BRIDGET MOIX, general secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation in the US, writes about her trip last month to Israel as part of a peace delegation organised by Churches for Middle East Peace…
United States
Via RNS
As our plane descended into Tel Aviv on 11th January, a small rainbow arced over the Holy Land. I had come looking for signs of hope amid a time of devastating violence and suffering in Israel and occupied Palestinian territory. This small sign of God’s promise encouraged me for the work ahead.
I was in the Middle East with Hassan El-Tayyab, the Friends Committee on National Legislation’s legislative director for Middle East policy, and eight other faith leaders as part of a peace delegation organised by Churches for Middle East Peace. The trip was planned well before the 7th October attacks by Hamas and Israel’s subsequent bombing campaign and the war in Gaza. But once the Israel-Hamas war began in earnest, it became even more pressing to join faith colleagues in what became a peace mission. It was also an opportunity to listen to and learn from communities directly affected by the violence.
Hundreds of demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in Gaza gather in the US Capitol’s Cannon House Office Building rotunda on 18th October, 2023. The group was primarily organised by Jewish Voice for Peace. PICTURE: RNS photo/Jack Jenkins.
We travelled to Israel, the occupied territories, Jordan and Lebanon, meeting with a wide range of religious, political and civil society leaders. We spent two weeks crisscrossing checkpoints and border controls as the war raged and violence escalated around us. We met with ambassadors, prime ministers, royalty, religious patriarchs, local faith leaders, human rights defenders, humanitarian aid workers, peacebuilders and students.
At each stop, we shared our calls for a cease-fire, protecting civilians and returning hostages, and we pointed to the need to address the root causes of the violence, including the military occupation and blockade of Gaza.
“The reality of the threats facing Palestinians, Israelis, the region and the world became more evident each day. Gaza is the epicenter, but a broader war was unfolding all around us. As children at the Ramallah Friends School asked: Why is the US sending bombs to kill us? “
The reality of the threats facing Palestinians, Israelis, the region and the world became more evident each day. Gaza is the epicenter, but a broader war was unfolding all around us. As children at the Ramallah Friends School asked: Why is the US sending bombs to kill us?
I am a Quaker and a peace advocate. We have a long history of seeking a just peace in the Middle East. But I am also an American citizen, and my government’s complicity in this war and mass killing is unavoidable. I learned so much from my recent trip, but this is what Congress and the American people need to know.
The war is already rapidly expanding. De-escalation and diplomacy are needed across the region. As one political official explained it, “If the West Bank explodes, the war will enter a whole other level.”
This must be avoided. A comprehensive, permanent cease-fire is needed now. The only way to save both Gazans and the hostages, both Palestinians and Israelis, both the Holy Land and our common humanity, is with a cease-fire.
Focusing on diplomacy will be incredibly difficult in the aftermath of the attack on an American outpost in Jordan. But the US must exercise restraint, choosing diplomacy over war. Humanitarian aid must be funded and allowed into Gaza.
As it stands, the US is complicit in this war and the atrocities against civilians, meaning we can also help stop them. The US provides Israel more than $US3 billion annually in military aid and the administration has sent additional weapons without congressional approval since 7th October. These numbers are not trivial, nor are the lives they are costing. Our government must be held accountable and do more to help prevent atrocities and potential genocide.
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A viable, irreversible path to justice, dignity and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis is needed. It will take new approaches to leadership on both sides. But there are people now working in good faith, and their vision for a just and peaceful future together must be given space. The United States and the broader international community must hold the rights of both Palestinians and Israelis equally and support future arrangements that recognize the self-determination of all.
Throughout our trip, we sought to listen deeply, share openly and speak courageously. People across the region welcomed us with grace, hospitality and solidarity. We learned more than we could absorb and received gifts of the spirit with every interaction. We left strengthened to return to our work of advocacy and truth-telling at home, knowing that as Americans we have a responsibility and a role to play in ending this violence and seeking a lasting peace in the Middle East.
Bridget Moix is general secretary of the Friends Committee on National Legislation and its associated Quaker hospitality center, Friends Place on Capitol Hill.
