This Week in the World

The violence from the war in Gaza is extending far beyond the borders of Israel/Palestine, from Yemen to Washington, D.C.

We are dismayed by the murder of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington, D.C. this week. The attacker said he “did it for Gaza.” As a Quaker organization, we abhor violence and believe there is that of God in everyone. We condemn this attack and are holding the victims, their families, and everyone impacted in the Light.

This week, committees in the House advanced budget reconciliation proposals that pose grave threats to families and communities across the country.

“As Quakers, we are called to speak truth and to care for our neighbors. The budget reconciliation proposals are immoral, robbing poor people to give to the rich,” FCNL’s Bridget Moix explained in a statement Tuesday.

What to know:

This week, President Donald Trump released an alarming new budget proposal that would dramatically reshape the federal government.

Its sweeping overhaul of federal spending goes far beyond typical adjustments in annual presidential budget requests to Congress.

This week marked 100 days since the start of the second Trump administration. A lot has happened over that time. Each day brings new attacks on our neighbors, our rights, and our democracy.

Amid all the chaos, it is easy to lose sight of what is happening elsewhere in the world – like in Gaza. We must not forget Gaza and all the people trapped or held hostage there.

This week, we joined in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. We hold those who loved him in the Light. We will miss his witness, but Pope Francis’ enduring legacy as a champion of so many FCNL priority issues will continue to inspire us.

Creation Care

The Israeli government is actively pressuring the Trump administration to support major military strikes against Iran, the New York Times revealed Wednesday.

The war plans prepared by Israel call for U.S. military assistance to target Iranian nuclear sites. This comes as the regional conflict from Israel’s war on Gaza continues to escalate.

This week, both chambers of Congress passed a budget framework that threatens to strip health care and food assistance from millions of people.

From 1964-1973, the United States dropped more than 250 million bombs on Laos. This was equivalent to one planeload of bombs every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed.

But the harm did not end there.

We were honored to have more than 300 young advocates join us in Washington, D.C. this week to lobby Congress to protect health care and food assistance in SNAP and Medicaid.

FCNL’s annual Spring Lobby Weekend kicked off on Saturday, March 22. Before heading to Congress, we joined together for three powerful days of learning, solidarity, and community building.

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas collapsed this week as the Israeli government resumed its major attacks on Gaza.