NO TO GENOCIDE IN PALESTINE: PEACE THE FRUIT OF JUSTICE

We, the undersigned, belonging to different religious cultures, recognise that religions have historically functioned as factors of national cohesion and mobilisation against other peoples in defence of their own interests.

Also in the biblical tradition we find texts proclaiming nationalist messianism. Recently, Prime Minister Netanyahu declared, to justify his government's decisions: "You must remember what Amalek has done to you. You shall erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget" (Deut. 25/17), says our Holy Bible."

But they have also produced prophetic-universalist movements like that of Isaiah, the "prince of the biblical prophets": "The fruit of justice shall be peace, the function of justice, tranquility and confidence forever"(Is.32/17). And, in his message, God's action is addressed to all peoples, for before Israel he created humanity. All peoples are under God's care, all are recipients of his invitation to the joy of salvation (Is 45).

These words invite us to analyse how justice has been practised between Israel and Palestine in recent decades. And in this sense, we agree with UN Secretary General Guterres:

"Hamas’s attacks do not take place in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been under a stifling occupation for 56 years". This does not justify Hamas’s terrorism. Terrorism must always be condemned and the attacks against civilians in October have tainted the just defence of the Palestinian cause. But Hamas did not create the conflict, it is the conflict that created Hamas.

The conflict was generated decades ago by the zionist project of Israel that includes the West Bank and Gaza, accelerating the expulsion of the Palestinians, completing their "Nakba", their "Catastrophe". Possibly the Oslo Agreements in 1993 were an opportunity for agreement between the two peoples; but Isaac Rabin, Israel's prime minister, was assassinated shortly after signing them. Since then, the power of the more nationalist and extreme right sectors has been growing in Israeli society and its governments.

Europe and the USA are implicated and are completely aligned with Israel, as its partner and base in the Middle East, an area of vital importance in global commercial trade. All this shows us that we find ourselves in another phase for planetary dominance in the XXIst century.

So Israel, in defending its interests in the area, has no limits imposed on it by Western governments. They give it a blank cheque for any action it wants to take against the Palestinian people, whether in terms of socio-military control, appropriation of their gas, water, fisheries or any other resource.

The total expulsion of the Palestinians would be at the service of these zionist interests of Israel and of the Western countries that support it.

The Israeli Intelligence Ministry, in late October, drew up the Options plan for a Gaza civilian population policy. It advocates that "Palestinians should be evacuated from Gaza to the Egyptian Sinai desert. This will have positive strategic results for Israel and is deemed 'feasible' provided that the 'political hierarchy' shows determination in the face of international pressure and manages to secure the support of the US and other pro-Israeli governments.” (Le Monde Diplomatique, December 2023)

"I have ordered a complete siege of the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel; everything is closed," said Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. "No place is safe, not even hospitals or schools," wrote the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on 11 November. Israel will have nothing to fear. It is one of the world's major military powers, with the help of the US and the EU, and it is acting with total impunity.

According to the BBC, “It has been calculated that 1.9 million people, 85% of the population of Gaza, has been displaced, whilst 50% of their homes have been destroyed or damaged. The UN, organizations and activists point to an unpunished Israel following two months of exterminations. The Palestinians assassinated are already more than 20,000 whilst the United Nations denounce difficulties in providing medical assistance to the more than 46,000 wounded. Guterres urges the Security Council to insist on a ceasefire. Amongst the victims, there are about 300 health care professionals and more than 70 reporters. Who will bring to light the atrocities committed in Gaza if all the reporters have been assassinated?. Meanwhile, the peoples are demonstrating, but the UN does nothing more than transmit its helplessness.

What proposals can we make from Europe from people of different cultural convictions? At this moment of the history of humanity, we refuse to allow our religious traditions to be used to confront and eliminate a competitor in any plane, including the economy and/or a political adversary.

We recall the founding Charter of the UN after World War II: "We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, renew our faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small".

