Read CMEP’s cover letter to President Trump here.

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November 4, 2025

Please note: The text of this letter was finalized before the ceasefire deal announced on October 8, 2025. The ceasefire is a welcome step. As the letter indicates, we celebrate the return of hostages and detainees, but insist there is still a need for a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and for the conditions that will lead to a just and lasting peace. World leaders must now redouble their efforts to ensure the terms of the deal are not violated and a permanent peace is realized.

We, leaders representing Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, come together united by the profound belief that all human beings are created in the image of God. In this conviction, we affirm the inherent dignity, equality, and worth of every person, regardless of religion, nationality, or ethnicity. This belief calls us to speak with urgency, compassion, and moral clarity in response to the ongoing devastation in Gaza and the broader Middle East. 

For too long, violence, oppression, and displacement have brought immeasurable suffering to the peoples of this region. The October 7 Hamas attacks included the kidnapping and murder of Israelis and others. Since then, Israelis have continued to live through rocket attacks from state and non-state actors from Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran. Less than fifty hostages remain in Gaza, with about twenty believed to be still alive. Thousands of Israelis remain displaced from their homes in the south and the north. The ongoing war does not make Israelis safer but only increases the casualties and the trauma. There must be investigations and accountability toward all militant and violent actors, including Hamas and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), to be held accountable for violations of international law and the violations of fundamental human rights, including, but not limited to, atrocities and killings of civilians and non-combatants, journalists, healthcare workers, and others.

Over the past two years in Gaza, we have witnessed an unfathomable human-made humanitarian catastrophe brought on by Israel’s military campaign that must be brought to an end. Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, the destruction of entire communities, and the ongoing denial of fundamental human rights, including the right to food, water, healthcare, housing, and education. The August 2025 determination by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) of confirmed famine in Gaza, impacting over 500,000 residents, underscores the grave danger Gazans face. Approximately 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced numerous times as a result of the violence, most of whom were already refugees from 1948. As the Israeli military engages in a targeted offensive on Gaza City, more Gazans have once again been forced to relocate in large numbers, though there is no safe place for them to seek refuge. Israel’s military operations have extended beyond Gaza into the occupied West Bank, where the highest numbers of Palestinian killings in decades, widespread displacement (particularly in the northern region), intensified military control, detention of thousands of Palestinians without charges in Israeli prisons, and torture underscore an unacceptable and growing crisis.

We speak today with one voice to call for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, including an end to armed attacks, the return of the hostages, and the end of the blockade and occupation of Gaza. Palestinians must be allowed to receive sufficient amounts of food, medical supplies, and other essential humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials. Supplies must be made available in an unfettered manner that does not threaten the lives of aid seekers and is not controlled by military actors. 

There is no military solution to resolve the issues at stake, only a shared future grounded in justice, equality, and mutual security for all. The only way Israelis and Palestinians will have lasting peace is through negotiations grounded in the application of international law and accountability that will bring self-determination for the Palestinian people, an end to the occupation, and recognition of the rights of all those who have been displaced so that both Israelis and Palestinians can realize dignity, security, democracy, and human rights. 

As religious leaders, we reject all forms of collective punishment. The Israeli military’s targeting of civilians, denial of humanitarian access, weaponization of food, and deliberate destruction of infrastructure and places of worship violate the deepest tenets of our respective traditions. Our faiths command us to feed the hungry, shelter the displaced, care for the sick, and safeguard the vulnerable, especially the poorest and most in need.

The futures of Palestinians, Israelis, and all peoples of the Middle East are intertwined. A durable peace requires that the legitimate concerns of all communities, particularly the most marginalized, are heard, honored, and fully addressed. Under divine grace, we are bound to one another not only by shared ancestry through Abraham but by a sacred responsibility to one another as brothers and sisters.

We issue this call not only as a response to war and extreme violence, but as a moral imperative to build a future rooted in hope and human flourishing. We urge our respective governments and global leaders to act under these principles and to commit to the following:

First, we demand the establishment of a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire without delay. This war cannot be resolved through military means. Only through an immediate end to military action can the necessary space be created for diplomacy, reconstruction, and long-term reconciliation.

