The Beloved Communities Network (BCN) stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people as they continue to resist a 75-year history of occupation, Israeli state violence, and systematic genocide. We grieve the loss of all innocent lives, with almost 8,000 Palestinian lives lost to Israeli state violence in a mere two weeks — 3,000 of which were children. We also grieve the 1,300 Israeli lives lost to Hamas during that time and demand an immediate return of all the hostages. To be clear, we condemn the brutality of both the Israeli state and Hamas, and we recognize that Hamas is not the Palestinian people, and the Israeli state is not the Israeli people. There is no justification for the current atrocities, and we stand against the longstanding subjugation, brutalization, displacement, and terrorism forced upon the Palestinian people by the state of Israel. We will not be silent as we witness Israel’s extreme violence against the Palestinian people, and we refuse to accept any notion framing the Israeli state’s extreme violence as simply retaliatory or as a justified defense. BCN will always stand on the side of the oppressed and condemn all killing, harm in all its forms and injustice.

 

In our commitment to #LandBack and authentic justice, it’s essential to chart a new path forward — one that acknowledges the complexities and the brutal histories of nation-states like Israel and the United States. The Gaza Strip stands as a stark reminder of this, stemming from the Nakba of 1948, where countless Palestinian families were forcibly displaced to establish the state of Israel — a process backed by Western powers under the pretext of Jewish reparations post-Holocaust. In reality this served geopolitical interests and extended Western dominance in Arab territories. Simplistically equating Israeli identity with Jewish faith, or Palestinian identity with Islam, does a disservice to the diverse histories and experiences of these Semitic peoples. For this reason, and to honor the truth of these historical injustices, we steadfastly support bringing an end to the colonial occupation of Palestine.

 

We wholeheartedly support an immediate ceasefire, advocating for the rights and protection of every individual while acknowledging the shared narratives of persecution experienced by both Palestinians and Jewish communities.

 

The ongoing genocide in Palestine is antithetical to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of Beloved Community — he reminds us that “the chain reaction of evil — wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.” This vision is foundational to BCN’s purpose as an organization. Therefore, we cannot remain silent during this disconcerting time. We strive to have the courage to love the people of the world as if they were our own family, and know that we all belong and it is our differences that give us strength, not our sameness. We imagine a world rooted in deep democracy, governed by shared power with one another instead of power over one another. We envision a world where conflict is transformative, bringing us closer together instead of pushing us apart.

 

We are all facing uncertainty and seeking paths to a future we can believe in. In this time, we also feel a calling, an invitation, a possibility, beyond what we can presently see.

 

We have the capacity to answer this call.

We have the capacity to bring forth a future that is kicking to be born. 

We have the capacity to be that future, to be the power and strength of our vision, our purpose, and our relationships. 

 

Our communities are calling on us to recognize our undeniable interdependence and make a courageous commitment to love. Our mutual future depends on generating new solutions that reflect this recognition and commitment.  

 

This is the calling The Beloved Communities Network seeks to nurture and amplify.

 

###

 

Contact

Leila McCabe

Director, Beloved Communities Network

leila@movementstrategy.org