Israeli-Palestinian conflict: let's disarm religions!
Organizers of an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Forum this week in Jerusalem believe the three monotheistic religions are the key to resolving tensions in the Holy Land
The solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has been going on for 73 years, will be political and diplomatic.
The outline, which is part of the continuing negotiations, is widely known.
In Israel, it is the political will that is lacking among those in power. In the Palestinian territories, it is the voters who are lacking, since elections have not been held there since 2006.
At first glance, religions appear to be a major obstacle in this conflict that has obvious international dimensions. This is because of both theological and symbolic reasons.
Theology because in the Bible, Israel's boundary is the Jordan River (Deuteronomy 11,31; Numbers 33,50; etc.).
Certain powerful North American evangelical currents and some Jewish currents have made themselves the standard-bearers of a literalist reading of the scriptural texts.
Theology again, for it is indeed a certain Sharia that makes some local Muslim leaders say that "if Muslim land is stolen, it is a duty to wage jihad", in this case against Israel.
Interpreting the texts
But the good news is that these obstacles can be overcome through interpretation!
Contrary to popular belief, just because the Quran was written at God's dictation, thanks to the angel Gabriel, this does not mean that it cannot be interpreted.
This applies a fortiori for the Sunnah (the rules of God) and the Hadith (words, acts and approvals of the Prophet Mohammad), because Muslims can rely on Taawîl (interpretation coming from scholars and respecting certain rules) and the Ijtihad (reflections of the ulemas and the muftis to interpret the texts and deduce Muslim law from them).
The Tanakh (the Torah or Pentateuch, the Books of the Prophets and other writings) and the Christian Bible are, like the Quran, unalterable. But they are the subject of a long exegetical and hermeneutical tradition, and more recently of historical-critical reading.
The three texts refer to a single God and to a common Patriarch -- Abraham -- who brings us together. They put fraternity at the heart of our humanity.
In reality, religions are often instrumentalized by politics, for example when certain groups suddenly become the super defenders of Al Aqsa or the promoters of the "Great Israel".
This was particularly evident last May during the 11 days of war in Gaza.
A new generation is being born
The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Forum, which takes place Thursday in Jerusalem, proposes a multilateral approach, which goes beyond the binary anti-Zionist and Greater Israel logic that justifies extremism.
To us, this approach seems indispensable for the Palestinians who suffer from the occupation and colonization.
It also goes beyond the automatic defense of Israeli governments in the face of attacks and indiscriminate rocket launches.
A new generation of Palestinians is being born that refuses the empty chair policy, the boycott of relations with what remains of the "Jewish peace activists camp", a boycott that has disastrous consequences for the Palestinians.
This discontented generation has the courage to break the vicious circle of despair, violence and death, by remaining in dialogue with the other in order to defend their rights. Let's help and support them!
It is a struggle that pertains to all humanists. It is the foundation of our democracy.
The international dimension of the conflict
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a natural, international dimension since it concerns a land that is important to 4.1 billion Jews, Christians and Muslims.
It is emblematic and has repercussions throughout the world. It needs mediation like other long-lasting conflicts, a mediation that is requested by local players, notably the Palestinians.
What if the religions finally implemented values that are common to all three Abrahamic faiths, such as welcoming the stranger, sharing with one another and supporting reconciliation!
This would be a step towards peace built on and in support of:
- justice, equality and dignity, as desired by the Palestinians
- security, as desired by the Israelis
- the recognition of the legitimacy of the other people to live on this land to be shared
- prosperity, which provides employment, as desired by the people
- and freedom, as desired by non-believers and believers alike.
Elie Barnavi, Ofer Bronchtein, Hakim El Karoui and Marco Impagliazzo
(Initial signatories: Sheikh Dr. Tarik Abou Nour, theologian, imam and ulema; Elie Barnavi, writer, historian and diplomat; Ofer Bronchtein, mission head for President Macron; Denis Charbit, professor of Political Science at the Open University of Israel; Rabbi Yeshaya Dalsace, rabbi of the Massorti community in Paris; Michel de Rosen, secretary general of Islam in the 21st Century; Hakim El Karoui, consultant and essayist; Xavier Guézou, Institut des Hautes Études du Monde Religieux;Marco Impagliazzo, president of Sant'Egidio; Mohammed Khenissi Hermeneo and Marc Lebret, Carrefour des mondes et des cultures, organizer of the forum; Katia Mrowiec, Kaleidoscope Foundation; Rabbi Michel Serfaty, president of the Amitié Judéo-Musulmane de France.)