We, the signers below, are Mennonites, friends of Mennonites, and Christians committed to seeking peace living in the United States. We are church congregants, pastors, faith leaders, and community members whose shared Anabaptist and peace church values call us to be peacemakers.

We were shocked and horrified by Hamas’ brutal attacks against Israeli civilians on October 7. And we are horrified by Israel’s continuing attacks on Palestinian civilians.

Over the past several months, we have watched in disbelief as the scale of violence in Palestine has reached staggering levels. Cities are in ruins. Children are trapped under the rubble. Hostages are being held captive. Hospitals are collapsing. Entire family lines have been wiped out. As bombs — funded by our tax dollars — rain down on Gaza, our hearts ache for the people of Palestine who are living through an unimaginable humanitarian crisis. At the time of this writing, the death toll of Palestinian civilians has surpassed 38,000 people, including over 15,000 children.

We cannot turn away. We cannot keep quiet. Our faith demands that we speak out.
Our Mennonite and Anabaptist values move us to advocate for peace. We understand as Christians that Jesus modeled active peacemaking and demonstrated that we have the power to nonviolently shape our world for good. We also believe it is our responsibility as Christians to stand up against violent theologies that promote antisemitism and Islamophobia. We believe that our own liberation is bound up in freedom for all people.

Together, as Mennonites, we add our names to this petition to make our voices heard. Specifically, we call on our representatives to:

1) Support or introduce legislation advocating for a permanent ceasefire that includes a release of all hostages and all political prisoners

2) Stop all military aid to Israel

3) Advocate for diplomacy and a political solution that ends the occupation of Palestine, and builds toward dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians.​

4) Fully restore funding to the UNRWA to halt the famine stalking Gaza [added in March 2024 following US withdrawal of UNRWA funding]

We believe U.S. policymakers have a responsibility to do everything in their power to prevent more death and destruction - and advocate for a political solution that dignifies the lives of all Palestinians and Israelis.

In peace,