Advent is a time when, as Christians, we look forward to the birth of the Prince of Peace. This year we are again witnessing destruction and death caused by conflict in the Middle East. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7th October and Israel began its retaliation, the violence has spiralled out of control, affecting millions of people in Gaza, Israel, the West Bank and Lebanon. As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we call on those in power to work towards a peaceful end to the conflict, for all sides to lay down their weapons and for the remaining Israeli hostages to be returned safely home.
We share the vision for all Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security, with equal rights, and this will only happen when there is an end to the descending spiral of violence. One of the practical ways we in the UK can contribute to this is through calling on the UK government to suspend arms sales to Israel.
