Actions you’ll find below:
- Organize with other concerned Friends
- Contact your representative & senators
- Endorse & write minutes for peace & justice
- Hold a vigil
- Protest
- Boycott & divest from companies complicit in human rights violations
- Donate to provide life-saving aid
- Support peacemakers in Palestine
- Hold an event
- Support UN direct action
- Stand up for Palestinian rights
- Travel & bear witness in Palestine
- Learn more about Palestine
- Stay inspired
Organize With Other Concerned Friends
Attend the AFSC Action Hour, every Friday at noon. It is incredible. There are guest speakers, news updates, group sharing, and time to call our representatives. AFSC also has a good list of actions you can take and an Apartheid-Free Quaker Affinity Group with helpful resources for Quakers.
Engage with Quaker, Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim and Arab neighbors and community organizations working for peace and justice in your area. Join an organization like:
- Quaker Palestine Israel Network (QPIN)
- Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Middle East Collaborative
- Jewish Voice for Peace
- If Not Now
- Christians for a Free Palestine
- Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
- U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights
A group called Quakers for Peace in Palestine & Israel has also put together a list of actions Quakers can take.
Contact Your Representatives & Senators
Write, email, or call your Senators and Representative. You may phone the United States Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. You can also look up the phone numbers for your Representative and your Senators. Subscribe to the weekly round-up on Middle East-related developments on Capitol Hill from the Foundation for Middle East Peace. You can track your representatives’ acceptance of money from AIPAC here. Now is the time to engage with your congresspeople: 60% of Americans disapprove of Israel’s war on Palestinian life in Gaza, per a July 2025 Gallup poll.
Consider joining the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), which advocates on the Hill for peace and justice at home and abroad and has been active on Palestine. You can start or join a local advocacy team! You can also attend an Intro to Advocacy training. FNCL puts out wonderful advocacy team toolkits that can help guide your lobbying.
USCPR also has a wonderful guide to pressuring elected officials that you should also check out.
Legislative priorities to contact your representative and senators about:
- Restore AFSC License to Deliver Aid in Gaza: Ask your Representative, Senators, and the U.S. Department of State to pressure the Israeli government to reverse its December 2025 deregistration of AFSC and many other humanitarian organizations providing life-saving aid in Gaza. Also ask them to enforce U.S. law, which prohibits U.S. weapons for governments that restrict U.S. humanitarian aid and perpetrate gross human rights abuses.
- For more info, read AFSC’s statement. Watch Shaina Low speak about Israel’s criminalization of aid. Read a thread on why states must take action. See a joint statement from more than 50 humanitarian organizations. Read AFSC staff member Yousef’s take on the devastating impact this move will have on the lives of so many Palestinian families as the atrocities continue (under a false banner of “peace”). Thankfully, AFSC is able and committed to continue its work in Gaza despite the deregistration, so please continue to support AFSC’s emergency response.
- U.S. Stop Supporting Apartheid Israel, No MOU: The campaign is beginning to stop the United States from signing another memorandum of understanding with Israel, guaranteeing the U.S. government’s provision of weapons and money to support the Israeli military’s colonization, annexation, apartheid, and genocide. Read more on the MOU from the Institute for Middle East Understanding.
- Recognize the Genocide: Rep. Tlaib has introduced H.Res.876, Recognizing the Genocide of the Palestinian People in Gaza, which calls on the US to sanction Israel and support Palestinian genocide survivors. You can call or send an email to your representative in support of the resolution at this site. Learn more here. Reference this script suggested by AFSC:
- Hello, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I’m a constituent of [REP NAME]. I’m calling to thank [REP NAME] for co-sponsoring H.Res. 876, the Genocide Resolution. Israel should be held to the same standard as other countries that were investigated by the U.S. Congress for the crime of genocide. I sincerely thank you for upholding your responsibility as a member of Congress. Please urge your colleagues to join you in cosponsoring H.Res. 876.
