Rev. Jennifer Hosler, PhD

This week, I was arrested alongside 60 national movement and organizational leaders, while protesting in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda for a permanent ceasefire in Palestine. As a Christian pastor at Washington City Church of the Brethren, my faith compels me to protect life, to denounce violence, and to work for peace. There is no military solution to this problem. The United States cannot continue to fund Israel’s weapons of death and destruction. We need a permanent ceasefire, divestment in weapons, and investment in life. We also cannot exchange asylum protections or militarizing the border for military funding. Imagine what $106 billion could provide in terms of child care, education, or housing?

Tell Congress to #StopArmingIsrael & call for a #CeasefireNow! peopledemand.org/take-action

Full Statement

As a follower of Jesus and an ordained minister with a call to peacemaking, I must use my voice and my body to stand up and protect human life, to protest using our tax dollars to fund bombs that are killing innocent civilians. I call for a permanent ceasefire, for Israel to cease its relentless bombing that has murdered thousands of children and their families, for the United States to divest in weapons and invest in life. 

The church where I pastor, Washington City Church of the Brethren on Capitol Hill, has been welcoming asylum seekers for about 18 months. I have seen and cared for babies, toddlers, young children, teenagers, parents, grandparents, who have come looking for freedom and safety from all forms of violence. Seeking asylum is a human right. We cannot exchange asylum to fund the war against Gaza. 

As a faith leader of a Christian church in Washington, DC, I call upon my government to stop funding this immoral war against Gazans. Do not use our tax dollars for death – use them to support life! How can we have billions of dollars for weapons, but not for funding housing, health care, childcare, nutrition, or education? How can we have billions of dollars for weapons but no appetite or funds to ethically to welcome vulnerable asylum seekers? How can President Biden be willing to exchange asylum protections for war? 

I stand with my allies across religious identities, from numerous civic society, social justice, and labor organizations, with the following demands: 

We demand:

• That Congress vote NO on the supplemental spending package, and reject all proposals and funding requests that further enable Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, the militarization of the U.S. southern border, and the persecution of immigrants here in the U.S. 
• An immediate permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid and services, and the immediate restoration of water, food, fuel, electricity, and internet.
• That the U.S. government ends all support for the Israeli government’s apartheid regime, occupation, and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. 
• That the Biden administration and Congress advance legislation and policies that will strengthen our asylum system, end all forms of immigration detention, reduce backlogs for work permits, and bolster our refugee resettlement program. 
• That the Biden administration and Congress redirect billions of our taxpayer dollars away from war and militarism and into life-affirming services, including health care, housing, childcare, and education for all – foundational elements necessary to build healthy, thriving communities. 
• That all organizations and elected officials who stand for immigrant, racial, labor, and climate justice oppose the supplemental spending package and speak out against attempts to use immigrant communities as bargaining chips and dehumanize Palestinians.

Take Action here: https://www.peopledemand.org/take-action

Video Statement while Under Arrest

Video Credit: @craig_phelps

Brief Statement (similar to video)

I am a Christian pastor at Washington City Church of the Brethren in DC, just a few blocks away from the Capitol. My faith compels me to protect life, to denounce violence, and to work for peace. There is no military solution to this problem. The United States cannot continue to fund Israel’s weapons of death and destruction. We need a permanent ceasefire, divestment in weapons, and investment in life. For the past 18 months, my congregation has been investing in life – in the precious lives of asylum seekers making their way to Washington, DC, some bussed by TX or AZ.

Every human life is precious and made in the image of God. Every life in Gaza. Every life in Israel. Every life that crosses our borders in search of asylum.

We must invest in life, in peace, in education, in health care, in child care, in housing. We cannot trade off asylum for bombs. No more money for bombs. We need money for peace, for life, for hope.