Brussels, October 11, 2023 — Pax Christi International condemns all acts of violence which once again envelope the Holy Land in unimaginable grief, fear, and devastation. We mourn the loss of each life for all are equal. We remain steadfast in our call for a ceasefire, knowing that an escalation in fighting will not resolve the root causes of this relentless cycle of violence but only sow seeds of greater hatred and animosity.
We stand firmly in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who have lived for over seven decades under a brutal military occupation or have been subjugated to an inhumane blockade. Their cries for justice have gone unanswered for too long. While violence can never be justified and all who commit heinous acts must be held to account, the injustices and dehumanisation that have been allowed to continue without consequence have finally brought a people to their breaking point.
Pax Christi International joins the many voices pleading for an immediate end to the fighting. The cycle of violence which has shattered so many lives and dreams, must stop now.
Vengeful retaliation by either side will only lead to more bloodshed while extinguishing any hope for a just and sustainable peace.
A new path, one based on nonviolence and adherence to the rules of international law is the only way forward. It is time for old narratives to be transformed into a new reality. We call on all parties, supported and encouraged by the international community, to replace weapons with honest dialogue and create a new paradigm that is based on a commitment to recognise the inalienable rights of the other to flourish and live with dignity, security, and freedom in the land they call home.
Retrospectively, we abhor the slaughter of the First Nations People’s of North America and the expropriation of their land. Presently, we enthusiastically enable the slaughter of Palestinian civilians and the expropriation of their land by our client-state Israel.
Given this contradictory mindset, either we suffer collectively from mental illness or we are just pragmatically hypocritical.
Whichever the case, we are going down a road of corruption that will end in the demise of our nation.
David-Ross Gerling, PhD
How do you suggest we, at the very least, get the hostages back? There should be no negotiations, Hamas should release them immediately! I want to see the leaders of Pax Christi going to the homes of the people who have lost love ones. To not do so is an act of self-righteous stupidity. Innocent people died because evil was ignored. The absence of war is not necessarily a sign of peace. It can also be a sign that evil is allowed to grow. Your organization ignored the evils of the Soviet’s and, by extension, allowed human rights violations and death to exist in the Soviet Block. Calling for a cease fire while Hana’s continues to rein terror and hold hostages id no different.