Religious Leaders Call For Peace

An urgent call for tolerance and peace from leadership and religious leaders

We, men and women of religion, leaders of all religions and denominations, promote a common life based on inter-religious dialogue, mutual respect and hope for the peace of truth and justice in our country.

We are heartbroken in the face of the tremendous suffering and unimaginable cruelty of the events of the last few days, in which thousands of innocent men, women, and children were murdered, and are still being killed.

Together we hurt with all the mothers, fathers, children and girls who lost their loved ones.

Together, we cry out for a quick salvation for all the missing, for the immediate freedom of all the captives, and for a complete recovery for all the victims.

As Jews, Muslims, Christians and Druze - we all believe that each person was created by God. We all believe in the human duty to choose life, and to preserve life. We condemn and denounce any use of religion as an excuse and justification for harming a person.

Even though we pray in different languages and different holy books, even though we observe different customs and live in different communities - we are all sons and daughters of this land and wish to continue living in it together, in peace, safety, tolerance. Anger and fear are natural emotions, but we must not succumb to them, we must not sink into the poison of revenge and hatred.

We must make sure that the violence that has spread in the border areas in the south and north does not spill over into the spaces of our common lives.

Let us remember that we are neighbors, partners and friends - and not enemies. This is our responsibility.

We call on all our brothers and sisters to be brave, and to choose peace and hope, to avoid acts of violence and expressions of incitement, and to realize that the measure of kindness outweighs the measure of justice.

The link to the petition: HERE.