Meeting Minute

We call for an immediate ceasefire, the prompt release of all hostages and uncharged prisoners on both sides, and urgent action to relieve the tremendous suffering in Gaza. We demand that the United States no longer provide weapons that are used to kill innocent civilians indiscriminately.

Albuquerque Friends, are led by the Spirit of divine compassion to cherish peace, and to “utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fighting with outward weapons for any end or under any pretense whatever.” Declaration of Friends to Charles II, 1660

We urge members of Congress and President Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further civilian harm in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Further, we urge them to address the root causes underlying this explosion of violence.

We join with many millions across the world to call for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access, an end to the catastrophic bombing of civilian Gaza, and action to address the inequalities underlying this situation so as to create the conditions for a lasting peace.

Morningside Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) calls for a ceasefire now in Gaza and a free flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. We grieve the deaths, beginning on October 7, 2023, of approximately 1,200 Israelis and (as of this writing) an estimated 18,400 Palestinians in Gaza, an estimated 226 Palestinians in the West Bank and 104 deaths of Israeli soldiers so far.

Columbia Friends Meeting advocates for an immediate and total ceasefire in Gaza.

War is not the answer. In truth, there is no military solution to this crisis.

Nashville Friends Meeting abhors the horrific violence continuing in Israel and Palestine. As Quakers, we respect the universal sanctity and dignity of all people. We urge our government to call for an immediate cease-fire among all parties to allow them to enter into diplomatic negotiations to build a just and lasting peace.

We urge Congress to call for an immediate ceasefire, de-escalation, and restraint to prevent further civilian harm in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

We urgently call on all who can influence this situation to seek an immediate permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas with the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees. We urge that all diplomatic, financial, and material resources be devoted to peace rather than war.

In keeping with our peace testimony, we are horrified by the killing on all sides in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, and the larger Middle East. We support a lasting cease fire, instead of violence and revenge, as well as peaceful action by the United States and other world powers to bring about lasting peace, with justice and freedom, between Israelis and Palestinians.

We, the members of Fifteenth Street Friends Meeting urge our lawmakers and President Biden to endorse a ceasefire, protect lives, including hostages held by Hamas and civilians, provide humanitarian aid, address and resolve the root causes to the longstanding regional dispute, and speak out against both antisemitic and anti-Islamic words and actions.

We condemn the violence unleashed by Hamas and we denounce the retribution of the Israeli Defense Force on Gaza. We urge our government to call for an immediate ceasefire.

We seek and urge the creation of a world without war. We urgently call for a multilateral ceasefire as a first step toward addressing the root causes of violence.

We urge our government to call for an immediate ceasefire, immediate and adequate humanitarian aid, and negotiations for a long-term peace. As Quakers, we believe each life is sacred.

We urge our government to call for an immediate ceasefire, provide immediate and adequate humanitarian aid, and to broker negotiations for a long-term peace agreement.

We call upon our nation to work for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to save precious human life.

We members of the Duluth Superior Friends Meeting (Quakers) call publicly, strongly, and urgently to advocate for a ceasefire, restraint, and strict adherence to international laws against civilian harm in the current violence in Israel and Gaza.

We urge our elected leaders to do everything possible to de-escalate the conflict and support an immediate ceasefire.

Albuquerque Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) join with the national and international community of Friends, represented by the American Friends Service Committee, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Quaker United Nations office, Canadian Friends Service Committee, British Yearly Meeting (British Quakers), and expressed through their letter of October 17, 2023, in “calling for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access to the civilian population of Gaza.” As a faith community committed to peace and justice, we also join in their call for “action to address the underlying injustice of occupation and inequalities underlying this situation in the long term.” We note that since the release of the October 17 letter, the civilian death toll in Gaza has risen to over 9,000 persons and continues to rise by the day and hour.