Parliament Statement on the Conflict in Israel and Palestine

The Parliament of the World’s Religions is deeply saddened by the violence in Jerusalem and the ensuing escalation of conflict in the region. We especially deplore acts of violence done within sacred spaces or to people on the way to and from sacred spaces; whether Al-Aqsa Mosque, a synagogue in Lod, or the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

We mourn the lives lost and the continued suffering of those involved in the ongoing conflict. The Parliament upholds the human dignity of members of all faith communities in Jerusalem, the Holy Land, and around the world.

We pray and call for an immediate cessation of violence and a commitment by all concerned to resolve conflicts through peaceful means, dialogue, and negotiation.

The Parliament implores the interfaith movement around the world and individuals of faith, conscience, and good will to stand in resolve against violence and oppression.

The Parliament reaffirms its 2014 statement, which stands in solidarity with the region in a commitment to end ongoing violence and open hostilities.  The Parliament is calling on both sides to end this conflict in an ethical manner. For peace to be achieved,  all Israelis and Palestinians must recognize the humanity of the other and to honor their sacred spaces.

The Parliament of the World’s Religions remains committed to a culture of non-violence and respect for life, as agreed upon in our signature document Towards A Global Ethic.

… All people have a right to life, safety, and the free development of personality insofar as they do not injure the rights of others. No one has the right physically or psychically to torture, injure, much less kill, any other human being. And no people, no state, no race, no religion has the right to hate, to discriminate against, to ‘cleanse,’ to exile, much less to liquidate a ‘foreign’ minority which is different in behaviour or holds different beliefs.”

– Towards A Global Ethic: A Declaration of the Parliament of the World’s Religions