Hamas, Gaza, Israel Conflict

10/24/2023- We strongly condemn the Hamas attack on October 7 and all terrorism. Our hearts go out to the over 1,400 killed and to their families and friends in grief. At the same time, we grieve and are concerned for innocent Palestinian civilians, especially the children, who have been or are at risk of being killed or injured by Israeli military action- already over 4,000 have been killed and thousands displaced and hungry. We believe that Israel, like any other country, has the right to defend itself. However, we wonder if Israel's current widespread military actions will, in the long-run, make them less safe by further angering Palestinians and Arab neighbors. We believe that violence, even counter-violence against a horrific attack, can lead to more violence especially when thousands of civilians are harmed, and then even more violence as the deadly cycle continues.