This publish was initially printed on The Washington Informer
By Hamil R. Harris
Simply 5 days earlier than the official transition of energy, President Joe Biden, flanked by Vice President Harris and Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, introduced that Israel and Hamas lastly reached a peace settlement on Jan. 15.
“Right now, after many months of intensive diplomacy by the USA, together with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal,” Biden mentioned in an announcement launched after the White Home information convention.
“This deal will halt the preventing in Gaza, surge a lot humanitarian help to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their households after greater than 15 months in captivity.”
The president referenced scripture when celebrating the information of steps towards peace, after greater than a 12 months of violence the place greater than 1100 folks had been killed in an assault in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and subsequently greater than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since.
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be referred to as the kids of God,” mentioned Biden who introduced a three-phase peace plan between Israel and Hamas within the East Room of the White Home.
Imam Talib Shareef of the District’s Masjid Muhammad, “The Nation’s Mosque,” celebrated the information of peace in Gaza.
“The announcement of a ceasefire that would come with exchanges of hostages and political prisoners is actually welcomed, lengthy overdue information,” Shareef informed The Informer. “We’ve been so heartbroken over the various killed, unwilling martyrs of a better trigger, and we proceed to wish and prolong our condolences.”
Shareef thanked those that have been on the frontlines calling for an finish to the violence.
“We need to thank all who’ve been responding to the excellence of their souls and the most effective of their humanity, standing in opposition to the devastation, unprecedented humanitarian disaster, pushing, protesting, and advocating for this second of peace,” Shareef mentioned. “Peace is the hope of each human soul.”
Shareef’s predominant precedence is sustained progress towards peace.
“Our hope is that it’s going to proceed to maneuver ahead and be sustained,” he mentioned. “So we hope for change, for an enduring peace, and for that to occur we should handle the roots of the battle, together with historic and ongoing Palestinian displacement, occupation, and the truth of apartheid.”
Celebrating Biden’s Management
The night of the peace settlement, Biden delivered his farewell handle to the nation.
“This plan (the settlement between Israel and Hamas) was developed and negotiated by my group and shall be largely applied by the incoming administration. That’s why I informed my group to maintain the incoming administration absolutely knowledgeable, as a result of that’s the way it must be, working collectively as People,” mentioned Biden. “This shall be my remaining handle to you, the American folks, from the Oval Workplace, from this desk as president.”
Former President Barack Obama applauded President Biden’s efforts on X (previously generally known as Twitter.)
“4 years in the past, in the midst of a pandemic, we would have liked a pacesetter with the character to place politics apart and do what was proper. That’s what [Joe Biden] did.”
Obama lauded his former vice chairman for all he achieved up to now 4 years.
“At a time when our financial system was reeling, he drove what would grow to be the world’s strongest restoration — with 17 million new jobs, historic wage beneficial properties, and decrease well being care prices. He handed landmark laws to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and handle the specter of local weather change,” mentioned Obama. “I’m grateful to Joe for his management, his friendship, and his lifetime of service to this nation we love.”
The Rev. Thomas Bowen, a senior adviser to Biden and former director of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Workplace of Spiritual Affairs, accomplished his tenure on the White Home a couple of days in the past.
“Serving as a Biden-Harris administration appointee and senior advisor for public engagement, main religion engagement, has been one of many biggest honors of my life,” mentioned Bowen, who’s returning to the District’s Shiloh Baptist Church the place he served as an affiliate pastor.“I’m deeply grateful for the chance to work with an distinctive group and religion leaders nationwide to advance a shared imaginative and prescient of a greater, extra simply future.”
Bowen mentioned he takes all he has discovered from his time on the White Home into his subsequent alternative and past.
“As I transition to the subsequent chapter, I carry ahead invaluable classes, lasting relationships, and a profound sense of gratitude,” Bowen informed The Informer. “I look ahead to persevering with this work in new methods, together with serving as Shiloh Baptist Church’s social justice minister as we put together to welcome a brand new pastor.“
The publish Clergy, Leaders Applaud Peace Settlement, Biden Administration appeared first on The Washington Informer.
