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A RABBINIC RESPONSE TO EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
AS HUMAN BEINGS, AS JEWS, AND AS RABBIS,
WE ARE HORRIFIED by the shedding of blood in our Holy Land. We mourn the
senseless loss of life, both Palestinian and Israeli.
WE ARE MORE HORRIFIED by the emergence of mob violence on both sides of
the ethnic divide. We appeal to all those responsible not to inflame or use
the passions and anger of young people. This is a weapon over which you will
ultimately have no control.
WE ARE STILL MORE HORRIFIED that blood has been shed at and because of
the site holy to both Judaism and Islam. The Temple Mount is the home of
peace, the place from which peace is to go forth to the entire world. This
is the place of which the prophet Isaiah says "My house shall be called a
house of prayer for all nations." It is desecrated by shows of military
force, by cries of hatred and the throwing of stones, and most of all by the
shedding of blood.
IN THE FACE OF THIS HORROR AND DESECRATION, IT IS TIME TO STEP BACK AND REFLECT.
We applaud all efforts to end violence and bloodshed. After an appropriate
period of mourning we hope and pray that peace efforts will go forward.
We have learned from recent events that peace cannot be made by leaders
alone. We commit ourselves to teaching and spreading receptiveness to peace
and changes of attitude, especially among the youth. We long for Palestinian
partners, religious leaders and educators on all levels, who will make the
same commitment. We understand that it will require great courage for you to
come forth. We promise to support that courage as best we can.
As Jewish religious leaders, we do not want the site of our Holy Temple to be
an obstacle to peace between our two peoples. Judaism does not demand
exclusive Jewish sovereignty over this site, one we are not permitted to
visit in pre-messianic times. Judaism has always respected Islam as a fellow
monotheistic faith. The presence of Islamic holy places on the Temple Mount
in no way desecrates the Temple Mount for us and we see it as a partial
fulfillment of our prophet's vision. We oppose any effort to harm or remove
those shrines.
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