An interfaith group of religious leaders in the Boston area have created a petition calling for a ceasefire and organized a silent peace vigil to end the crisis in Gaza and Israel to be held tomorrow:

Tuesday, January 13th | 5:30-6:30 PM | near Park Street T Station, Boston, MA

Similarly to those who organized yesterday’s peace rally in NYC, Boston-area Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders desired to create a different kind of response than the rhetoric emerging on both “sides” of the conflict; instead of perpetuating these “two sides” the leaders have chosen to “stretch our hands out to each other” and “stand shoulder to shoulder” to make their declaration public, to end the violence and express their anguish for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.

The petition, calling for a ceasefire, has been signed by many faith leaders from Massachusetts. It states, in part:

In the face of many competing narratives, we recognize that the overriding common need of the peoples of the region is the prompt implementation of a just and lasting peace. Toward that end, and particularly in response to the current hostilities,

We call upon the United States and the international community immediately to intercede to help reestablish a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, toward the goal of a permanent cessation of hostilities
We call upon Hamas immediately to end all rocket attacks on Israel, and upon Israel immediately to end its military campaign in Gaza
We call for an immediate end to all strikes on civilian centers and citizens, both Israeli and Palestinian
We call for lifting of the blockade on Gaza as to all non-military goods, for an immediate and significant increase in humanitarian aid to address the needs of the people of Gaza, and for all parties involved to join in taking responsibility to address those human needs
We call on all parties involved in the conflict to work sincerely and vigorously toward a just and lasting peace that addresses and promotes the national aspirations of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples
We call on President-elect Obama to make clear that as President he will urgently assert US leadership to achieve a comprehensive diplomatic resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli conflicts

You are encouraged to add your voice to the growing number of voices calling for peaceful resolutions to the conflict by signing the petition and attending the vigil.

Logistics for the vigil are being coordinated by the Boston Workmen’s Circle. Organizers will be providing signs and request that no additional signs be brought. See the Workmen’s Circle page or Facebook event notice for more details.