The scale and intensity of the violence—the destruction of homes and hospitals, the staggering death toll, and the collapse of civil life in Gaza—have drawn urgent concern from global human rights experts. On March 26, 2024, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese presented a report to the UN Human Rights Council stating:
“There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating Israel’s commission of genocide is met.”
(Francesca Albanese, “Anatomy of a Genocide,” Report to the UN Human Rights Council, March 26, 2024)
That word—genocide—is devastating. Speaking it aloud is not an act of hostility, but a cry of moral clarity to Government Bodies in the face of overwhelming suffering.
As we reflect on the pain, heartbreak and human cost on all sides of this conflict, we must also name the horror that sparked this war. The Hamas attacks of October 7 were acts of terror—deliberate, brutal, and unconscionable. There is no justification for such violence. Israelis have the right to live in safety and freedom. So do Palestinians. These rights are not in competition.
Our Archbishop John Stephens wrote:
“The war in Gaza and Israel has brought out new and frightening dimensions of hatred, violence, and power. … This violence must stop.”
He calls us not to silence or passivity—but to compassion-in-action.
Lamenting the suffering in Gaza does not diminish our love and care for our Jewish neighbors. Antisemitism and Islamophobia have no place in our communities—or our world.
Criticism of a government's actions, or of the terrorist group Hamas, is not the same as hate. It is not a condemnation of peoples, but of decisions made by those in power.
Any denial of a people’s right to safety, dignity, and self-determination—whether Israeli or Palestinian—must be rejected.
Because this matters deeply, I reached out to Rabbi Philip and the community of Har El—to express both my grief over today's shooting and my commitment to our shared life. Our solidarity is not conditional.
So what can we do with these unimaginable challenges?
We can hold this tension.
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We can grieve both the museum shooting and the suffering in Gaza.
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We can mourn with Jewish neighbors and cry out for justice for Palestinians.
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We can stand against hate and for the dignity of every human being.
And we can act.
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Write to elected officials, urging them to press for a lasting peace—not against people, but toward governments accountable to justice.
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Give to humanitarian organizations like Alongside Hope: Gaza and West Bank Relief Fund or UNRWA, who bring life-saving relief.
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Reach out across divides—to our Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian, or Israeli neighbors—and say: you are not alone.
This is how we love: with truth, compassion, and courage—together.
If you need a place to pray, to grieve, or simply to speak—I’m here.
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