The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Ohio Province, with the recommendation of our JPCC Committee, have signed the international Advent Not Arms letter, calling for the suspension of arms sales to Israel and an end to the escalating violence in the Middle East. Organized by Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of 35 U.S. Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant organizations including Pax Christi USA, this letter will be sent to national leaders worldwide during the Advent season.
Advent is a time of hope, peace, and anticipation of the Prince of Peace. The Advent Not Arms letter calls on global governments to:
- Suspend arms sales and military assistance to Israel.
- Advocate for a comprehensive and durable ceasefire.
- Provide immediate humanitarian aid to those affected, especially in Gaza.
As people of faith, we affirm the sacredness of all human life and stand in solidarity with all seeking peace and justice in the region.
We invite you to read the full text of the Advent Not Arms letter and join us in prayer and action for peace this Advent season:
Advent is a season when, as Christians, we look forward to welcoming the Prince of Peace—a time to focus on love and joy, not violence and death. Throughout the past year, we have witnessed the darkness of war in the Middle East.
In Gaza, more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed, two-thirds of the territory has been destroyed, and the remaining Israeli hostages (many believed to be no longer alive) have not been released.
In the West Bank, violence by settlers and the Israeli military continues to terrorize local communities while credible reports indicate Palestinian prisoners are being tortured in Israel. The war has intensified in northern Israel and Lebanon as well, where both populations face violence, death, and displacement.
As Christian leaders, we believe that violence is a descending spiral that will never bring long-lasting peace and security. There is no military solution to this crisis. Therefore, we are calling on our governments to make urgent efforts to work toward a comprehensive durable ceasefire that addresses the underlying historical and current issues and provides immediate and generous humanitarian aid for all those affected, especially in Gaza.
We are clear that all sides must lay down their arms in this conflict, but recognize that many of our governments are providing military assistance and arms sales exclusively to Israel, so this is where our respective countries have leverage.
This Christmas season, therefore, we call for Advent, Not Arms: for the immediate suspension of arms sales and military assistance to Israel and the pursuit of regional peace. The continuing export of arms and provision of military aid to Israel merely fuels this conflict and diminishes the prospect of an end to this war.
There is credible evidence that all parties to this conflict have violated international humanitarian law and continue to do so in the manner they prosecute this war. The governments who continue to supply arms are complicit in these violations, in direct contravention of the 2013 Arms Trade Treaty.
Therefore, we call on all governments to suspend arms sales to Israel. As Christian leaders, we are united in our respect for the sacredness of all human life, and we stand opposed to the use of weapons to maim, kill, and displace. This Advent, we stand with our Christian sisters and brothers in the Middle East and with all people of peace and justice.
Together, we call on our governments to turn away from violence by suspending arms sales and military assistance to Israel and move toward the path of peace and justice by employing the leverage they have to push further and more urgently for a ceasefire and a resolution to the historical issues at stake.