Three months after President Joe Biden announced a ceasefire proposal to end the Gaza war and free the hostages, negotiations have stalled without a deal.
While Biden initially touted the plan as an “Israeli” proposal, it is increasingly clear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is blocking it. The prime minister has refused to accept provisions necessary for a permanent end to the war. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s own negotiators told reporters this week that he is intentionally sabotaging the talks.
In sharp contrast to the plan laid out by Biden, Netanyahu has publicly vowed to continue the war indefinitely until Hamas is destroyed. As experts have made clear, the destruction of Hamas is not a viable military objective, but a recipe for endless war that will benefit no one.
As Biden himself has said, “it’s time for this war to end.” While the administration’s calls for a ceasefire are welcome, words are not enough. FCNL’s Hassan El-Tayyab explained this in The Intercept this week. “Policymakers must move beyond rhetoric,” he said, and “work to leverage U.S. military and diplomatic support for Israel to compel Netanyahu’s government to protect civilians and finally reach a ceasefire deal.”
Put simply, if U.S. leaders are serious about ending the carnage and bringing the hostages home, they must finally put serious pressure on the Israeli government. That means withholding the weapons that enable the war to continue.
As the ceasefire talks falter, more people are suffering. Each day the U.S. does not hold Israel accountable, families in Gaza face relentless bombardment and hunger, hostages remain endangered and separated from their loved ones, and the threat of a major regional war grows.
As the parents of Israeli American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin said this week, “In a competition of pain, there are no winners.” Calling for a ceasefire, they cited Jewish tradition, appealing to our collective humanity: “Every person is an entire universe. We must save all these universes.”
Elsewhere
Forging Beloved Community with Friends
In her 2023 Stephen G. Cary Memorial Lecture at Pendle Hill, FCNL’s Bridget Moix shared lessons and Light from her journey with Friends toward becoming the beloved community. It is now available as a pamphlet from Pendle Hill. She addresses these important questions: In a world wrought by lies, injustice, and violence, how do we live our Quaker faith and spiritual truths? How do we live “in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of war?”
Help Indigenous Elders Speak to Congress
The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) expired in June, leaving victims of the U.S. nuclear weapons program without necessary compensation or medical care. Indigenous survivors have an urgent message for Congress: “Pass RECA Before We Die.” They are raising funds to come to speak with Congress in person: Please chip in to help make sure lawmakers hear them.
International Armed Intervention in Haiti
FCNL joined coalition partners this week in raising concerns about armed international intervention in Haiti. Any intervention must protect human rights, foster Haitian democracy and autonomy, and be accountable to an independent civilian body.
Until the root causes of the violence are addressed, peace cannot flourish in Haiti. In the immediate term, the United States must increase aid and protect displaced Haitians, while supporting peace efforts led by Haitians themselves. Check out a new FCNL short video on the role of climate change in the crisis in Haiti.
What’s new from FCNL
- We heard from FCNL’s Micah MacColl Nicholson about her experience as a program assistant for Quaker engagement: “Like many people of faith, I’ve been learning that it is not always clear what following the Light will mean at the start of a journey.”
- Lauren Evans, a former program assistant for peacebuilding with FCNL, wrote about what a peace process for Sudan would need to look like for lasting peace.