Second, the urgent and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid and medical assistance to all who are suffering in Gaza must be implemented. Access to food, clean water, shelter, and health care is a fundamental human right, and humanitarian convoys and aid workers must be allowed to operate freely, without obstruction or delay, to alleviate the suffering of the civilian population.

Third, we call for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza. The hostages have endured over 600 days of horror and deprivation and must be returned to their families and communities. The use of hostages as a bargaining tool for political concessions constitutes a breach of humanitarian law. 

Fourth, we insist that all parties and actors involved must uphold international law and the human rights of all peoples. Violations, including the targeting of civilians, collective punishment, and the denial of basic services, must be addressed and prevented. This includes the release of thousands of Palestinians held in administrative detention by Israel–many of whom are minors–without charges or trial. Continued detention of anyone without due process or accountability violates fundamental principles of human dignity and international law. Justice cannot flourish where impunity reigns.

Finally, the decades-long military occupation of Palestinian land, including violations of the Geneva Convention and all forms of illegal annexation and settlement expansion, must end. A just and lasting peace is impossible so long as the fundamental rights of Palestinians are denied and their freedom, self-determination, and dignity are systematically undermined. Israelis must be able to live with freedom, self-determination, and dignity, and Jews must be able to find refuge, as they have found in Israel over the years, especially as antisemitism rises across the world. 

We offer our prayers, solidarity, and unwavering commitment to peace with justice. Let our shared Abrahamic heritage not be a source of division but a foundation upon which we build a future where every child can live in dignity, safety, and hope.

May the Holy One, Compassionate and Merciful, grant us the wisdom, courage, and love to walk this path together.

Signed,

 

Rev. Eddy Alemán
General Secretary
Reformed Church in America
United States

Wissam al-Saliby
President 
21Wilberforce
Lebanon

Rabbi Professor Yehoyada Amir
The Regina Jonas Seminar for Liberal Rabbinate
Germany

Peter Digitale Anderson
Executive Director
Peace Catalyst International
United States

Rev. Alex Awad
Founding Member
Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace
United States

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian 
Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate Diocese 
Armenian Church of America, Eastern 
United States

Hannah Baker
MENA Director
Evangelical Covenant Church
United States

Rabbi Ofer S. Beit-Halachmi
Co-Director
AspaklariA
Israel

Rev. David E. Bennett
President, Provincial Elders’ Conference
Moravian Church, Northern Province
United States

Bishop Giorgio Bertin
President
Caritas MONA
Italy

Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt
President
Unitarian Universalist Association
United States

Adwoa Burnley
Yearly Meeting Clerk
Quakers in Britain
United Kingdom

Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar
Bishop, Oregon Synod 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) 
United States

Sr. Cecilia Canales, OP
Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose
United States

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon
Executive Director
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)
United States

Rt. Rev. Christian Carlassare
Bishop
Catholic Church – Diocese of Bentiu
South Sudan

Rev. Canon Paul G. Chandler
President
CARAVAN
United States 

Apostle Bunda Chibwe
Apostle, West Central Africa Field
Community of Christ
United States

Rev. Frank Chikane
Chairperson
Steering Committee for the launch of the SA Chapter of the Global Anti-Apartheid Movement
South Africa

Rev. Eugene Cho
President/CEO
Bread for the World
United States

Shane Claiborne 
Co-founder 
Red Letter Christians (RLC)
United States

Revd Geoffrey Clarke
Moderator
United Reformed Church, East Midlands Synod
United Kingdom

Susan Claydon
Chair
Anglican Pacifist Fellowship 
United Kingdom

Dr. Stassi D. Cramm
Prophet-President
Community of Christ
United States

Rev. Joseph L. Cumming, Ph.D.
International Director
Woodberry Intercultural Institute
United States

Bishop Duleep de Chickera
Former Bishop of Colombo
Anglican Church of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka

Andrew DeCort, PhD
Director
Institute for Faith and Flourishing
United States

Marie Dennis
Senior Programme Director
Pax Christi’s Catholic Institute for Nonviolence
United States

