The statement was sent to all 91短视频 faculty, staff and students at the Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, campuses. The full text of the statement, titled 鈥淎 Path Forward: 91短视频鈥檚 Statement on Peace and Justice in Israel-Palestine,鈥� will be posted online at .

In the statement, 91短视频 President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, with support from the 91短视频 Board of Trustees, urges Congress and the Presidential Administration to:

• Call for a significant humanitarian pause 鈥� including a cease-fire in Gaza 鈥� to save lives.
• Prioritize and protect all civilians, securing humanitarian aid into Gaza and working to secure the release of all hostages; and
• Urge all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law. 

鈥淭he significant loss of life, as well as torture, abuse, and mass starvation occurring among innocents 鈥� mostly women and children 鈥� are war crimes,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淭his is unconscionable. The United States cannot remain complicit in violating international law while, at the same time, calling itself the beacon of human rights and freedom.鈥�

It further states that excerpts from the statement will be sent to members of the U.S. Congress who represent Virginia, as well as the Biden Administration. 

91短视频鈥檚 commitments to peace and justice in Israel and Palestine were first outlined on Dec. 6, 2023, in a 鈥淩eaffirmation of 91短视频 as a Peace and Justice University鈥� message that followed its “Prayer for Peace in Israel and Palestine” in October. President Huxman鈥檚 recent statement serves as an updated response to the growing atrocities in Israel and Palestine.

This week, 91短视频 students, faculty and staff have organized peaceful actions to call on support for a cease-fire. Since Monday morning, students have been ringing the campus bell every four seconds for the more than 33,000 people killed in Palestine and Israel since Oct. 7. Prior to these actions, the 91短视频 Student Government Association had sent a letter to the administration and board of trustees asking for a statement in support of a cease-fire in Gaza.

Tuesday鈥檚 statement affirms that 91短视频 will continue providing a safe, supportive and inclusive teaching and learning environment for a diversity of views. It also clarifies that 91短视频鈥檚 investment portfolio does not hold any shares in companies doing business in Israel-Palestine or any other war-torn countries.

The statement cites 91短视频鈥檚 vision 鈥� 鈥渢o become 鈥榰nifying leaders equipped with intercultural competence, oriented to peace and justice, and rooted in an active faith modeled on the life and teachings of Jesus鈥欌�� 鈥� and credits students with leading the way in encouraging bold engagement.

鈥淥ur young people 鈥� are rising up and calling for peace and a stop to the killing,鈥� it reads. 鈥淲e stand in solidarity with them.鈥�

The 18 group members didn’t just observe; they rolled up their sleeves and got involved with the local people in a “Partners in Mission” work group held May 5-22 in Israel/Palestine. Participants from Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina, led by Dorothy Jean Weaver and Kevin A. Clark of , spent a week in a work project at Nazareth Village, a re-creation of the village of Nazareth as it would have appeared in Jesus’ day and interprets the story of Jesus to visitors. The group had to don 1st century clothes and remove their 21st century garb, including eye-glasses and watches, to pull weeds, fix a roof and move stones.

The work was done using first-century tools. Here, Dorothy Jean Weaver (l.) and Lois Loeser lead a donkey carrying a large bag of weeds that the group dug by hand. The group then spent some time touring and worshipping in Jerusalem before moving on to Bethlehem to work at the International Center of Bethlehem, a ministry of Christmas Lutheran Church.

The , an outreach of Virginia Mennonite Board of Missions in cooperation with Eastern Mennonite Seminary, is designed to give North American Christians a clearer perspective on the everyday life and faith of Palestinian Christians in Israel/Palestine and for participants to bring their stories back to the wider North American church.