In early Jan. 15 senior rabbis, ministers and imams traveled together to Israel and the Palestinian territories. We are from among New York City's leading religious institutions. Collectively, our houses of worship are home to tens of thousands of prominent New Yorkers.
Anyone who appreciates the hectic schedules and unique demands upon congregational clergy realizes that it is no small matter to bring 15 spiritual leaders together for five days. So why did we leave our congregations for a week? Why did our congregants insist that we go and even pay for our mission?
In the post 9/11 world, religious rapprochement is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. To ignore dialogue is to invite destruction. If we do not find ways to live together in dignity we will die together in agony. Religious moderates must build new bridges of coexistence or religious extremists will burn the last bridges of peace.
Our presence in the Middle East was intended to broadcast that we can live together, work together, travel together, dream together and build together. In a world awash in religious conflict, we wish to model a different way: the way of coexistence, respect and peace.
It was a tough trip. We did not paper over our differences. We visited the heart of the conflict. There were moments of despair. We met with presidents, prime ministers, members of parliament and mayors on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide. We met with priests, imams and rabbis. We met with journalists, academics, students, villagers and farmers.
Daily headlines do not begin to tell the story. None of the people we met -- not one -- believed that the Middle East is closer to peace today than ten years ago. If this is the truth, we need to hear it. Progress rests upon the solid rock of reality, not the shifting sands of fantasy.
Despite it all, many of us returned to New York guardedly optimistic. None of the people we met -- not one -- felt that the status quo was sustainable. Everyone understood that a way must be found to break out of the suffocating reality. There is broad agreement that the present is not working and that a new future must be forged.
People of faith have a unique role to play. Both Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad urged us to engage. Both of them emphasized that religion could be a source of enormous support as the politicians seek a political solution. We can help to create a context that is conducive to peace.
Religion specializes in hope. We are good at articulating our common humanity and giving voice to the better angels of our nature. We were also cautioned that if we do not step up the forces of religious intolerance will continue to drag the rest of us towards war. Our era has placed a sacred obligation on the forces and figures of religious moderation to speak out and act out.
There are many good people working to build bridges. In Haifa we met Christians, Muslims and Jews who have built a true house of coexistence. In Tel Aviv we met doctors, nurses and hospital staff who treated illness without regard to race, religion or creed. Even on the Gaza border, in Israeli towns that were fired upon in a barrage of missiles, there were people who were reaching out to the other side.
Peace is made piece by piece, from the bottom up. Progress is advanced day by day, person by person, each laboring in their own corner of the universe, connecting with others who together create an irresistible force. We should connect with those people and strengthen their hand. This daily labor is heroic work.
Jewish sages ask: Who is a hero? They respond: He who turns an enemy into a friend.
This is our task: person by person to help turn enemies into friends.
WISE VIDEO • FINAL DAY from Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on Vimeo.
Noah Fitzgerel: Keep Religion Out of Public Schools
Hopefully, the young will get together, and cooperate in every way.
PEACE.
Paying lip service to desires to end the conflict mean nothing if one is not willing to take steps to make that happen.
Without a Just Peace, there will be no security,and no matter how militarily strong you are, you can never win imposing on people against their will.
The cost of using might as a tool of fear,coersion and domination is unsustainable, case and point Iraq and Afghanistan the lost trillions and innocent lives. Unbridled and unjust might will bankrupt you financially, politically and morally, and ends up destroying you and those who support you in that endeavor.
You dont have to be a religeous person to recognize injustice and empathize with those subjuguated to indignity daily; you have to look at the breach of international laws by the neocons in Israel. Under netanyahu, the peacemakers in Israel where sidelined and in the US our congress has the Damocles AIPAC sword hanging over it, making it practically impossible to criticize Israel without loosing your political life The neocons do Israelis and Palestians no favors and are harming the national security of our country.
We needd to tie our finacncial aid to the region with the strict adherence to human rights and the rule of international laws that protect individuals, groups and nations from predators on both sides
It is only when we, American people, realize that the Israeli/palestinian issue has a direct impact on our national security, that we will truly help bring about a just peace between the Israelis and Palestinians
All of my best wishes go with you, but I just don't see any significant change happening. If anything, the ultra-nuts have been gaining power.
Getting dispensation for doing a deity’s work, has got to be one of the easiest tasks yet set.
"religious extremists will burn the last bridges of peace."
Truly a proverbial bridge too far.
"the shifting sands of fantasy"
pass easily between those fingers, on the hand of introspection. If there is anything of substance hidden therein, that’s the way it’ll be revealed.
"the suffocating reality"
is in fact a place of fresh air. Partially occupied by jostling individuals. Each trapped in their own unique bubble-like rendition.
"Peace is made piece by piece, from the bottom up."
Peace was already here. Then we all turned up, and broke it. Where is the all-out war, when we’re not around?
"an irresistible force."
Whose nomenclature is logic. May that force be with us.
"Who is a hero?"
Not one who knows no fear. But one who does know fear, and yet proceeds.
Unfortunately, a large percentage of religion specializes in the concept that their particular view is right and all others are wrong. This starts many down the path of intolerance right out of the gate. Here's a question to the author: Can each of the religious leaders in your group admit that their religion and views are no more 'divine' than those of the others? Can they admit that they aren't 'special' or 'chosen' or somehow the favorites of an unprovable god? Until we can get past that egotistical view that proclaims one religion is the 'true' one, religion will more than likely continue to be a force driving the world to destruction, not peace.
The Neocon's there and here hated Carter for merely trying to find
a middle ground and some solid steps towards Peace....that's why
they ran the phony Anderson campaign and October Surprise
to defeat him.....and likely had something to do with the
wild interest rates that hurt the US and him.....yet federal
spending and debt was nothing compared to Reagan !
Better yet follow Ron Paul's ideas and just get the hell out
of the ME ME$$.....let's see Israel figure it all out without
our money and missiles protecting it. I'm for a strong
and secure Israel, but right wing policy there is self destructive,
just as it has been for the US.