Join fellow congregants to contact our elected leaders
Sunday, November 26, after service in Buchan Reception Hall
Sponsored by the Social Justice Program and UUs for Justice in the Middle East
We learned this week that Senator Merkley is the first of the Oregon delegation to call for a Ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war! Your letters, emails, and phone calls are working – now, Senator Merkley needs our help to convince the elected leaders in Oregon and Washington, DC.
War and the humanitarian crisis in Palestine are mounting, and the need for prophetic and collective action to stop the violence is urgent. As the conflict mounts, the flames of Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism are being fueled in this country and around the world. As Unitarian Universalists, we are called to center love, bear witness, and interrupt hate and violence wherever it occurs.
You are invited to join fellow congregants after the service for a collective letter-writing effort. We will send letters of thanks to Senator Merkley and urge him to encourage other legislators to join him. We will call on President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and other members of Congress to work for a ceasefire, the return of hostages, and all parties to abide by international law, including the laws of war. We will have letters and envelopes ready for you to personalize and send.
Learn more about how we can stay engaged in this critical time, and also write your own letters from home.
[Below this links to the SoJ Blog]On October 17, the UUA Statement on the Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza and Israel was released (here). Grounded in our UU values and resolutions that the General Assembly has adopted through the years, it calls for:
- Ceasefire, de-escalation, and restraint by all sides
- All parties to abide by the laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions and customary international law
- Prioritizing steps to secure the immediate release of hostages and ensure international protection for civilians
In response to the October 7 brutal attack by the militant wing of Hamas on Israeli citizens that resulted in over 1,400 Israeli deaths, the Israeli government has escalated its violence on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip while attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have also increased. As of this writing, over 10,000 Gazans, most of whom are civilians and 4,000 of whom are children, have been killed. Half of the living units have been destroyed, leaving 1.2 million people homeless. The Israeli government initiated a siege in which water, food, electricity, communications, and medicines have been denied to the people of Gaza. This humanitarian crisis has led many US faith and secular organizations to demand a ceasefire.
The United States is the primary source of funding, arms, and diplomatic support to Israel. As of today, the U.S. government has refused to demand that Israel initiate a ceasefire. As people of conscience, we must do what we can to end this unconditional military support by contacting our elected leaders.
Please continue to engage with this issue. The Unitarian Universalist Association recently held a webinar and released a resource packet and webinar video called “Why We Cannot Turn Away: Resources for UU Leaders Engaging on Israel & Palestine.” These are meant to help UUs learn about the historical context of Israel and Palestine. The webinar presents some views that are not heard as much in mainstream media. Jews, Israelis, Muslims, Palestinians, Arabs, and UUs are all not monolithic in their points of view – every view expressed does not necessarily represent the point of view of any organization. It is a valuable resource for education, among other valuable resources.
Write or call your legislators from home by using this handy guide.