Bishop Jan De Groef
Bishop of Bethlehem
South Africa

Rt. Revd Dr. Michael Doe
Board Secretary
Balfour Project
United Kingdom

Sister Gemma Doll OP
Justice Promoter
Dominican Sisters of Peace
United States

Clare Downing
Moderator
United Reformed Church, North Western Synod
United Kingdom

Fran Eskin-Royer
Executive Director
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
United States

Bishop Paul Erickson
Bishop
Greater Milwaukee Synod, ELCA
United States

Sister Tesa Fitzgerald
President
Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood
United States

Andrew Fox 
British Isles President
Community of Christ
United Kingdom

Matthew Frizzell
Apostle 
Community of Christ
United States

Cesar Garcia
General Secretary
Mennonite World Conference
Canada

Dr. Steven Garber 
Founder and Principal
The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation and Culture
United States

Rev. Christopher Gaya
Bishop
Methodist Church
Namibia

Rabbi Dr. Marc Gopin
Director of the Center for World Religions
George Mason University 
United States

Mufti Nedzad Grabus
International Co-President
Religions for Peace

Janné C. Grover
Counselor to the President
Community of Christ
United States

Susan Gunn
Director
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
United States 

Rev. Dr. Andrew S. Hamilton
District Executive Minister
Southeastern District, Church of the Brethren
United States

Rev. Michel W. Hansrod
General Secretary
The Methodist Church of Southern Africa
South Africa

Bishop Ron Harmon
Presiding Bishop
Community of Christ 
United States

Erikka Hedberg
CMEP Board Member Representative
Evangelical Covenant Church
Canada

Kat Hnatyshyn
Apostle 
Community of Christ
United States

The Revd Dr Michael Hopkins
Moderator
Wessex Synod of the United Reformed Church
United Kingdom

Judy Illig
Loretto Sister
Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary
United States

Rabbi Jill Jacobs
CEO
T’ruah
United States

Dr. Azza Karam
President/CEO
Lead Integrity
United States

Safi Kaskas
President 
The International Qur’an Research Association (IQRA)
United States

Rev. Nicolas Kazarian
Ecumenical Officer
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
United States 

Bishop Steven C. Kellogg
CMEP Board Member Representative
Community of Christ
United States

Most Rev. Patrick A. Kelly
Archbishop Emeritus
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool
United Kingdom

Rev Jamie Kissack
Moderator
United Reformed Church Yorkshire Synod
United Kingdom

Bishop Joseph Mary Kizito
Roman Catholic Diocese of Aliwal
South Africa

Rev. Sue Koenig
Board Member
Churches for Middle East Peace
United States

Rt Revd Dr Michael Langrish
Bishop Emeritus of Exeter
Church of England
United Kingdom

Sister Brigid Lawlor
Board Liaison
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces
United States

Dr. Sox Leleki 
Bishop
Methodist Church of Southern Africa
South Africa

Kathryn Lydon  
Chair
Pax Christi England &Wales 
United Kingdom

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba
Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town
South Africa

Ps Mercy T. Manzini
Founder & Head of Women’s Ministry
Fire Touch Ministries & CAIC Women’s Ministry
South Africa

Rabbi Michael Marmur
Rabbis for Human Rights
Israel

Archbishop MJ Matebane
Leadership Institute of Bishops and Apostles 
South Africa

Jarrod McKenna
Pastor
Steeple Church
Australia

Very Rev Andrew R C McLellan
Former Moderator
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Scotland

Venerable Bubele Mfenyana
Vicar-General 
Diocese of Grahamstown
South Africa

The Rev. Lee M. Miller II
Bishop
Upstate N.Y. Synod, ELCA
United States

Mahan Mirza
Executive Director
Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion
United States

Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra
Imam
United Kingdom

Bridget Moix
General Secretary
Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quaker)
United States

Rt. Rev. Shadrack Moloi
Moderator
African Presbyterian Bafolisi Church of SA
South Africa

Revd Kim Money 
Moderator
Northern Synod, United Reformed Church 
United Kingdom

Motsewatile Morokane
Bishop of the Diocese of Grahamstown
Methodist Church of Southern Africa 
Botswana 

Rev. Dr. Lungile Mpetsheni
General Secretary 
Uniting Presbyterian Church
South Africa

