Recent Quaker statements on Gaza
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) continue to voice Quaker concerns, especially in these traumatic times.
We can never accept colonialism, annexation, or ethnic cleansing in Palestine
Last night President Trump called for the mass expulsion of Palestinians and a U.S. takeover of Gaza. If carried out, this would be a U.S.-led ethnic cleansing and colonization of Palestine. These remarks come as Israel expands its military assault on the West Bank and politicians in both the U.S. and Israel are increasing calls for annexation.
Forcibly transferring an entire population from their land is a crime against humanity. Annexation is a grave violation of the right to self-determination, a fundamental principle of international law. As a Quaker organization, we are steadfast in our commitment to honoring the divine Light in every person. We must all do everything in our power to prevent these atrocities and any further violence.
These threats are extreme, but they are not new. Palestinians have endured violent dispossession and attempts at ethnic cleansing for over a century. In 1948, Israeli forces expelled most of the Palestinian population in what became Israel from their homes. The complicity of the international community, the lack of accountability, and the failure of the international system of protection to address this fundamental injustice are at the root of the occupation and the genocide we are witnessing today.
Palestinians have spent more than 75 years demanding justice and asserting their right of return and self-determination. They have endured 15 months of genocide. Palestinians are resilient and determined and will not accept annexation. They will not give up their land and their rights.
Instead of systematically dispossessing Palestinians, the U.S. and the international community should focus on supporting the rights of the Palestinian people and a just and lasting peace for all. This means ensuring a Palestinian-led reconstruction of Gaza, a permanent ceasefire, an end to the occupation in both Gaza and the West Bank, and the right of return for all Palestinians. Annexation, occupation, and ethnic cleansing are unacceptable under any circumstances. The only path to peace is addressing the root causes of violence and building systems grounded in justice, self-determination, and human rights.
We can never accept colonialism, annexation, or ethnic cleansing in Palestine by Layne Mullett, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Feb 5, 2025
A broad coalition of NGOs, led by FCNL and A New Policy, released a statement opposing President Trump’s recent statements that support forced Palestinian displacement leading to the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip.
Organizational Statement on Ethnic Cleansing with Signatures (2)Download
NGO Statement Opposing President Trump’s Recent Statements Supporting the Ethnic Cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), February 12, 2025
During a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, President Donald Trump made appalling comments proposing the ethnic cleansing and U.S. “takeover” of Gaza.
While outlandish, Trump’s comments must be taken seriously. They raise alarming implications – both for Palestinians who are suffering now and for the long-term prospects for a just peace.
“What’s been lost in the coverage of Trump’s remarks is the deeper shift it signals,” warned analyst Rawan Abhari. “It’s a declaration that Palestinian displacement is the goal, not the consequence, of US policy.”
Trump’s ethnic cleansing plan was enthusiastically praised by Netanyahu and swiftly followed by the announcement of an Israeli government plan to carry out a “voluntary” mass relocation of Palestinians.
This Week in the World: Palestinians Have a Right to Live in Gaza by Bryan Bowman and Greg Williams, FCNL, February 10, 2025
What’s been lost in the coverage of Trump’s remarks is the deeper shift it signals: his proposal to occupy Gaza — whether permanently or not remains unclear — and relocate two million people to Egypt and Jordan isn’t just logistically impossible; it’s a declaration that Palestinian displacement is the goal, not the consequence, of U.S. policy.
If nothing else, President Trump’s bluntness should force an overdue reckoning. If the two-state solution is dead — and by all practical measures, it is, then what comes next? The only path forward is the one that dares to address the reality on the ground: a one-state solution, an end to occupation, and equal rights and freedom for Palestinians. Anything else is just more of the same — and we already know how that ends.
Trump signals death knell of two-state solution. His plan for Gaza shows that no one really supports it, not the last administration or this one by Rawan Abhari, Responsible Statecraft, Fab 5, 2025