- Block the Bombs to Israel: Contact your representative and ask them to co-sponsor/support H.R. 3565, the Block the Bombs Act. Contact your senators and ask them to co-sponsor Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) S.J.Res.34 and S.J.Res.41 to block the sale of certain offensive weapons to Israel. In your calls/letters to Congress, you can reference recent polling indicating that a majority of Americans want to stop using U.S. tax dollars to arm Israel. You can also reference that it is in politicians’ political interest to support Palestinian life — a recent poll indicates that 6 million fewer people voted for Kamala Harris than for Joe Biden citing U.S. support for Israeli violence against Palestinians as the reason.
- Stop the Starvation: Urge your senators to co-sponsor S.Res. 224 and your representative to co-sponsor H.Res. 473 calling for the immediate delivery of lifesaving aid into Gaza in the midst of the Israeli government’s starvation campaign. Share this FCNL fact sheet on the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) with congressional offices.
- Sanction Violent Settlers: Call for your senators (S. 2667) and representative (HR 3045) to support legislation sanctioning violent settlers and settler entities carrying out attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.
- Sebastia: Read more about Sebastia, a Palestinian village in the West Bank, and learn about Israel’s plan to displace its residents. Read AFSC’s statement. Take action by emailing your members of Congress with this Action Alert.
- Beit Sahour: Beit Sahour is a majority-Christian town in the West Bank, near Bethlehem. Sign a letter asking Congress to take action against Israeli colonial expansion in Beit Sahour, or read a letter from Beit Sahour’s mayor.
- Restore Congressional Funding to UNRWA: The UN has declared a famine in Gaza. Doctors without Borders and the UN have found the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution sites to be places of death (not aid) and integral to the Israeli government’s forced starvation campaign in Gaza. We must restore the UN aid system. The UN is the only neutral provider of humanitarian aid capable of acting at scale to stop the famine in Gaza. Urge your congresspeople to co-sponsor the UNRWA Restoration Act in the House (HR 9649) and Senate (S 5388). There has been so much misinformation about UNRWA. Educate yourself and share these resources with your congresspeople:
- FCNL’s Action Alert
- Odeliya Matter’s piece on the importance of this bill
- Hassan Al-Tayyab’s piece in The Hill
- AFSC’s piece about Israel’s ban of UNRWA
- 104 organizations wrote a letter to Marco Rubio calling for him to allow UNRWA to continue their life-saving services in Gaza
- Washington Post editorial about UNRWA’s ongoing work in Gaza
- Policy memo by IMEU Policy Project about US weapons to Israel
- Work UNRWA is still doing in Gaza here.
- Protect Free Speech: Oppose H.R. 1007, which would enshrine in law criticism of the Israeli government as a supposed antisemitic act. See this helpful explainer from Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). This bill has been defeated in the past, and we hope it will continue to be defeated in the 119th Congress.
- Promote international legal accountability for war crimes through the indictments of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and oppose legislation to sanction the ICC, which has passed in the House and may come up in the Senate. Find more information on the bill to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) here. See if your Representative voted to sanction the ICC. Read more context about this bill here.
- Recognize the Nakba: Rep. Rashida Tlaib has introduced HR 409. Encourage your representative to support recognition of the ethnic cleansing catastrophe of Palestinians from their land and homes in 1948.
Endorse & Write Minutes for Peace & Justice
Together with your Quaker Meeting, place of worship, or other organization, consider endorsing these statements as a public witness:
- Quakers discern genocide is occurring in Gaza and urge courageous action
- AFSC Apartheid-Free Pledge
- Quaker organizations share a vision for peace in Palestine and Israel
You can also write a minute or statement in support of peace & justice in Palestine with your Quaker Meeting, place of worship, or organization. For inspiration, see the Montclair Friends Minute and other Quaker Meetings’ ceasefire minutes. Also see this minute on genocide from Britain Yearly Meeting and this minute of concern on humanitarian crisis and forced starvation from Northern Yearly Meeting.
You can also write a letter to the editor of your local paper. FCNL has a great training on how to write a LTE. As an example, see this letter to the editor a Quaker wrote in the Houston Chronicle.
