RELIGIOUS leaders in Jersey and the Island’s Chief Minister have called for “a swift end to the violence” in the Middle East in a joint statement – but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire, saying instead that “co-operation may require all sides to adhere to a pause in hostilities”.
The statement was signed by Deputy Kristina Moore, along with: the Dean of Jersey, the Very Reverend Mike Keirle; Catholic Dean of Jersey Dominic Golding; president of the Jersey Jewish Congregation Stephen Regal; and the leader of Jersey’s Muslim community, Sarfraz Jamali. It remains open to more signatories.
The signatories said they stood in solidarity with “the vulnerable and innocent people on all sides, particularly children and those taken as hostages”.
They said: “On behalf of Islanders, we jointly support a swift end to the violence and suffering that continues to harm millions of people in Israel, Gaza, and the surrounding region, and to affect the lives of everyone in our connected global community who share our belief that everybody deserves the chance to live in peace, security, and mutual respect.”
In the statement, the signatories said they recognised Israel’s right to defend itself and deplored the acts of Hamas terrorists.
Hamas killed over 1,400 people and took 239 hostages in an attack on Saturday 7 October. Since then, Israel has retaliated with weeks of air strikes and Gaza’s death toll has risen to over 8,500 people, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry.
Deputy Moore and the religious leaders wrote: “In responding to terrorism, Israel must protect and uphold these key principles, and should work collaboratively to enable the safe passage of international aid and aid workers as a primary responsibility.”
They also called for the release of the hostages.
The statement added: “In recent days, the conflict has escalated with appalling loss of civilian life in Gaza. We therefore believe that efforts to achieve a lasting de-escalation of the conflict must now go further and faster.
“We maintain that the pathway to peace lies in co-operation instead of confrontation, and strongly encourage the work of international partners, including the UK government, to help achieve this.
“This co-operation may require all sides to adhere to a pause in hostilities to allow the proper provision of humanitarian relief.”
Jersey has promised £200,000 towards humanitarian aid in Gaza via its relief and development agency, Jersey Overseas Aid.
But this support will have only “a limited impact” while there is no ceasefire and it remains difficult for aid to enter Gaza, according to the leader of Reform Jersey.
In a social media post, Deputy Sam Mézec said he was “appalled and saddened” by the scenes in the Middle East, adding that Jersey should join the Scottish First Minister and the Mayors of London and Manchester, who have called for a ceasefire.
Deputy Mézec added: “Jersey can be proud that our brilliant Overseas Aid Commission has quickly contributed £200k to the relief effort, which will go directly towards saving the lives of innocent people who have been affected by mass bombardment and forced evacuation.
“But this aid can only have a limited impact whilst the violence continues and more people are displaced, injured and killed. To maximise its impact, there needs to be a ceasefire from both sides and a mass effort from the international community to restart peace talks.”
In a UN General Assembly vote last week, 120 Member states voted in favour of a humanitarian truce. Fourteen voted against and 45, including the UK, abstained.
The vote is not binding, but it is considered politically important.
