Note: These minutes will be reviewed for approval at the December 13, 2025, Permanent Board Meeting. The minutes temporarily numbered 25-*1, 25-*2 and 25-*3 will get final numbers after the next Permanent Board meeting.
•Introduction from clerk of Permanent Board
Friends gathered online on 18 Tenth Month 2025 at 3 p.m. for a called online meeting of the New England Yearly Meeting Permanent Board. After a period of silence, clerk of Permanent Board Susan Davies (Vassalboro) opened the meeting with a statement welcoming Friends to this specially called meeting. She explained that the Permanent Board was acting with the authority of the Yearly Meeting, as recorded in Minute 2025-57.
Sessions Minute 2025-57 states:
“The meeting charged the Presiding Clerk and the Permanent Board with scheduling a special called meeting of New England Friends as soon as possible, before 2025 comes to a close, for the purpose of sharing and encouraging work that is already being done in the Yearly Meeting, and worshipfully discerning a corporate response to the crisis in Gaza."
Friends approved this minute.
After reading this minute, the Permanent Board Clerk explained that this gathering is neither strictly a Permanent Board meeting nor is it a re-convening of NEYM Annual Sessions, but it does carry the weight of those bodies. While this meeting cannot speak for all Friends in New England Yearly Meeting, we have been charged by Sessions to seek and affirm unity within this Body, gathered here on this day.
•Approval of presiding clerk, recording clerk, and reading clerk for this meeting.
The Clerk of Permanent Board requested approval of an acting Clerk’s Table to serve for this called meeting:
Phillip Veatch (Fresh Pond), NEYM Presiding Clerk, acting clerk for this Called Meeting
Mark Conley (Providence), Recording Clerk, and
Regina McCarthy (Wellesley), Reading Clerk
Friends approved.
The Permanent Board Clerk also informed those present that Carole Rein (North Shore) and Sarah Allen (Cambridge) would serve as elders, holding the meeting in care.
•Opening worship
Acting Clerk Phillip Veatch welcomed Friends, reviewed the agenda for this meeting and invited the group into waiting worship.
•Sharing and encouraging work that individuals and groups within the yearly meeting have done or are doing on Israel-Palestine issues.
From the silence, Friends began sharing the work of individuals and groups within the yearly meeting.
Examples of work arising from the leadings of individual Friends include participation in public demonstrations, creating written statements for local media, writing letters to legislators, working with others to directly advocate with federal legislators for changes in budget allocations, volunteering for organizations in Palestine, and delivering public talks on personal experiences with the issue as a form of spiritual leading.
Examples of the work of peace and social justice committees include educational events, legislative postcard campaigns and a fundraising concert to benefit the Ramallah Friends School Children’s Relief Fund.
Examples of initiatives of monthly meetings include donations to organizations supporting peace work in the region, sending delegations for public weekly vigils, approving of minutes written within monthly meetings or unifying with the minutes of other meetings or Friends organizations, and forming a coalition with other faith organizations including Jewish and Muslim organizations, which has given a sense of solidarity in the work as well as an enhanced profile in the community.
A Friend encouraged those present to remember that voices of faith really do matter in witnessing before the general public and in working with members of the government.
•Consideration of a minute of actions and queries
Turning the meeting to the next item on the agenda, the Acting Clerk explained the purpose of this Minute of Action and Queries, which is intended to serve as a reference for those who wish to be more involved with this work, whether by becoming more informed or by taking action. He invited those present to add items to the initial minute, compiled in large part by the Israel-Palestine Resource Group and shared with the yearly meeting in a previous email. Friends encouraged one another to remember that this work has urgency, to take this information back to monthly and quarterly meetings, and to consider steps that can be taken individually or in conjunction with others that go beyond that which is already being done.
