ALERTS
Take Action on the Tragedy in Gaza!
Take a few minutes to read a statement on the tragedy in Gaza developed by the Interfaith Peace Working Group. If you agree with this statement, we encourage you to sign it and be a part of this peace witness of people and communities of faith in Wisconsin. You can read the statement and add your name by clicking the button below.
Please share this statement with others whom you think might be interested in signing it.
Rabbis for Ceasefire Statement
On Friday, October 27, a group of approximately 80 rabbis and rabbinical students released the video and statement below, calling for ceasefire. The number of sigantories now stands at over 150. See the full list of signers here.
If you are a rabbi or rabbinical student and would like to add your name to the statement, use the link below.
Statement on the War in the Middle East
We are outraged by, mourn deeply, and unequivocally condemn the horrific actions of Hamas. According to Israeli sources, more than 1,200 people were killed and 2,900 injured, most of whom were civilians, and over 100 individuals (including children, women, and the elderly) were taken as hostages into Gaza.
Tikkun magazine and Beyt Tikkun: A Synagogue without Walls partnered with others to write a joint statement that we hope can help us rise above divisiveness and division and call us to our highest selves.
What follows is the joint statement. We invite everyone who agrees with this statement to add your name. You can read the statement below and add your name by clicking here.
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Solidarity with Israel/Palestine
This statement is written and signed by Palestinians, Jews, and others who are committed to holding complex truths and striving to overcome polarization. We feel the pain of our people, identify with their pain, and need to work together to uplift our shared humanity.
The unfolding horror in Israel and Gaza is an escalation of decades of state-sanctioned violence by Israel against Palestinians. We condemn the horrific actions of Hamas against Israeli civilians. We likewise condemn Israel’s unbridled bombing and cutting off access to all basic needs, including food, water, electricity, and medical care. Attacks on Palestinian and Israeli civilians are repugnant.
Israeli violence against Palestinians has been intentionally hidden, slow, and steady. Contrary to what the media is reporting, this attack was not unprovoked. The Israeli and American governments have worked together to suppress and deny the inhumane acts against Palestinians that have led to this moment. There are Palestinians and Jews who have been raising red flags and warning about this inevitable outcome for decades, only to be dismissed and ignored.
The world’s failure to challenge Israel’s ongoing occupation, apartheid, and unbridled violence by settlers and soldiers in the West Bank provides the context for what is happening now. The recent Israeli government’s escalation of violence, encroachment of Al Aqsa Mosque, and its 16-year siege of Gaza has led to the current explosion.
We repeat: the brutality of Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians is unjustified.
As we watch the violent attacks and rallying of xenophobia on both sides, we are brokenhearted. Although it feels like a time to stand with “our people,” we know this is a time to come together. This is a time of great suffering for all; a time of painful emotions. It is only by recognizing our shared fears and our shared tears that we will find our way through this nightmare. It is a struggle we need to undertake jointly.
When we fall back into our separate and distinct identities we risk becoming part of the problem, not the solution. Both peoples suffer from ongoing trauma. We are all on high alert. The fear is palpable. And it is easy for us to objectify the 'other.'
We seek a third path that neither perpetuates a xenophobic response nor sustains an unjust status quo. This moment calls us to slow down, sit with the pain and complexity, and grapple with our discomfort. It is a moment for digging deep, seeing across differences, and remembering our deep yearning for peace and justice. It is only through compassion and empathy that we will find a different way.
We recognize and uplift the humanity of all peoples in Israel/Palestine.
We call for an immediate ceasefire from Hamas and Israel.
We demand that basic needs be provided to Gazans.
We demand that the United States provide only humanitarian support to Israel and Gaza.
We support the creation of a movement that recognizes and affirms the humanity, dignity, and desire of both peoples to live in peace through reconciliation and justice.
Our Statement on the War in Ukraine
As people of faith and conscience, believing in the sanctity of all life on this planet, we urge our government to take a leadership role in bringing the conflict in Ukraine to an end through a negotiated settlement, before it results in a nuclear war that could devastate the world’s ecosystems and annihilate humankind as well as many other living creatures.
The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is presently being debated in Congress. While almost all federal spending has been frozen for the next two years, this bill increases the Pentagon budget by $68 billion dollars, bringing it to a total of $886.3 billion. This is more than half of all the nation’s discretionary funds. The $68 billion increase alone is double the entire budget of the Environmental Protection Agency at a time when climate disruption is as great or, perhaps, a greater threat to our national security than any foreign country.
Some argue that it’s necessary to spend all this money to protect ourselves from enemy nations. A comparison of U.S. military spending with other nations calls that argument into question. We already spend more on our military than the next nine countries combined. The Pentagon itself identified more than $100 billion dollars in its budget that is waste!
Representatives Barbara Lee and Mark Pocan have introduced an amendment to the Pentagon spending bill that would cut $100 billion from weapons and waste and redirect that money to programs that address human needs. This amendment offers people a concrete opportunity to work for peace by calling their representatives and U.S. senators and asking them to support the Lee/Pocan amendment.
Tell Congress: Pass the Lee/Pocan amendment to cut $100 billion from the Pentagon’s massively bloated budget.