A Renewed Call for Peace in the Middle East
Initiatives of Change calls for a U-turn on ongoing military hostilities and a returning to peace in Palestine, Lebanon and the whole Middle East.
Initiatives of Change International is gravely concerned by the expansion of the war in the Middle East to Lebanon, where many of our members and supporters committed to peace, live and work. The ongoing tragedy in Gaza where our membership has been decimated or are now in exile and the relentless devastation there is appalling and heart-breaking. The escalation of this tragedy to Lebanon will only cause more death and destruction and deepen the conflict in the Middle East, if not lead to an all-out war in the region.
The best way for a nation to establish its security is to build relationships of trust and respect with its neighbours. The Israeli government argues that its security lies in crushing its opponents, whatever the cost in civilian casualties. That is short-sighted in the extreme. Building a safe and secure future for the people of Israel is dependent on building a safe and secure future for the people of Palestine. That is incontrovertibly true.
The present Israeli government is meeting resistance from among concerned Israelis themselves, who are urging meaningful negotiations for a peaceful resolution of this longstanding problem. It needs to heed the International Court of Justice "landmark ruling of 19 July 2024 that [1]declared that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful, along with the associated settlement regime, annexation and use of natural resources."
Violence begets violence and the atrocities committed by any side gain recruits for the other beyond this generation. Injustice breeds hate, hate breeds violence, and violence breeds revenge, leading to more hate. This grim cycle is playing out at an ever-increasing tempo. Now, the conflict has spread to Lebanon and Iran may be next unless there is a U-turn.
As an organisation committed to peace and trust-building, we denounce violence and the death of innocent civilians. Initiatives of Change calls for that U-turn; and not just in the Middle East. The self-interested policies of outside nations bear much responsibility for this conflict. Let us now prioritise the needs of the peoples of the region, starting with an arms embargo, a ceasefire, and the establishment of a Palestinian state. At the same time, we must continue with initiatives at every level which will bring healing – replacing hate with respect, build bridges across the divides – so that we can restore dignity and prosperity for all those who suffer in the Middle East.
This is our hope and our prayer. We in IofC International stand in solidarity with our friends and colleagues in Initiatives of Change Lebanon and elsewhere in the region, and with all those who seek peace and justice in the Middle East.
Initiatives of Change International
27 September 2024
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