Peres gathers religious leaders to call for a stop to the violence

October 14, 2015 by J-Wire News Service
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Israel’s former President Shimon Peres has held an emergency conference with representatives and leaders from the various religious communities across Israel to issue a joint call to stop the bloodshed and to prevent further and unnecessary grief.

Shimon Peres [centre] with religious leaders

Shimon Peres [centre] with religious leaders

The religious leaders included – the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Sheikh Hamad Kivon Chairman of the Association of Muslim Clerics, Sheikh Muafak Tarrif the head of the Druze Community, and Sheikh Suleiman Satel from Jaffa. They came together

At the end of the conference, representatives from all of the religions prayed together and sang with strong voices the song Ose Shalom Bimromav (He makes peace above all).

Peres opened the emergency meeting saying: We came to pray together and to state loud and clear – that we believe in the sanctity of humanity and oppose any form of murder or violence. There is no choice but to sit and talk. I welcome all of the religious leaders who have come to pray together. Though we belong to different religions, we all believe in the sanctity of humanity. We leave here calling for an end to the terror and violence. We must live together side by side as brothers and as believers. We must sit and talk. Every other action only leads to more pain and violence. We call for an end to the needless bloodshed.

Sheikh Hamad Kivon, Chairman of the Association of Muslim Clerics thanked former President Shimon Peres for holding this important conference and said: You cannot avoid the current situation in the country and ignore the daily events. I see the events in Ra’anana and Jerusalem, and despite the real danger to my life, I chose to come here to say to everyone that it is forbidden for anyone to take the law into their own hands and to draw knives.” The Sheikh turned to the politicians and said that we have no other choice but to live together in Israel, do not pull the trigger; we must remain calm and keep the peace.

Sheikh Muafak Tarrif, head of the Druze community, stated: “The clergy plays a crucial role in maintaining the calm, we must mobilize together to stop the violence and racist calls.”

Sheikh Suleiman Satel from Jaffa called for calm in the region and said: Jaffa is an example of coexistence, and we must maintain this at all cost. Respect each person and his culture and religion and respect the holy places for all religions.”

Rabbi Shlomo Amar, former Chief Rabbi and the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem added that: “Violence does not accomplish anything good. There is no religion in the world that allows bloodshed. ‘Do not kill’ is alive and well in all religions. No one can undo this divine commandment.”

Comments

2 Responses to “Peres gathers religious leaders to call for a stop to the violence”
  1. Yaakov ben Yehuda says:

    It’s good for businesses
    When the Israeli security services publicized that Hamas members were nabbed for the recent murders, these sources would not admit that the PSF, the Palestinian Security Forces, armed by the ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, includes Hamas fighters in its ranks.

    After all, the Israeli government promises an unarmed Palestinian state.

    1. Meanwhile, the Israel Civil Administration, known as COGAT, provides 1800 trucks each day of unchecked merchandise for sale in Gaza, under the title of “humanitarian aid”. Were the ISRAEL Civil ADMINISTRATION to acknowledge that cement was reaching Hamas enterprises and Hamas run schools, it would be difficult for the Israeli government to explain itself.
    Criminology teaches that when a crime is committed, there are those who profit from it..
    produces huge profit
    2. NESHER Corporation, the cement czar, accrues profits from Gaza exports. NESHER is the key corporation behind the Portland Trust, the Israel Palestine Chamber of Commerce and the Peres Center for Peace.

  2. Paul Winter says:

    Peres remains the same self-important ineffectual plotter that he has been all his life. No wonder his wife left him to spent her last years in peace.

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