Nations Security Council on Friday that Israel’s bombing and siege are already killing one child on average every 10 minutes in Gaza.
Campaigners in Saturday’s march walked peacefully from Hyde Park to the US Embassy across the river Thames in Nine Elms, chanting phrases like “Ceasefire Now”, “In our millions, in our millions we are all Palestinians” and “Free Free Palestine.”
Marching alongside trade unionists, individuals, Buddhist monks, Muslim and Jewish campaigners – often families with children and toddlers in pushchairs – were Catholic, Anglican and Methodist clergy, representatives from Pax Christi, Romero Trust, CAFOD, United Reform Church, Quakers, Methodists, Lutherans and other churches.
One sign read: ‘You can’t build a Holy Land on the mass graves of children’.
Rev Rachel Summers a trainee Anglican priest said: “21 years ago I went to visit Gaza. When I came back I was saying to everyone I met – How are people managing to keep their humanity? These are intolerable conditions. How are people surviving? Peace isn’t an airy fairy idea where people sit around doing nothing. Peace is something that takes strength and courage, and that seems to be what I’m hearing here.”
One Pax Christi placard quoted Pope Francis: “And we ask peace for this world subjected to arms dealers, who profit from the good of men and women.”
A Catholic priest told ICN: “Several of my parishioners are here. We all felt it’s the least we can do. A tragedy is unfolding in the Holy Land. What is happening there is nothing less than ethnic cleansing – another Nakba. I hope and pray it can be stopped.”
London authorities estimate that around 300,000 people took part in the march. Organizers said turnout was as high as one million.
The march went ahead despite criticism from Home Secretary Suella Braverman who described the demonstrations as “hate marches” and suggested earlier in the week that the protest should have been banned by London police given that it coincided with Armistice Day.
British Army veteran and march participant Nadia Mitchell wrote for OpenDemocracy: “Personally, I cannot think of a more appropriate day to demand a ceasefire than on the day we remember the mother of all ceasefires, to remember and honour those who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of peace and an end to war.”
Addressing the rally, actress Maxine Peake said: ” This is not a hate march. This is a cry for love, this is a cry for peace, this is a cry for ceasefire”.
The police said no major incidents took place on the peace march – which had been carefully routed to take place more than a mile away from the Cenotaph where the Remembrance Day ceremony was held, and not begin until more than an hour after it had finished. Hundreds of volunteer stewards ensured people didn’t stray from the designated route.
In stark contrast there were major clashes in Whitehall when a small group of rowdy men, led by the far-right figure Tommy Robinson, attacked police by the Cenotaph while the Remembrance service was taking place.
Matt Twist, assistant commissioner at the Met, says 126 people have been arrested so far. He said when they were stopped and searched, weapons including a knife, a baton and knuckleduster and class A drugs were found. “Thanks to the considerable efforts of our officers, who put themselves in harm’s way, nobody was able to reach the Cenotaph, which was protected at all times,” he said.
Twist added that nine police officers had been injured with two requiring hospital treatment. Clashes with the group also took place in other parts of the city, including Chinatown and near the Houses of Parliament.
The march was organised by Stop the War, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and other peace groups.
More than 8,000 people, including over 3,000 children, have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched their relentless bombing campaign in response to the brutal attack by Hamas inside Israel, which claimed the lives of around 1,400 people on 7 October.
This morning Cardinal Vincent Nicholas issued a new call for prayers and appealed for a ceasefire. He also warned against the avoidance of any “hateful language” as the crisis affects communities here.
The Cardinal told ICN: “Weeks into the terrible conflict in Israel and Gaza, I urge Catholics to sustain their prayers for peace. I echo Pope Francis’ appeal for a ceasefire, as a hope not to be abandoned, as an end to all violence in Israel and Palestine.
“The horrific atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel warrant every condemnation. We continue to hold in our prayers those who were killed, the injured, those held hostage, their families and communities.
“The situation facing the millions of civilians in Gaza also calls for effective humanitarian relief. We pray too for those killed, injured and displaced there.
“At home I appeal for restraint and the total avoidance of hateful language and action, as the impact of this conflict is felt in communities here.”
“Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”
As the death toll in Gaza, from Israel’s ongoing bombardment, has reached over 5,000, including more than 2,000 children – with more than half the population have been displaced from their homes and a dramatic increase in evictions and killings of Palestinians in the West Bank – the Network of Christian Peace Organisations has written to Foreign Secretary James Cleverly MP condemning the attacks by Hamas on civilians in Israel but urging the UK government to use its influence to de-escalate the violence.
They write:
Dear Foreign Secretary,
We write to you in response to the outbreak of violence in Israel and Palestine. We urge the UK Government to use its influence to help create space for de-escalation and meaningful dialogue in the coming days and weeks, to urgently avert a deepening humanitarian crisis and military conflict that could cost many more lives than have already been tragically lost.
Indiscriminate attacks on civilians violate international humanitarian law. We condemn the Hamas attacks on civilians and the taking of civilian hostages. We also condemn the response of the Israeli Government in bombing of Gaza and targeting of the civilian population. The increased restrictions and complete cutting off of water, electricity, food and fuel constitute collective punishment and will create an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exceeding that which already exists as a result of the 16-year blockade.
We are deeply saddened by the continued violence in the region and urge you work for dialogue and de-escalation. We ask you to support measures for the immediate protection of civilians including a ceasefire, adherence by all parties to international law, and the UN’s call for humanitarian corridors.
Long held concerns about land, peace and security have not been prioritised by the international community. The only way to break the cycle of violence and build a lasting peace is to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza and create conditions of justice, equality and peace for all Israelis and Palestinians.
As people of faith, we stand against the Islamophobia and antisemitism many individuals in this country may face as a result of violence in the Middle East. We will do what we can to de-escalate these tensions.
We ask you to avoid supporting polarised arguments and apportioning blame. We ask you to support measures that do not rely on military security but instead build a lasting peace based on justice and equality for all.
Yours sincerely
Ann Farr, Chair, Pax Christi England and Wales
Sue Claydon, Chair, Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
Rev Dr Barbara Glasson, President Methodist Peace Fellowship
Pax Christi has sent the following message:Following our online prayer event on Wednesday and the ‘No Faith in War Day’ protests at the entrance to the ExCeL Centre in London yesterday, we are committing ourselves to praying this prayer daily until Saturday 16th September when the Fair has closed and all those exhibiting will be packing up. We’d love you to join us.
Disarm our hearts, God of Peace; Help us to renounce the fear that takes the form of weapons. Help us to choose the fierce love that moves your human family to dialogue, not destruction.
Disarm our hearts, God of Peace Our children are fragile, as is our Earth. Give us the wisdom to cherish these gifts By voicing our support for a world free of weapons.
Disarm our hearts God of Peace; Help us to embrace your wisdom and your will Challenge us to choose life, solidarity and hope.
Disarm our hearts, God of Peace Give us a voice that is heard for those who have no voice and are not heard For those who know there is no tomorrow in war For those who know that the violence of weapons destroys the beauty of creation and the joy of life.
God of Peace We pray for authentic and lasting peace We pray for the will to bring this about so we may be called peacemakers, the children of God. In your name we pray for an end to arms fairs, the arms trade and the weapons of war
Amen
“It’s our responsibility to help eradicate hatred & violence from human hearts. Let’s encourage arms to be set aside, that there be a reduction in military spending so that humanitarian needs can be provided for & so that instruments of death be turned into instruments of life.”
As the UK once again prepares to host the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair, the Department for International Affairs of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has released a statement saying the sale of weapons for profit causes “grave harm” to humanity.
The biannual DSEI Arms fair takes place 12-15 September, bringing together governments and military delegations from across the world with more than 1,500 companies selling guns, bombs, and other weaponry.
Full statement:
Pope Francis reminds us that while it may sometimes be legitimate to provide military assistance for countries to defend themselves against aggression, promoting the sale of weapons for profit is immoral and inflicts grave harm upon our human family.
Through hosting one of the world’s largest arms fairs, our country is complicit in fuelling conflicts around the world which destroy lives, drive people from their homes, trap communities in poverty, and damage the environment.
We once again send our prayers and best wishes to all those who, inspired by Christ’s call to be peacemakers, are opposing the arms fair.
Bishop Declan Lang Chair – Catholic Bishops’ Conference Department for International Affairs
Bishop Nicholas Hudson Catholic Bishops’ Conference Department for International Affairs
Diocese of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission 