Viewpoint: No decision about me without me: Cheap peace in Gaza

Mother and child on ruin of their home

As Donald Trump stood beside Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and announced a 20-point plan to "end" the war in Gaza, there were no Palestinians in the room. If Hamas fail to agree to the plan then the genocide continues.

This is not peace. It is "colonialism" rebranded. It echoes what Dietrich Bonhoeffer once called "cheap grace", a grace that demands nothing, changes nothing, costs nothing. Today, we face its cousin: cheap peace.

Cheap peace is a ceasefire without justice, reconstruction without repentance, and diplomacy without dignity. It offers superficial calm while silencing the cries beneath. It's peace on the terms of the powerful. A peace that leaves occupation intact and the oppressed voiceless.

The Gospel calls us not to manage violence politely, but to root it out with truth and mercy. Jesus did not come with empire-endorsed settlements; he stood with the crucified. Today, that means standing with the people of Gaza, not imposing a future upon them, but insisting they are the authors of their own.

Rev Dr Munther Isaac reminds us: "If you fail to call this a genocide, it is on you… a darkness you willingly embrace." His challenge to the Church, to the world, is clear: no neutrality in the face of structural sin.

"No decision about me without me" is not just a political slogan, it is a moral imperative, and it is at the very heart of Christian nonviolence. Real peace - costly peace - demands justice, repentance, and the full dignity of all.