Michael Nasello
Director
Passionist Solidarity Network
United States

Susan K. Naylor
Ecumenical Officer
Community of Christ
United States

Archbishop Thami Ngcana 
General Secretary 
Council of African Independent Churches 
South Africa

Bonisile Moses Ngcayisa-Rantsatsi
Moderator
Presbyterian Church of Africa
South Africa

Rev. Samuel Sithembiso Nkumanda
Nkumanda Presbyterian Church of Africa
South Africa

Bishop Frank Nubuasah
Archbishop
Catholic Church
Botswana

Sister ElveDra Pellettieri, OP
Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose
United States

Rob Peterson
President
The Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada
Canada

Right Revd. Edwin Pockpass
Bishop of George
Anglican Church Diocese of George
South Africa

Rev. Dr. David K. Popham
Conference Minister
Hawai‘i Conference, United Church of Christ
United States

Rev. Fr. Michael Rasello 
Diocesan Administrator and Chancellor
Catholic Diocese of Kroonstad
South Africa

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.
Cardinal-Deacon of Santissimi Nomi di Gesù e Maria in Via Lata
United Kingdom

Martha Inés Romero
Secretary General 
Pax Christi International
Belgium

Rev. Joe Roos
Former Pastor
Peace Mennonite Church
United States

Rev. Chris Rose
Director
Amos Trust
United Kingdom

Rabbi David Rosen
International Co-President
Religions for Peace
Israel

Rev. Dr. Cornelius (Neil) Routh
President
Provincial Elders’ Conference, Moravian Church in America
United States

J Samuel 
Catalyst for Freedom and Justice
Lausanne Movement
Sri Lanka

Rabbi David Saperstein
Former U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom
Director Emeritus of Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
United States

Fr. Alvar Sanchez
Secrétaire Général
Caritas Maroc
Morocco

Revd. Lindsey Sanderson 
Moderator
National Synod of Scotland, The United Reformed Church
United Kingdom

Rabbanit Leah Shakdiel
Rabbis for Human Rights
Israel

Bishop Masilo John Selemela
Archdiocese of Pretoria Catholic Church
South Africa

Bishop Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama
Diocese of Hiroshima
Japan

Bishop Sithembele Sipuka
President
South Africa Council of Churches
South Africa

Bishop Humphrey Southern
Principal
Church of England, Bishop of Oxford
United Kingdom

Esther Sperber
Executive Director
Smol Emuni
United States

Dr. Preston Sprinkle
Theology in the Raw 
United States

David Steele
General Secretary
Church of the Brethren
United States

Bishop Emeritus Marc Stenger
Co-President
Pax Christi International
France

Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv.
Bishop President 
Pax Christi
United States

The Reverend Doctor Kevin L. Strickland
Bishop
Southeastern Synod, ELCA
United States

Nikki Toyama-Szeto
Executive Director 
Christians for Social Action
United States

Rev. Sandra María Van Opstal
Executive Director
Chasing Justice
United States

Rabbi Yael Vurgan
Reform 
Israel

Jim Wallis
Chair and Director
Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University
United States

Bishop Hope Morgan Ward
Ecumenical Officer
Council of Bishops, United Methodist Church
United States

Carrie Welch
Apostle 
Community of Christ
United States

Bishop Rosemarie Wenner
Ecumenical Officer
Council of Bishops, United Methodist Church
United States

Most Reverend John C. Wester
Archbishop
Archdiocese of Santa Fe
United States

Rev. James Wheagar
Senior Pastor
MEVAC
Côte d’Ivoire

Catriona Wheeler
Moderator
General Assembly of The United Reformed Church
United Kingdom 

Rev. Rodney Whiteman
Chairman
Western Cape Provincial Council of Churches
South Africa

Sister Rita A Wigginton, O.S.U.
Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, Kentucky 
United States

Joey Williams
Apostle
Community of Christ 
United States

Very Revd John Witcombe
Dean
Coventry Cathedral
United Kingdom

Rabbi Moshe Yehudai
Rabbinical Vice
Social Justice
Israel

Reverend Elijah R. Zehyoue
Co-Director
Alliance of Baptists
United States

Dr. James Zogby 
President 
Arab American Institute 
United States