Our prayers are with our Israeli friends who are suffering devastating losses. Our hearts break for them. We condemn the violence that has been perpetrated upon them, the brutal violence against civilians, outright massacre. We condemn the taking of hostages. We condemn the ideologies that seek the destruction of Israel. We support Israel’s right to exist and prosper.

We also support the desires of Palestinians to live in peace with justice and security, with the same rights and responsibilities their neighbors enjoy. Our prayers are with our Palestinian friends today who, as civilians, are suffering severe loss and war’s devastation. They too are our kindred.

We grieve. Revenge brings more revenge as years of conflict have shown us. As people of faith, we support with prayer and good will all efforts to end this prolonged and terrible conflict with a just, peaceful and negotiated settlement. We call on our government, the United Nations, and all other governments and institutions to work vigorously to end the current violence, and to commit to a lasting, secure, and prosperous peace for all parties. 

May our prayers together create a spiritual web of support. What can we do? We can pray. We can gather in solidarity. We can generously support reputable charities. We can continue to go about our lives with integrity and compassion, in defiance of hatred and prejudice. We can and must stand up to prejudice and hatred wherever it rears its ugly head.