Dear Friends: Pima Monthly Meeting approved the following minute on December 10, 2023.
Pima Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends expresses condolences to those who are grieving and suffering due to the escalation of violence in the Levant. To its root, violence is unjust.
We urge all people, including those who hold political power, to set aside violence and aggression and to seek humane and compassionate ways of resolving conflict. We urge all to find a common humanity that respects everyone, regardless of ethnicity or religion.
Pima Monthly Meeting encourages honest discernment of this ongoing humanitarian crisis with faith in the Spirit of Truth that may lead toward compassion and respect for all. We honor the principle that peace should always be the goal and the way, and we support those already working on this path.
In this spirit, we ask and pray for an end to hostilities in this region and for safe delivery of increased supply of food, water, fuel and medical necessities to those in need. May we feel and know peace in our time.
– Lisa Grenier and David Wolf, Presiding Co-clerks, Pima Monthly Meeting (IMYM)
Dear Friends: During our Meeting for Worship for Business on Sunday, December 9, 2023, Bellingham Friends found unity to sign onto a petition circulated by Whatcom Families for Justice, an interfaith group calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, a restoration of humanitarian aid, and the return of hostages and prisoners to their families.
At the Bellingham City Council meeting the next night, the council indeed approved such a resolution, noting that “the City of Bellingham believes in and advocates for the self-determination of all people, regardless of religion, races, or nationality ... affirms that all human life is precious ... [and] condemns racism in any form.” The resolution also notes that “the United States Government holds immense diplomatic power to engage all parties directly involved in this conflict to end the current violence, address the root causes of this crisis and develop solutions that create a clear pathway to peace and justice.”
– Heather Katahdin and Virginia H Herrick, Bellingham Friends Meeting (NPYM)
Dear Friends: Moved by the great suffering sustained by the people of Palestine and Israel, and guided by the words of organizations that are united in the pursuit of peace and justice, we, the members of Santa Barbara Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, urge our lawmakers to: endorse a ceasefire, de-escalation, and respect for international law against targeting civilians; protect civilian lives, including hostages; provide humanitarian aid wherever needed; and resolve the root causes of the longstanding regional dispute.
Adhering to our three-hundred-year-old peace testimony, we protest the use of our tax dollars for these military expenditures.
– Kate Connell, Presiding Clerk, Santa Barbara Friends Meeting (PacYM)
Dear Friends: San Diego Friends Meeting adopted the following minute on December 10, 2023.
Friends feel a responsibility to act on the immense suffering in Gaza, as well as the ongoing violence in the West Bank. All the peoples of Israel and Palestine deserve to live in peace. We condemn the violence on October 7. We oppose the bombing and the invasion that has followed. We join a wide range of organizations in calling on all parties involved to agree to a ceasefire.
We seek a robust and nuanced discussion among all those who work for peace. We urge people of all faiths and backgrounds to put human rights and human dignity ahead of ideological or political objectives.
Regardless of how we interpret the past, we all must recognize and work toward a shared future. Peace will only come when people learn to live together. This is true not only for the peoples of Israel and Palestine but for people in every part of our world.
We also urge Friends to act in their own communities, to support constructive dialogue. The conflict in Israel and Palestine will not be resolved by people outside of the region, but the international community does have a role. We must all urge our own countries to limit the flow of arms to the region. We must share responsibility for supporting peace and human rights, along with equitable economic development for all peoples.
We urge Friends to read the joint statement from several Quaker organizations on the ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. See: http://tinyurl.com/Quaker-orgs-re-Gaza
We also recommend that Friends support humanitarian organizations working in the region.
– George Gastil, Clerk, San Diego Friends Meeting (PacYM)