A Statement on the War in Israel/Palestine
On a recent pilgrimage, board member Michael Ware saw the gas cannisters that are regularly shot into Palestinian villages. (Courtesy of Michael Ware)
BPFNA~Bautistas por la Paz condemns the violence and war that has broken out in the State of Israel/Palestine. As peacemakers, we unequivocally condemn the actions of violence that have led to loss of life. We affirm the following statement of our longstanding partners at the Fellowship of Reconciliation:
The killing and maiming of civilians, whether by Hamas rockets or Israeli airstrikes, is unjustifiable, a war crime under international law. Also unjustifiable are the actions of Israel that led to this current war: decades of military occupation with no end in sight, apartheid policies, recurrent massacres, and a siege so brutal that has turned Gaza into the largest open-air prison on earth.
This year, BPFNA~Bautistas por la Paz joined Apartheid Free to call for an end to the apartheid system in the State of Israel and bring about justice for the Palestinian people. As a movement that seeks peace with justice, BPFNA~Bautistas por la Paz calls for an end to all violence and military action and urges leaders to build a just, lasting peace through long-term solutions that end the apartheid system.
If you’d like to learn how you and your faith community can join the movement for peace with justice, join us for Just Peace & the Holy Land, a conversation with the Rev. Allison Tanner. A national organizer for the Apartheid-Free Communities initiative, Allison will contextualize the Israeli apartheid system and share how how each of us can join and support this movement working together for Palestinian liberation. As able, she will also provide updates from on-the-ground Palestinian voices sharing truth as they have experienced it to help us understanding what is unfolding.
As we gather to mobilize for peace during this period of immense suffering, we unite our voices in prayer with the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center:
Holy God,
as this period of violence and bloodshed unfolds,
we pray for Your justice and mercy.
We pray for all who are suffering.
We lift up all innocent people in particular the people of Gaza,
who are vulnerable and helpless to the Israeli airstrikes.
May we remember that the recent events are connected
to the long history of the Nakba and Israeli systematic oppression
against the Palestinian people.
Lord, only a just and lasting solution will end the cycle of violence.
We call on the international community to work towards this end.
Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