Hold a Vigil
See this Action Packet on a vigil you can arrange in your meeting or community.
Protest
Join an upcoming protest for a ceasefire and equal rights in Palestine, safely & effectively. See USCPR protest guide.
Boycott & Divest from Companies Complicit in Human Rights Violations
Hold corporations accountable and divest from companies complicit in human rights violations.
- Check out this helpful AFSC Investigate corporate research tool, which has detail on complicit companies like Chevron.
- Also see this BDS guide from AFSC and this one from USCPR.
- In encouraging people in your Quaker meeting, place of worship, or organization who may be reluctant to divest, see this helpful guide from QPIN
- Give a listen to this podcast on “Solidarity as a tool for defending Palestinian rights” with Omar Barghouti, who discusses the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
- There are also applications you can use to scan barcodes and see if the product you’re considering buying is manufactured by a complicit corporation, including: Boycat and No Thanks.
Donate to Provide Life-Saving Aid
There are several great humanitarian organizations on the ground in Palestine today.
- Organizations Focused on Palestine
- American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker service organization providing emergency aid to Palestinians in Gaza. AFSC was the first humanitarian organization on the ground in Gaza. In 1948 as the ethnic cleansing (Nakba) was ongoing, the UN asked AFSC to provide aid to the displaced people arriving in Gaza. AFSC accepted.
- UNRWA is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. It is the largest humanitarian organization in Gaza. In October 2025, the UN’s highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), found that Israel had not provided evidence substantiating its allegations that any substantial number of UNRWA employees belonged to Hamas.
- American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) supports Palestinian refugee families in Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan. ANERA mobilizes resources for emergency relief and for sustainable, long-term health, education, and economic development.
- Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) works for the rights and the well-being of children in the Middle East. MECA supports dozens of projects for Palestinian children.
- Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) envisions a world where all children in the Middle East have access to quality medical care, and humanitarian aid.
- Rebuilding Alliance (RA) provides humanitarian relief in Gaza, including hot meals delivered directly to the homes of the poorest families. RA is dedicated to advancing equal rights for the Palestinian people through education, advocacy, and support.
- Refugee Alliance International empowers refugees and survivors of trauma in the Middle East to develop a safe and sustainable future. The organization has been active in funding medical services for injured Palestinians from Gaza evacuated to Egypt.
- Freedom Flotilla Coalition will sail until Palestine is free. The coalition has launched several missions with boats carrying life-saving aid to break the siege on Gaza.
- Palestinian Grassroots Organizations
- Hebron International Resource Network provides crucial humanitarian support and programs for Palestinians facing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
- Dignity for Palestinians delivers humanitarian aid into Gaza and is led by Dr. Musallam Abukhalil
- International Humanitarian Organizations
- Doctors Without Borders (MSF) provides medical and psychological assistance to people affected by the ongoing conflict in the West Bank and Gaza. MSF maintains a wound care clinic that has treated hundreds of patients, mostly suffering from trauma injuries.
- World Central Kitchen (WCK) has prepared tens of millions of meals for people in Gaza who do not have enough to eat.
- Save the Children provides humanitarian relief, education, advocacy, and protection services for children in Palestine.
Support Peacemakers in Palestine
There are wonderful Palestinian and Israeli institutions doing peace and justice work that are in need of sustaining donations, including:
- Palestinian Peacemakers
- Ramallah Friends School (RFS), a renowned Quaker school in Palestine
- Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center
- Adalah Justice Project, legal & advocacy organization
- Holy Land Trust, based in Bethlehem and founded by NVI Co-Director Sami Awad, continues its mission of nonviolent resistance with a focus on trauma resilience
- Palestinian House of Friendship (PHF)
- Tent of Nations is an educational and ecological family farm southwest of Bethlehem, Palestine that seeks to build bridges between people and between people and the land through creative resistance, organic farming, and educational programs
- We Are Not Numbers is a group of emerging writers from Palestine, primarily Gaza, whose powerful storytelling amplifies Palestinian voices traditionally suppressed from mainstream media
- Israeli Peacemakers
- B’Tselem, leading Israeli human rights monitor
- Center for Jewish Nonviolence brings Jewish activists from around the world to join in Palestinian-led non-violent civil resistance to occupation, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing
- Standing Together, an advocacy organization promoting Palestinian-Israeli solidarity and antiracist equality
- Refuser Solidarity Network, Israeli war resisters and refusers
- Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolition is an outspoken Israeli human rights organization that seeks to document Israeli violations of international law in the Occupied Territories, end Israeli apartheid policies, and achieve the just resolution of one democratic state of equal citizenship in all of historic Palestine.
