Israel/Palestine

In historic votes Wednesday evening, 19 senators sent a strong message: U.S. complicity in the Israeli government’s catastrophic war in Gaza is unacceptable and must end!

Hassan El-Tayyab, an advocacy organiser at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker social justice group, described the upcoming vote as “historic”. He said the resolutions send a message to President Joe Biden, his successor-in-waiting Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the “status quo is unacceptable”.

On Wednesday, were thrilled to have hundreds of Friends and advocates join us as we kicked off our 2024 Quaker Public Policy Institute (QPPI).

Reflecting on our time so far together, two words stand out: inspiration and gratitude.

Yesterday, we were inspired by the courageous advocacy of hundreds of advocates who went to Capitol Hill to stand up against U.S. complicity in the horrors ongoing in the Middle East.

The policy, humanitarian, and faith-based organizations — which include Amnesty International, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and the Quincy Institute, publisher of Responsible Statecraft — expressed disappointment with Biden’s policy of “unconditional support of Israel paired with empty threats,” saying the policy has not yielded any meaningful results and serves to harm America’s global reputation.

“We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government, nor are we for this party or against the other.” Rather, “we are for justice and mercy and truth and peace and true freedom, that these may be exalted in our nation … that these things may abound.”
 

This week, we were grateful that millions of people participated in our democracy and that the elections were conducted in a broadly fair, free, and peaceful manner.

The 2024 election is officially underway, with millions casting votes this week ahead of Election Day next Tuesday.

With so much at stake, many are feeling anxious, concerned, and overwhelmed. You’re not alone.

We are gravely concerned over the threat of political violence. The threats of white Christian nationalism and authoritarianism. The threats against immigrants and many other marginalized communities.

In August, the Biden Administration approved a series of arms sales to Israel totaling more than $20 bil

The Middle East conflict is escalating quickly and the United States needs to use the leverage we have to bring peace. We must win a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Israel, and Lebanon while ensuring a broader regional war does not break out between Iran and Israel.

In a historic speech today, President Joe Biden offered a formal apology to Native communities for the U.S. government’s Indian Boarding Schools policies.

The apology marked the first time a president has acknowledged the injustice of the assimilation the U.S. government tried to impose through Indian boarding schools. It resulted in widespread, horrific abuses that Native children endured, and the inter-generational harm that continues today.

“Nonviolence can affect more than the heart and change people from the worst versions of themselves to a better one. I have seen people change.”  

Those were the inspiring words of Amira Musallam, who spoke with us together with Mel Duncan this past Thursday in Voices from the West Bank: Stories of Resistance and Protection. Amira is a Palestinian Christian peace advocate, while Mel is the co-founder of Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), a world leader in unarmed civilian protection.