From the LDPA (LONDON DISTRICT AND PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY OF UNITARIAN AND FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES), sent by Rev. Feargus O’Connor. The Northern Unitarian Association has agreed to support this.

Dear friends,

I am sharing with you the text of an interfaith appeal. Tomorrow, members of our LDPA Council will be having an awayday at Croydon Unitarian Churc,h and I’ll be proposing that we as a District should ask the EC and Essex Hall to publicise this as an urgent humanitarian appeal for the people of Gaza. The LDPA has already made a donation to the British Red Cross emergency appeal, as have several London District congregations. We think that having a national Unitarian appeal would be an ideal way to respond to the suffering in Gaza. 

With my kind regards and warm thanks, Rev. Feargus O’Connor.

Gaza Interfaith Peace Appeal

An urgent humanitarian response to the suffering in Gaza and Israel

We endorse the statement by Religions for Peace deploring and mourning the deaths of so many innocent civilians in Israel-Palestine and calling for a ‘complete cessation of violence and the release of all civilians who have been taken into captivity’, for a commitment to ‘building peace for people and planet through multi-faith collaboration’, upholding peace and human rights and ‘praying for the peace and safety of all people in the region and beyond’.

We express our solidarity with Quaker and other religious and secular peacemakers in the spirit of the School for Peace at the Oasis of Peace (Neve Shalom-Wahat al-Salam), bringing together people of all faiths in a spirit of mutual goodwill and open dialogue in working for a lasting peace and common security.

We encourage all who are concerned by the grave crisis in Israel-Palestine and the suffering of all victims of war and violence, civilian and military, in Gaza and Israel to respond generously to the recently launched lifesaving British Red Cross Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory Appeal to enable the sending of urgent medical and other humanitarian aid to victims of this dangerously escalating war endangering ever increasing numbers of Israeli and Palestinian lives.

If you wish to respond to this emergency appeal please donate by phone on 0300 456 1155, online by visiting www.redcross.org.uk, or by post to: Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territory Appeal, British Red Cross, 44 Moorfields, London EC2Y 9AL. Thank you. 

The escalation of violence is having a huge toll. Thousands of people have already been killed and seriously injured and the numbers are rising daily. Amid the fighting many thousands of people have forced to leave their homes. Many more are still trying to find missing family and friends.

Staff and volunteers from Magen David Adom (the Israeli Red Cross), the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross are treating casualties and providing first aid, ambulances and urgent medical support. Magen David Adom emergency medical teams have been searching for and transporting injured people, organising blood donations and sharing safety information with the public.

Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulance teams have helped hundreds of injured people and have been assisting with evacuating people to safety. Tragically, three Magen David Adom staff and four Palestine Red Crescent paramedics have been killed while tending to the injured.

Staff and volunteers from Magen David Adom, the Palestine Red Crescent Society and the International Committee of the Red Cross were already on the ground when the violence broke out and have been supporting people by providing urgent medical help, ambulance support and first aid. The ICRC is ready to provide further humanitarian assistance as required on both sides.

Endorsed by:

Unitarian signatories

Vince McCully, President of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches

Elizabeth Slade, Chief Officer of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches.

Rev. Jo James, General Assembly EC Convenor

Rev. Michael Allured,  LDPA Council Chair

Joyce Ashworth, former GA President

Sarah Benfield,  General Assembly EC members

Rev. Elizabeth Birtles

Rev. Stephanie Bisby

Rev. Alex Bradley

Rev. Dt Ralph Catts

Rev. Jim Corrigall

Rev. Cody Coyne

Rev. Joy Croft

Rev. Danny Crosby

Rev. Kate Dean

Rev. Laura Dobson

Rev. Chris Goacher

Malcolm Goekler, Unitarian Universalist peace campaigner

Rev. Peter Godfrey. GA Honorary Member and former GA President 

Rev. Peter Hewis, former GA President

Ann Howell . GA Social Action Officer

Dr Lizzie Kingston-Harrison, GA Unitarian Connections Lead

Rev. Margaret Kirk

Rev. Art Lester

Rev. Tony McNeile

Anne Mills, former GA President

Rev. Dr Andi Phillips

Rev. Simon Ramsay

Rev. Lynne Readett

Rev. Lewis Rees

Rev. Maud Robinson

Adam Slate, Unitarian Universalist ministerial student

Rev. Matthew Smith

Rev. Dr David Steers

Rev. Dr Arthur Stewart

Rev. Sarah Tinker

Rev. Geoffrey R. Usher

Rev. Charles VanDenBroeder, former GA President

Rev. Kate Whyman

Professor Jacky Woodman, President of the LDPA

 Interfaith signatories