I am concerned about the current war in Gaza, Israel and Palestine because I care about life, justice, truth and peace as a follower, ordained minister and pastor of a congregation of people whose faith and living are inspired by the teachings of an itinerant Palestinian Jewish rabbi named Jesus, who lived, suffered and died under Roman military occupation.
I have deep anger and sorrow for the victims of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, the Israeli counterattack, and for the men, women and children who are being killed, injured, traumatized and otherwise scarred every day by the horrendous violence associated with this war.
Wendell Griffen
I lament the casualties and destruction from the Hamas attack, the Israeli counterattack, the Israeli blockade, siege and impending invasion of Gaza, and Israel’s threat to depopulate and slaughter Gazans.
I protest Israel’s threatened invasion of Gaza, its threat to depopulate Gazans and Israel’s threat to slaughter Gazans as collective punishment for the Hamas attack.
The horrific realities suffered by Israelis and Palestinians over the past week are the latest consequences of 75 years of murders, land theft, bloodlust, hubris, bigotry and hypocrisy associated with the Israeli occupation of Palestine, an occupation that has been supported by every U.S. administration since 1948.
“Continued violence will not stop the suffering but will prolong, widen and escalate it.”
Continued violence will not stop the suffering but will prolong, widen and escalate it.
To stop and prevent further suffering, death and sorrow, I call for an immediate ceasefire by all combatants, withdrawal of all Hamas forces from Israel and all Israeli forces from Gaza, and release and safe return of all hostages held by both sides, enforced by U.N. security and human rights personnel.
I call for immediate restoration and repair of electricity, fuel, water and other vital services to Gaza, and repair and reconstruction of schools, hospitals and other Gazan services.
I call for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine (the West Bank), East Jerusalem and Gaza, an end to Israeli settler colonialism in Palestine, and call for the safe return of all displaced Palestinian refugees to their homeland.
I call for a war crimes investigation by the International Criminal Commission of all atrocities and other alleged violations of international law concerning the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s response to it.
“It is moral insanity to believe more violence will produce peace for Israelis, Palestinians and Gazans.”
The present crisis is the gruesome descendant of 75 years of back-and-forth violence associated with Israeli settler colonialism, race-based nationalism and Manifest Destiny. More violence will not produce justice. More violence will not console the grieving relatives of martyred people. Bloodlust, bigotry, hubris, greed and violence produced the current situation. It is moral insanity to believe more violence will produce peace for Israelis, Palestinians and Gazans.
That is why I call on people of goodwill who care about truth, justice and peace to join me in calling on Hamas and Israel to end the fighting now, release and restore all hostages now, and withdraw from existing combat positions now, so that suffering people can receive urgently needed humanitarian and rescue assistance.
And we should call on the diplomatic and security agencies of all nations to support these calls for an end to the current hostilities.
Wendell Griffen is a retired circuit court judge in Arkansas who serves as pastor of New Millennium Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark.
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