Seattle area faith leaders call on WA Congress members to back a ceasefire in Gaza

Close to 200 Seattle area faith leaders from different backgrounds have signed onto a statement outlining a plan to address the rising death toll in Gaza, which has now surpassed 11,000. It’s called the Washington Statement in Solidarity with Jews and Palestinians.

A portion of those faith leaders gathered in front of the Jackson Federal building on Thursday morning, looking for the attention of U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and other federally elected officials.

Rabbi David Basior said the first thing the coalition is calling for is a cease-fire.

Basior leads the Kadima Reconstructionist Community, and like many others, has lost people close to him in the escalation of violence since Oct. 7. He said Palestinian liberation is linked to Jewish safety, and a cease-fire is the first step in addressing that. But also:

“We are unequivocally for an end to the decades old Israeli occupation that is a root cause of the violence in Israel-Palestine,” he said. “Let us refuse to ignore it or justify it in the Jewish community any longer.”

The multi-faith coalition is also calling for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the release and safe return of all hostages, and the addressing of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab/anti-Palestinian bigotry.

Both the Anti-Defamation League of the Pacific Northwest and the Washington Council on American-Islamic Relations have reported an increase in bigotry in the region in the past month, with a multi-year trend of white supremacy also increasing.