D056 Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza
The world watched with horror the unfolding events of October, 2023—first the terrorizing attack by Hamas on Israel, which killed 1,200 people, and then the brutal retaliation by Israel on the people of Gaza. In the ensuing bombardment by Israel, as of June 3, at least 36, 479 Palestinians have been killed, according to al-Jazeera, with an estimated 10,000 additional people missing in the rubble. The devastation is compounded by the ongoing blockade of aide to Gaza—Israel has not allowed water or electricity into the area since the start of the siege, and because Israel has also severely limited the flow of food into the region, starvation is now also a real danger as well.
Along with our clear responsibility to our Anglican sisters and brothers in Palestine, who share with us in the family of the Anglican Communion, we have a deeper call as Christians to stand against the crimes of mass starvation, collective punishment, and the sort of destruction we are witnessing in Gaza, simply because they, like us, are children of God. It is never right to use starvation as a weapon of war. It is never right to use collective punishment against a civilian population, even after suffering a terrorist attack. We have a special responsibility here because so many Episcopalians are US citizens, and therefore are complicit with the actions of our government—the primary ally of Israel on the world stage. Therefore, this resolution calls us as Christians to take action, both prayerfully and concretely, to end the genocide in Gaza.
Explanation
The world watched with horror the unfolding events of October, 2023—first the terrorizing attack by Hamas on Israel, which killed 1,200 people, and then the brutal retaliation by Israel on the people of Gaza. In the ensuing bombardment by Israel, as of June 3, at least 36, 479 Palestinians have been killed, according to al-Jazeera, with an estimated 10,000 additional people missing in the rubble. The devastation is compounded by the ongoing blockade of aide to Gaza—Israel has not allowed water or electricity into the area since the start of the siege, and because Israel has also severely limited the flow of food into the region, starvation is now also a real danger as well.
Along with our clear responsibility to our Anglican sisters and brothers in Palestine, who share with us in the family of the Anglican Communion, we have a deeper call as Christians to stand against the crimes of mass starvation, collective punishment, and the sort of destruction we are witnessing in Gaza, simply because they, like us, are children of God. It is never right to use starvation as a weapon of war. It is never right to use collective punishment against a civilian population, even after suffering a terrorist attack. We have a special responsibility here because so many Episcopalians are US citizens, and therefore are complicit with the actions of our government—the primary ally of Israel on the world stage. Therefore, this resolution calls us as Christians to take action, both prayerfully and concretely, to end the genocide in Gaza.