Consequently, we consider that the systematic violation of the rights of Palestinians must cease in all the territories occupied by Israel: East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. According to the international agreements, the illegal settlements that Israel continues to build must cease. Israel must return the Palestinian territory prior to the Six Days War of 1967 and destroy the wall of apartheid.

We denounce the terrorist violence of Hamas. And we denounce that the operations in recent weeks by Israel constitute a true genocide and that the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court should investigate the war crimes committed and hold those responsible accountable.

We advocate a permanent ceasefire, as 153 countries have approved in the UN General Assembly, with a just solution to the conflict. This implies recognition of the State of Palestine. This would require a halt to all arms deals - and any other goods services related to the war effort and the illegal occupation.

In the longer term: We require more effective worldwide organisations, endowed with the authority to ensure the global common good and an effective defence of basic human rights.

We need a multilateralism that does not depend on the interests of a few and that has a permanent effectiveness; A multilateralism "from below" and not simply decided by global power elites; a multilateralism in order to solve the real problems of all humanity.

This can appear utopian. But when the great powers make the UN inoperable, we can only appeal to the conscience of the citizens of the world, public opinion as “the fourth power”. There will be no solution to this conflict whilst there is no hope for the people of Palestine. “There are no roads to peace, peace is the road”, according to Mahatma Gandhi.

When we advocate peace, it is not the peace of the graveyards that is achieved by the extermination of the adversary. The God of the “religions of the book”, Judaism, Islam and Christianity challenges us about the decisions we make to defend our interests: "What have you done to your brother?" (Gen. 4/9) and reminds us: "The fruit of justice shall be peace" (Is.32/17). So also do affirm our various universalist cultural convictions.

The first promoter organizations

Organisations adhering to the Manifesto. Data as of 1 February 2024

Name of organisation:

Redes Cristianas (100 member groups in Spain)

Iglesia Evangélica Española

Cristianas y Cristianos de Base de Madrid

Carta contra el Hambre

Comunidad Santo Tomás de Aquino

Revuelta de Mujeres en la Iglesia

Centro de Pastoral San Carlos Borromeo, Vallecas,

Fundación San Martín de Porres, Carabanchel

Asociación Alandar
Comunidad Cristiana Cristo de la Victoria. Vigo.
Asociación San Francisco de Asís
Hermandad Obrera de Acción Católica (HOAC) de Ávila
Carmelitas Vedrunas. Badajoz
Asociación Encrucillada
Asociación Mulleres Cristiás Galegas Exeria
Carmelitas Badajoz. Suerte de Saavedra
Federación de Comités de Solidaridad con África Negra. UMOYA
Comunidad Cristiana Vangarda Obreira. A Coruña
Asociación El Olivar
Círculo de Espiritualidad y Derechos Humanos de Podemos
Comunidades Cristianas de Base. Murcia
Asociación de Amigos de Guatemala. Alguazas. Murcia
Comunidades Adsis
Fundación Itaka-Escolapios
Asociación AMISI
L’Observatoire Chrétien de la Laïcite
Área Social de la Institución Teresiana
Asociación de Vecinos y Vecinas del Parque Alcosa y Los Alfalfares. Alfafar. Valencia
Comité Oscar Romero. Cádiz
Comunidades Cristianas Populares de Andalucía
Communauté francophone du Béguinage à Bruxelles
HOAC (Hermandad Obrera de Acción Católica) de Madrid
Coordination des Communautés de Base de Wallonie et Bruxelles (Belgique)
Unidad Pastoral P. Rubio de Ventilla (Madrid)
Fraternidad Escolapia de Emaús.

NB. This list will remain open for more signatories in the following internet address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This manifesto with the endorsements received is located in www.comunidadsta.org and can be seen in the link: NO AL GENOCIDIO EN PALESTINA!

This manifesto was published on 29 December 2023. It has not had an international outreach until now. I therefore invite readers of the English, French and German versions to express their support, because any expression of criticism of Israel's policy towards the Palestinian people and other peoples who do not profess Judaism will be an added burden of conscience on the members of the Israeli government, however small it may be.