Advice and guidance
- There are a regular protests and vigils being planned around the country calling for an end to the violence in Palestine and Israel. We have put together some advice on attending protests on Palestine and Israel (PDF).
- You may wish to organise you own vigil. Here is guidance on how to organise a vigil (PDF).
- We've received an increased number of questions from meeting houses in recent weeks as Friends try to make informed and often quick decisions about who to hire their rooms out to. Here are some of the key principles we use to guide our room lettings in Friends House in relation to Palestine and Israel (PDF), and which might be helpful for you as you make your own decisions.
Key statements
2026
- Statement from Quakers in Britain on Israel's death penalty law (1 April 2026)
- UK should work for peace not war in the Middle East, Quakers say (March 2)
- Quakers urge parliament to curb increasingly repressive protest laws (9 January)
- Lifesaving aid in Palestine under threat from new Israeli measures, Quakers join others in warning (7 January)
2025
- Quakers welcome Gaza ceasefire (14 October 2025)
- A prayer for 7 October (7 October 2025)
- UK recognition of Palestine: a first step to right a historic wrong (21 September 2025)
- Quakers join international campaign to stop foreign complicity in Israel's illegal settlement project (16 September 2025)
- Quakers condemn dangerous Ramallah Friends School incursion (28 August 2025)
- Eight Quaker agencies discern genocide is occurring in Gaza and urge courageous action (31 July 2025)
- Joint statement on mass starvation across Gaza (24 July 2025)
- Quakers join UK coalition demanding end to British complicity in Gaza killings (2 July 2025)
- Quakers first British church to state belief that genocide underway in Gaza (27 May 2025)
- End Israel's unlawful occupation of Palestine, Quakers urge world leaders (22 April 2025)
- Quakers call once again for an end to arms sales to Israel (19 March 2025)
2024
- Quakers in Britain statement on ICC arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders (22 November 2024)
- Joint
statement on Israeli Knesset ban of UNRWA
(26 October 2024)
- Quakers
align with ICJ on Israel and occupied Palestine
(23 October)
- October 7, one year on: a Quaker statement. (7 October 2024)
- Quakers join calls for the UK to review its trade agreement with Israel. (24 September 2024)
- Quakers urge full ban on UK arms exports to Israel. (3 September 2024)
- Quakers welcome historic ruling on Palestine but warn of imminent danger of wider war. (2 August 2024)
- Quakers
join 200+ global Christian leaders in urging world powers to end their
complicity in the ongoing violence in Palestine and Israel
(23 July 2024)
- Quakers welcome landmark day for Palestine and Israel (International Court of Justice determination) (19 July 2024)
- UK charities outline key steps the UK Government must take in its first 100 days to address the catastrophe in Gaza, in light of potential genocide (PDF) (11 July 2024)
- Honour your heritage by ending investment in arms to Israel, Quakers urge Barclays Bank (9 May 2024)
- Quaker organisations share a vision for peace in Palestine and Israel (15 April 2024)
- Quakers join global Christian leaders in call for Gaza ceasefire (2 April 2024)
2023
- Quakers sign joint letter calling on the UK government to stop selling arms to Israel (12 December 2023)
- Support
a bilateral ceasefire in Gaza and Israel
(joint letter delivered to
governments around the world by Quakers and other faiths) (1 December 2023)
- Quakers hold
Friends School Ramallah in the Light after three alumni shot in the USA
(29 November 2023)
- Ongoing Global
Open Letter
coordinated by Crisis Action calling for an immediate
ceasefire
- UK Church
and faith leaders statement
(Quaker news story about it here) (27 October 2023)
- Network
of Christian Peace Organisations open letter
to the Foreign Secretary (20 October 2023)
- Quaker organisations call for a ceasefire and humanitarian protections in Gaza (18 October 2023)
- Quakers in Britain are shocked and deeply saddened by the major escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine (11 October 2023)
Actions you can take
- Read more about actions you can take in this blog: 9 solidarity actions you can take for Palestine and Israel.
- EAPPI UK & Ireland regularly shares urgent actions on their Take Action page and through their mailing list. Sign up to find out how you can take action to call for an end to the occupation and receive the latest eyewitness stories from the West Bank.
- You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram, and visit their website at eyewitnessblogs.com for more actions and reading about Israel-Palestine.
Resources
Razor Wire & Olive Branches
Razor Wire & Olive Branches is a teaching resource (11+) to explore conflict, human rights and peacemaking in Palestine and Israel. It contains 28 case studies of Israelis and Palestinians and dozens of cross-curricular activities exploring identity, history and active citizenship. The resource uses EAPPI's principle of principled impartiality, remaining neutral on the sides of the conflict but clearly communicating the importance of human rights and international law. You can order your copies from the Quaker Bookshop, download accompanying materials (zip) and watch accompanying videos (YouTube) and download free sample resources on TES
In the 'How can educators respond to events in Palestine and Israel?' blog Ellis Brooks from the peace education team discusses the challenges for teachers and how to educate with humanity and impartiality.
Understand the context
The major escalation since 2023 did not happen in a vacuum. Here are some resources to help you understand the context and the events that led to this point.
The history of Israel and Palestine
This 6-minute video from Jewish Voice for Peace offers a simple and succinct historical background. Watch on YouTube.
Life in Gaza
Gaza has been under Israeli military blockade since 2007 and is often described as 'the world's largest open air prison'. 80% of its population rely on foreign aid to survive and 97% of the water is undrinkable. This virtual tour by Israeli-Palestinian tour group, Green Olive Collective, takes you around Gaza and introduces the political and humanitarian realities. Watch on YouTube.
Life in the West Bank
Ecumenical Accompaniers regularly share witness from the West Bank during their service there with EAPPI. You can read the stories of Palestinians and Israelis working nonviolently for peace, and the impact of the occupation on Palestinians living in the West Bank, in EAPPI UK & Ireland's Eyewitness blogsite here.
Choose your media wisely
News
Actively seek out articles written by Palestinians and Israelis. We recommend subscribing to the joint Israeli-Palestinian online news outlet 972+ Magazine, or for televised / international coverage, Al Jazeera English, which has journalists in both Palestine and Israel.
Social media
Human Rights Watch and others have reported on the circulation of a number of unverifiable posts trending on social media. Please be mindful of what you share. Here are some suggested accounts to follow that are especially active right now:
- Al Haq (Palestinian) - FB / X
- Al Mezan Centre (Palestinian) - IG / X
- B'Tselem (Israeli) - FB / IG / X
- Breaking the Silence (Israeli) - FB / IG / X
- Center for Jewish nonviolence (Israeli) - FB / X
- Defence for Children International (Palestinian) - X / IG
- Gisha (Palestinian) - FB / X
- MAKAN (Palestinian) - FB / IG / X
- Palestinian Center for Human Rights - FB / IG / X
- Rabbis for Human Rights (Israeli) - FB / IG / X
- We are not numbers (Palestinian) - FB / IG / XYesh Din (Israeli) - FB / X
There is also a list of Palestinian and Israeli human rights organisations on the Eyewitness blogs website.
Other media
The Oscar-winning Palestinian documentary No Other Land (available on most streaming platforms) illustrates the everyday reality and humiliations Palestinians face living under occupation.
Supporting Quakers in the region
Friends World Committee for Consultation Europe and Middle East Section website has a list of resources and links to online meetings for worship for peace.
Photo: Smoke rises from Gaza near where Hamas militants broke through kibbutz Kfar Aza's fence in Israel days earlier, photo credit: Alexi J. Rosenfeld for Getty Images
