Since October 7th, the United Church of Canada has called for peace and the cessation of violence in Gaza and all of Palestine and Israel. The attacks on Gaza have increased in intensity and area over the last 215 days, with death tolls rising due to military violence, starvation, dehydration, and disease. Our national church calls for us all to “Act Today: The international community cannot stay quiet in the face of atrocities in Gaza”, with many actions available. Please use the Write Your MP tool to send a message to our government urging it to do everything in its power to bring an end to the conflict and to not be complicit in genocide and famine. We need Canada to act on three fronts: demanding and supporting i) a permanent ceasefire, ii) humanitarian aid, and iii) a just and lasting peace.
The week of Palestinian solidarity begins on May 15th, Nakba Day, which is the anniversary of the end of the British Mandate in Palestine and the initiation of Israel as an independent Jewish state. You can find Jewish Voice for Peace’s Nakba Day resource here, a United Nations statement on the Nakba here, and a UN statement on the importance of marking this day here. To support education, awareness and action in your community, PMR Justice has written a pastoral letter and stay tuned to our PMR Justice Palestine webpage for resources to support a PMR Justice Solidarity Sunday for Palestine on May 19th.
On May 22nd, Moderator Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, and countless others in the United Church of Canada will participate in a Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage . Moderator Lansdowne’s April 17th pastoral letter can be found here. Kairos calls on us all to participate in as many actions as we can during this week of solidarity, and Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdown asks us to write letters, plant trees, wear white, share information on social media, and stand with the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage on May 22nd. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East have many options and suggestions for actions that you can take on in your community, you can find the Take Action Hub here.