American Humanist Association Calls for Ceasefire, Release of Hostages, & Respect for International Law in Gaza and Israel

Sept. 25, 2024

For Immediate Release

Contact: David Reinbold, dreinbold@americanhumanist.org

As humanists, we believe that every human life has inherent, equal, and limitless worth and dignity – so we stand firmly against terrorism and shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later militarism, both of which treat civilian lives as acceptable collateral damage, and are therefore deeply immoral and unjust.

As humanists, we believe the best way to protect and strengthen humanity is through strong, shared ethical frameworks – so we call on all people and nations to respect international law.

And as humanists, we are called to stand up against injustice and defend our principles:

Therefore, the American Humanist Association is calling for an immediate, bilateral, and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and the immediate release of all hostages.

Israel’s legitimate need for security and Palestinians’ inalienable right to dignity and self-determination cannot remotely justify the violence against civilians, on both sides of the conflict, and violations of international law that have taken place before, on, and since October 7th, 2023.

There is no military solution to this conflict – only a diplomatic one. We call on the US government to use the full extent of its leverage to negotiate a ceasefire and release of hostages, demand that all parties in the conflict respect international law, and ensure that our taxpayer dollars are not used to fund human rights abuses.

We want to be clear: where theocracy goes, violence follows. The atrocities committed in this conflict are a direct result of the extreme religious fanaticism of both Hamas and components of the far-right Netanyahu government, and each side’s belief in its supremacy and divine right to dominion over the other. This is just the latest in a line of sad examples demonstrating that democratic,secular government is necessary (though not sufficient) to protect basic human rights.

Humanism is incompatible with hate. We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, all anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, which have always been present in the United States but have been inflamed by this conflict.

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The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.