A shared humanity: Our statement on recent events in Gaza and Israel
Welcoming America envisions a world where all of us belong, thrive, and live safely in the place we call home, no matter where we come from.
Last week, we shared a message of hope and encouragement in our monthly newsletter as the world witnessed suffering in the Middle East and escalating hate crimes globally. The world should not stay silent in the face of horrific violence in Israel and Gaza, including the attacks of October 7. More recently, the bombing of Jabalia refugee camp, along with the escalation of hate crimes and hate speech targeting Muslim and Jewish people globally, requires us to speak out.
This is also a moment for listening, learning, and deepening our understanding, including of the conflict profiteers that benefit from escalating our fears and pitting us against one another. True safety will come from our continued collective work to build multiracial democracies where our basic humanity — and not our race, ability, creed, or means — define the future.
As humanitarian crises continue to unfold the world over — from the expulsion of Afghans from Pakistan to the ongoing war by Russia in Ukraine to debates in the U.S. about which unhoused populations are more “deserving” — we urge our fellow welcomers to continue pressing forward in the work of building communities that nurture abundance rather than scarcity, prioritize humanity rather than origin, and come together through love rather than fear.
To that end, we call for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages taken from Israel. In an imperfect world — with imperfect words to convey the complexity and pain of this moment — we know that we will all stumble and fall short. But a world where we can live freely and in peace among our many differences is a vision we will never stop striving for. It is embodied in the promise of welcoming communities.
We would love to know how you and your organizations are doing at this time and how Welcoming America can help. Please contact us at [email protected] to share.
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