At this time we, Quakers in Ireland, are in shock as we witness the continuing tragedy of Israel and Palestine’s relationship entering a new and terrifying phase. We mourn the lives lost now, adding to the generations of death and misery that has scarred this region, exacerbated by the actions over centuries of outside forces.

We must speak out against the attacks on civilians, the taking of hostages, the cutting off of food, water, electricity, and humanitarian aid. So too do we call for the de-escalation of this terrible cycle of violence. 

We know that no military solution will bring a permanent end to this tragedy. We know that only a just peace, based on international law, can do that. We join with those calling for the international community to focus now, working together with the people of Israel and Palestine, to bring this forward.

Our focus in the coming year, across the worldwide family of Quakers, is on Ubuntu, the Zulu concept emphasising our deep human interdependence, captured by the phrase “I am because we are”. That human interdependence is true of all the citizens of Palestine and Israel. It is true of all of humanity. So let us understand that we are also intimately involved in this tragedy. Let us seek to uphold everyone in the Light. 

Will Haire, Clerk, Ireland Yearly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Ireland, 12th October 2023