A Statement in response to the violence in Israel and Gaza
Embrace Statement 11 October 2023
As unprecedented and disturbing events continue to unfold in Israel and Palestine, Embrace’s friends and allies have issued some powerful statements. We appreciate their wisdom and commend to you the words of our partner, Churches for Middle East Peace in Washington; our friends Christian Aid in London; the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem; and the joint Palestinian/Israeli civil society organisation, Abraham Initiatives.
Embrace partners in the social witness of Middle East Christians and so our instinctive response to the tragic events of recent days is to ask our partners - ‘What can we do?’
Without hesitation, we’re told, ‘Please pray for us…and for peace’ And so, as the crisis deepens, that is what we do. We stand with our sisters and brothers and cry out with them;
We pray for restraint and an end to the violence.
We pray for all those injured, for the safe release of hostages, and for the families of those who’ve died.
We pray for our partners as they seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus and meet desperate need – even as some in Gaza have lost their own homes.
We pray for the international community to be a positive force for peace – and to address and engage with the causes of the conflict.
Together with other faith-inspired organisations, and alongside our partners, we want to convince our politicians that a lasting peace will never be secured without a commitment – including from the international community – to the right of all in the region to democratically determine their own future, and to see justice based on mutual respect and equal rights for all.
We’d encourage you to write to your MP and your church leaders. At Embraceme.org you’ll find post blogs, stories and podcasts that bring to life the lived experience of people – Christians especially – on the ground. We hope these will inform and inspire you to raise your voice.
We won't appeal for donations until our partners are able to work safely again and their specific needs are known. However, it’s already clear that there will be much damage - physical, psychological as well as moral and spiritual – to be undone. Buildings, people, and bonds between people that have been set back years - perhaps decades - will need repair and rebuilding, and we know many of you will wish to show your support by giving.
You can support the faithful work of our Christian partners in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and Lebanon here.
Thank you for your prayers, your compassion and your support.
LATEST NEWS FROM ISRAEL-PALESTINE
Keep up to date with the latest from the region, how we are responding and what you can do to help.