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Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East marks 500+ communities pledging to be “Apartheid-Free”
March 21, 2025
Today, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME) joins with communities all over the world to mark an important milestone: over 500 congregations and organizations have taken a pledge declaring themselves “apartheid-free.” Pledge signers commit to cut ties with Israel’s apartheid regime against Palestinians and to oppose all forms of racism, bigotry, discrimination, and oppression. These 500+ groups represent hundreds of thousands of constituents and include congregations, faith communities, solidarity organizations, non-profits, student organizations, veterans’ groups, businesses, and even municipalities.
A map and full list of apartheid-free communities can be found here.
The UUJME board stated this about the reason we signed the pledge, “Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East is a proud original signatory of the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge. We took the pledge because it invites commitment to collective study and action within a growing movement of communities in solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle for liberation. As Unitarian Universalists, we center love in human relations and believe in accountable transformation of injustice by building a united symphony of many voices for witness, education, organizing, and advocacy. Taking this pledge and organizing other groups to do so is one of the most meaningful commitments that a congregation or other group can make. UUJME worked in a coalition at the Unitarian Universalist Association 2024 General Assembly to overwhelmingly pass a resolution in solidarity with Palestinians which called for UU congregations to join Apartheid Free Communities. We are proud to support the adoption of the pledge in three UU congregations so far.”
The three Unitarian Universalist congregations that have signed the pledge include All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Shreveport, Louisiana; Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists; and the Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco. Several other UU congregations are in discussion about the pledge.
For decades, the Palestinian people have faced Israeli occupation and systematic human rights abuses. Apartheid is defined under international law as a legally enforced system of separation and oppression based on race, creed, or ethnicity. Palestinian human rights groups have described Israel’s policies as apartheid for decades. Over the past few years, much of the international human rights community – including B’tselem, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International – have also joined the call for an end to Israeli apartheid.
The Apartheid-Free campaign originated in 2022 when an interdenominational coalition of faith groups in North America, convened by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), came together to organize the pledge.
We are proud to be among the original 13 national faith groups that organized and signed the pledge to be apartheid-free.
“The fact that more than 500 congregations, organizations, and businesses have come together to end Israeli apartheid fills me with hope,” said Noor Nabulsi, Apartheid-Free Communications Specialist for AFSC. “These groups represent hundreds of thousands of people from many different places, faiths, and walks of life. What we share is a belief that collectively we are growing the anti-apartheid movement and making it a 21st century issue.”
Each community that signs the pledge commits to resisting apartheid and all forms of racism and discrimination, but this looks different in every community. It can include community education, political advocacy, divestment, protest, organizing ballot measures, or creative projects.
UUJME supports local UU congregations in their journey to become apartheid-free.
Learn more at: https://apartheid-free.org/
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Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East works within the Unitarian Universalist faith community to educate and mobilize individuals, congregations, and denominational leaders to recognize and counter inequality and injustice in Palestine-Israel and to support our allies in the global justice and anti-oppression movements.
