The Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada expresses its solidarity with humanity and all creation. The only appropriate response to the horror in the Holy Land is to refuse to surrender the divine dignity of our common humanity.

The threats and violence against Israeli civilians from Hamas must stop and the hostages must be released immediately. The deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians are devastating, and must stop immediately. Our common humanity must be affirmed, wisely and with compassion. Wherever fear and terror prevail, we are all poorer; only hope, and the love that destroys hate, are the antidote.

The Interfaith Council is dedicated to promoting compassion, love, and peace. We stand against all violence, especially when it targets innocent civilians. Our common humanity calls upon every person to grieve “their children” as “our children,” their deaths as a source of great sorrow. There is no hierarchy of fear, no superiority of stance when it comes to human beings. All who are being harmed — children, women, and men — are human beings of divine stature and deserve the right to be, to belong, and to become the persons they were meant to be with real security for all.

The Interfaith Council recognizes the profound challenges facing the Israeli and Palestinian people, and calls upon governments, international bodies, religious members of all faiths, and civil society organizations to promote the initiation of a new round of dialogue and negotiations leading to a sustainable peace.

We call upon all to condemn any form of violence, aggression, and discrimination, and to work tirelessly toward peaceful dialogue, understanding, and a just sustainable resolution of the conflicts in the region.

The suffering and loss of innocent lives must end, and the international community should work together to promote peace, justice, and human rights for all people in the region.

We remind our community members and partners that violence is not inevitable. It is a choice. It can be and should be prevented. Each of us has an important role to play — to speak up and interrupt the spread of violence, and to build bridges of peace.