Minute 25-*1
1. Engage with the AFSC Palestinian Program in their Fall 2025 efforts: Read, Mourn, Learn and Act; and consider taking up steps in the program in your monthly meeting.
https://afsc.org/news/6-ways-you-can-support-palestinians-gaza
2. Support Jewish neighbors
These two years have been deeply challenging in the Jewish Community. Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) is an incredible organization, but for years it has been demonized by APAIC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee )and others, so it isn't always easy to turn to. There are increasing numbers of individuals who are horrified by what is being done supposedly in their name. It can be incredibly hard to speak up, but it is happening. How do we as individuals reach out to these folks and help them find their voices? What support do they need?
How do we support our Jewish neighbors who are targets of antisemitic actions? How can meetings and individuals reach out to Jewish communities and be clear of our support for their human rights and dignity regardless of political affinities?
3. Learn more about tax resistance and how to support those making this choice.
Next conference is November 7–9, 2025 at Worcester Friends Meetinghouse
https://www.warresisters.org/war-tax-resistance/
4. Support those in or considering military service who struggle with conscience
5. Travel to the area and bear witness to the suffering. Contact us at https://neym.org/israel-palestine-resource-group to connect with those who have.
6. Provide financial support for the relief of suffering:
Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, https://www.pcrf.net/
https://www.healpalestine.org/
AFSC Gaza relief https://afsc.org/news/afscs-gaza-emergency-relief
Support Ramallah Friends School in the West Bank, which lost US AID funding:
7. Invite your Meeting to hold this discussion:
Peace and Reconciliation
Do you "live in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars"?
Do you faithfully maintain Friends' testimony against military preparations and all participation in war, as inconsistent with the teachings and spirit of Christ?
Do you strive to increase understanding and use of nonviolent methods of resolving conflicts?
Do you take your part in the ministry of reconciliation between individuals, groups, and nations?
When discouraged, do you remember that Jesus said, "Peace is my parting gift to you, my own peace, such the world cannot give. Set your troubled hearts at rest, and banish your fears"? John 14:27 NEB
(NEYM 1985 Faith and Practice, Query 12)
8. Discussion of Britain Yearly Meeting’s Statement on Genocide in Gaza
Adapted for United States Friends by Quakers for Peace:
9. And, finally, how do we hold ourselves accountable? Can the Israel Palestine Resource Group assist Meetings and Quarters in discerning what is ours to do?
Friends approved this minute.
•Consideration of unity with other previously written minutes
The meeting turned to consideration of statements on the situation in Gaza coming previously from our Yearly Meeting and now from other organizations.
The discussion included considering the call for “courageous action” urged in the statement from the American Friends Service Committee. Rather than approving statements of others, some Friends proposed direct, substantive action that might include sending members of the New England Yearly Meeting to Gaza as non-violent observers to the situation and witnesses to peace. Another suggestion was for the Yearly Meeting to organize a concerted lobbying effort to Congress in order to influence decisions on spending and policy. Another Friend reflected on the slow progress of justice, and the importance of education and the need to witness to those who live in our community who hold other opinions.
Other Friends considered the power in uniting with a statement that is as straightforward as the statement from AFSC, “Quakers discern genocide is occurring in Gaza and urge courageous action.”
Minute 25-*2
The clerk asked if the body gathered was comfortable having the Presiding Clerk and the Yearly Meeting Secretary endorse the AFSC statement, mindful of the Policy on Public Statements (2015-57).
Friends approved.
Returning to the discussion around sending witnesses to Gaza from the Yearly Meeting, the Presiding Clerk asked the body if it would want to direct the Permanent Board, in conjunction with the Israel-Palestine Resource Group, to consider this possible action.
Minute 25-*3
The meeting charged the Presiding Clerk, the Clerk of Permanent Board and the Israel-Palestine Resource Group to convene to explore, in consultation with those with experience in the region and who could provide context on the ground, the idea of sending witnesses to Gaza from the Yearly Meeting. After this consideration, this group will bring a recommendation forward to Permanent Board for their discernment.
Friends approved.
The Presiding Clerk released the Meeting, noting the depth of worship and the care with which we considered the issue and how tenderly we held one another in our time together.