Minute Approved by Merion Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

Merion, Pennsylvania         June 9, 2024

Quakers believe that all people have that of God within them. Concordant with this, Merion Friends Meeting calls on the U.S. President and all members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate, to demand an immediate and permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, along with the return of all hostages and war prisoners.

We further call for the cessation of all further shipments of offensive weapons to the region, and for the redirection of arms funding to the purpose of emergency relief to the people and the rebuilding of civic infrastructure that has been damaged.

The use of violence to resolve conflicts is always wrong: it only begets further hatred and violence in response. What is needed now is a non-violent approach to conflict resolution, including reconciliation and negotiation leading to peace and the well-being of all inhabitants of Israel and Palestine. To this end, we endorse the peace plan put forward by President Biden and call on all our representatives, the government of Israel, the elected representatives of the Palestinian people, and the people of Israel and Palestine to implement and improve upon it expeditiously.

We reaffirm the 1660 Declaration of the first generation of Quakers:

         “We…utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fighting with outward (physical) weapons for any end or under any pretense whatsoever; this is our testimony to the whole world.”