It was at the APAN (Australian Palestine Advocacy Network) fundraising dinner in early October 2023 that I became aware of the Israeli response to the October 7 Hamas attacks. It was there that I heard of the fear that was driving families in Gaza to collect so that if they were to die, they would all die together. It was there that I felt the fear and concern of those in the room for their friends and loved ones in Palestine, especially in Gaza.

Like so many others, I watched the unfolding news of brutalities and the massacre of many innocent people. I prayed in my own way for peace and moderation to prevail. I was horrified by the news in December 2023 of the IDF(Israel Defense Forces) killing 3 male hostages – shirtless, unarmed, waving a white flag and calling for help in Hebrew. I wondered: if that is the response to these hostages how would any Palestinian man be treated? 

 I watched the numbers of dead climb higher, knowing the majority were women and children and that there were many more who couldn’t be counted and are still buried under the rubble of destroyed homes and other buildings. I was aware of the weekly rallies in support of Palestinians in Gaza and wondered how a Quaker presence might help. My discomfort was increasing.

 Spirit was speaking but I did not know what I might do. It was at this time that Jessica Morrison, Quaker Peaceworker put out a call for Quakers to attend the Melbourne rally along with other Christian groups on May 19 2024. It was a call to make more visible the Christian concern about what was happening in Gaza. So it was that a small group of Quakers gathered with folks from other Christian groups to march in solidarity with Palestinian people and to protest at the atrocities perpetrated in Gaza. 

 Since then around 20 Quakers attend these rallies on a regular basis. Sometimes we provide a safe place for others to also engage and at other times we provide a sense of support to those displaced and mourning the loss of their home/lands. Being present at these marches has been profoundly moving and yet it also involves important inner work.

            How do I meet and overcome my own fear?

            How do I attend to my own sense of powerlessness in the face of such pain?

            How do I respond to the silent aggression of the police pushing us forward?

            How do I stay connected to my own humanity and see that of God in the other?

            How do I stay grounded and centred when it all feels chaotic around me?

 With this small start I am being called into a deeper engagement. In consultation with others, I volunteered to make some signs for the banner. I have been finding out about the long-held concerns of other Quakers. I had known something of Jessica’s work in this area over the years and that knowledge and the relationship I’d had with Jess was important in me taking my first steps. I found out about the media monitoring and advocacy work of Lorel who is loved as an ally to Palestinians in Melbourne. I realised Helen’s longstanding witness for Palestinians when a man came over and talked about how important it was for him to see her traditional jacket – so like the ones his grandmother and mother wore – that spoke to him of his homeland.

 I learnt more about the ongoing dispossession and persecution of Palestinians that has been happening for decades. I started reading more and sharing my reflections with others. I was shocked to realise the state of Israel had been formed on the foundation of Terra Nullius and the connection to land that Palestinians have is deep and enduring and spiritual in nature. I witnessed the grace, courage and challenges of those connected to the Friends schools in Ramallah and Brumanna and the American Friends Service Committee on a very moving zoom meeting.  I signed up to the Quaker month of action, only for a small number of actions as I needed to make it achievable and not feel overwhelmed.

 I am finding that a concern has a rhythm. It’s been important to turn up to do the piece I’m called to do and also to do the inner work that enables me to stay centred and grounded and present. Relationships are important, both enduring and new. And there is a need to accept that I am not called to do more than I am able to and there will be times that the work is of a quieter nature. The important thing is to recognise the call of Spirit and respond with an open heart.

Opportunities to connect with this work include:

• Attend the next march at the Victorian State Library (or in your state)
• Sign up to Free Palestine Melbourne newsletter https://www.freepalestinevic.org
• Learn more and engage with APAN (Australia Palestine Advocacy Network) at https://apan.org.au
• Read more – Apeirogon by Colum McCann, A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict by Ilan Pappe, Balcony Over Jerusalem by John Lyons, Palestine A-Z by Kate Thompson, The Hundred Years War on Palestine by Rushid Khalidi, The Sunbird by Sara Haddad, What Does Israel Fear from Palestine by Raja Shehadeh,

 I hope that you are able to answer the call in your heart to action and find a way beyond immobilisation and overwhelm to do your piece, make new relationships and contribute to a better world.

In peace.