Quakers in Britain have a long history of working for peace in Palestine and Israel.

As part of this commitment, Quakers manage the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI), on behalf of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and other partner agencies. This work has built a body of experience across Britain Yearly Meeting, and has led to national decisions and actions based on our Quaker commitments to peace, justice and integrity.

In 2011, Quakers in Britain agreed a national position to boycott products from the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The settlements are illegal under international law. Quakers consider that this boycott is a non-violent move for peace for Israelis and Palestinians. Divestment and sanctions were not taken forward. Read a press release on the boycott of Israeli settlement goods (PDF) here.

In 2014, Britain's largest Quaker decision-making body, Yearly Meeting Gathering, issued a statement, calling on the UK government to take more concerted action for peace in Palestine and Israel. This included calling on the British government to recognise the state of Palestine on the same basis as it recognises the state of Israel. Read the statement on the recognition of Palestine in full (PDF) here.

In November 2018, Britain Yearly Meeting trustees, in consultation with Meeting for Sufferings (the national representative body of Quakers), announced that the church will not invest any of its centrally-held funds in companies profiting from the occupation of Palestine. Read the press release on "morally responsible investment" here.

While Quakers in Britain is not a member of the full Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement and does not advocate for BDS, we do support the right of organisations and citizens to engage in such democratic and legitimate means of nonviolent protest.

Contact us

020 7663 1038
eappi@quaker.org.uk