“The time has come for people of faith to hear the cries of the people of Palestine Gaza and Lebanon and to do everything in our power towards the ending of the death and destruction they are suffering.”
The below is the text of a petition started by Pax Christi
The time has come for people of faith to hear the cries of the people of Palestine Gaza and Lebanon and to do everything in our power towards the ending of the death and destruction they are suffering.
We condemn the brutal invasion of Israel, the death and destruction and the taking of hostages by Hamas on 7 October 2023. We remind you that this is the latest episode in the very long war waged by the state of Israel on the Palestinian people. They have taken land for settlements, demolished homes, restricted movements of people and goods, and imprisoned children, women and men, often without trial, and killed Palestinians on the flimsiest of pretexts.
Successive Governments of Israel remain fiercely hostile to the idea of Palestinian self-determination and are intent on maintaining the unjustifiable and inhumane occupation of Palestinian lands. While these are the actions of Israeli governments and their supporters, we acknowledge the many citizens of Israel who long for and are working for a just and lasting peace.
- Since 7 October 2023, Israeli military actions have killed over 43,000 Palestinians and more than 2,000 people in Lebanon including close to 17,000 children. Thousands more children have lost at least one parent. Some 100,000 Gazans have sustained injuries, a quarter of which are life altering.
- Israeli forces have issued displacement orders covering over 84% of Gaza’s territory and now 25% of Lebanon’s territory. These orders, combined with Israel’s bombardment, have forcibly displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population and over 800,000 people in Lebanon.
- An estimated 400,000 Palestinians are under siege and relentless bombardment in northern Gaza without access to food, water, fuel, or medical care (UNRWA).
- Over 300 Palestinian and international aid workers, and over 1000 health care workers in Gaza and 95 in Lebanon have been killed.
- UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon a have come under attack by Israeli forces (UNIFIL).
- Israeli military attacks on hospitals, clinics, and ambulances have decimated the health care system in Gaza, and are destroying it in Lebanon.
- Countless children and adults are dying of malnutrition and facing the risk of starvation because of systematic obstruction of humanitarian aid and essential services.
- Nearly 1,200 Israelis were killed during the Hamas led attacks on October 7, 2023 including 815 civilians. 7,500 were wounded.
- 101 hostages remain held by Palestinian armed groups.
We cannot accept the claim that Israel has the right to defend itself regardless of the harm caused by its military assault. The right to defence can never be the right to revenge, let alone the right to commit war crimes, or crimes against humanity. The right to defence cannot mean actions which the International Court of Justice described in its January 2024 ruling as plausibly amounting to genocide.
We cannot ignore the harm inflicted on the people of Israel. The Israeli government’s refusal to negotiate a ceasefire has already led to the deaths of many hostages, the appalling suffering of those still in captivity, and unimaginable pain for the families involved. The refusal to cease hostilities has also exposed communities in northern and central Israel to an endless barrage of rocket attacks. Whether intercepted or not, such attacks deepen the sense of insecurity, and inevitably fuel the spiral of violence.
We therefore call on Christian people and Churches in this country to raise their voices in support of a simple demand: STOP THE KILLING.
We call on the Government of Israel and the leaders of HAMAS, Hezbollah and their supporters to enact an IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE, supervised by United Nations peacekeepers
We believe that this conflict will continue as long as the United States and its allies, including Australia, continue to supply Israel with weapons and bombs. There will be no movement towards a ceasefire, much less a permanent peace as long as this continues.
We therefore call on the Australian churches and Christian people to bring all possible pressure on the Australian Government and on our public representatives to:
- Cease all forms of military cooperation with the State of Israel.
- Use whatever diplomatic channels we may have to advocate for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
- Do everything possible to urge the United States to cease supplying weapons and armaments to the State of Israel.
- Make it clear that our military alliances with the United States are suspended so long as they continue to supply weapons to the State of Israel.
- Take a clear stand against anti Semitism and anti Islam movements in Australia.
- Reach out to and support the churches in the West bank, Gaza and Lebanon and Palestinian and Lebanese churches in Australia in whatever ways we can.
- Impose selective commercial, financial and political sanctions, targeting specifically those in public and corporate leadership positions who are driving the use of military force.
The silencing of guns can only be a prelude to a settlement of the conflict. We suggest five key principles towards a just, peaceful and durable outcome:
- Self-determination The Palestinian people have the right to determine their own future, which means ending Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, and addressing the Palestinian refugees’ right of return.
- Human Rights All parties must commit to the observance of civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural rights, including the rights of their respective minorities.
- Economic Justice All parties to act responsibility to ensure equitable access of resources, including land and water.
- Human Security Both parties can only feel secure, if they cease to rely on military force and develop processes and practices conducive to truth telling and reconciliation based on mutual respect, trust and acknowledgement of each other’s humanity.
- The Status of Jerusalem Ideally, Jerusalem should be united and be seen by both Israelis and Palestinians as a place of special significance to both, a place which has a unique status for Jews, Muslims and Christians. The international community can play a constructive role in facilitating such an agreement and materially supporting its implementation.
All of this will take much time, energy and good will. It will also require of government, media, universities faith communities and other influential institutions a more thoughtful, energetic, and where necessary courageous contribution to the cause a just peace than has so far been the case.
The three Abrahamic Faiths, Jews Christians and Muslims have a key role to play in facilitating communication and reconciliation. It is time for people of faith in Australia to speak truth to power and challenge the wanton disregard for human life that we are witnessing in the Middle East.
We commit to doing all we can to advance a just peace.
Pax Christi Victoria, which is part of Pax Christi International, a worldwide Christian peace movement, has initiated this call. It invites other Christians to associate themselves with this call, as part of an ongoing commitment to work for a just and lasting peace. Website: https://paxchristi.org.au/