- Villages Group is composed of Israeli activists supporting and protecting Palestinians in Masafer Yatta every week for 24 years
- Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine is a group of over one hundred trained veterns of unarmed civilian protection who provide non-violent protective presence, primarily in the South Jordan Valley of the West Bank for Bedouin communities.
Hold an Event
- a silent march through your community with signs mourning the loss of life in Gaza, possibly walking in a line so as not to block the sidewalk or street.
- a fast in solidarity with Palestinians enduring forced starvation, inspired by the Palestinian Youth Movement. See this toolkit.
- a pot-banging demo to stand in solidarity with starving Palestinians, as Palestinian activist Bisan Owda has called us to do.
- a gathered meeting to review strategies that can bring monthly meetings, yearly meetings and larger Quaker bodies together in a gathered national or worldwide action to pressure the UN and/or other international bodies.
- a movie night to be in community together around a powerful film, learn together, and reflect together. Check into rights to show a film to a group first.
- a paper quilt assembling event to bring together older and younger Friends with messages of peace, justice, and hope for all in Palestine
- a guest speaker who can share their expertise on matters of peace and justice in Palestine or experience traveling there bearing witness.
- a fundraiser, involving any of the above, or another creative idea you have! For example, one Meeting had a “playdate for peace” with games and story-telling for kids, lots of food, and even a guest speaker for the parents.
Support UN Direct Action
Consider asking your monthly/yearly meetings to submit a minute to the Quaker UN Office (QUNO) urging the UN to convene an emergency session to invoke the Uniting for Peace Resolution. This resolution allows the General Assembly to act to restore international peace when the Security Council is crippled by inaction. In the context of Gaza, Uniting for Peace could involve suspending weapons transfers to the Israeli government and opening UN humanitarian aid channels to stop the Genocide. This could be done without the use of force through an international coalition.
Stand Up for Palestinian Rights
Check out this USCPR guide to raising awareness, and be an up-stander:
- in community, e.g., by encouraging your institution or place of worship to join the Apartheid-Free Communities Pledge
- in individual conversations with others — see book When They Speak Israel by Quaker author Alex McDonald, and pamphlet from If Not Now on how to discuss Palestine at your dinner table.
- on social media — share these amazing graphics from Visualizing Palestine and informational stories from Middle East Eye
Travel & Bear Witness in Palestine
You may have privilege to travel where so many Palestinians cannot. Do an ethical tour, perhaps with the Quaker Living Letters group, FOSNA/Sabeel, or Eyewitness Palestine, and bear witness to apartheid for yourself and others in your community to know and take action.
Learn More About Palestine
- Quaker Sumud: an eight-week workshop on the history of Palestine from the 1917 Balfour Declaration to the present Genocide, guided by our reading of Prof. Rashid Khalidi’s Hundred Years’ War on Palestine.
- Why Palestine Matters: workshop on peace and justice in Palestine offered by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Middle East Collaborative (reach out to inquire about the next time they are offering it). See curriculum.
- Freedom is the Future: workshop on Palestinian history, culture, and advocacy with the Palestinian American Community Center (PACC).
- Palestine Nexus: courses offered by Prof. Zachary Foster on topics such as: Jewish Anti-Zionism, History of the Palestinians, and Palestine-Israel 101
- Transnational Institute (TNI): Palestine Reading List
- Palestine 101 self-study by the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights