Top Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Druze leaders who met on Tuesday for a television program on religious dialogue found themselves unable to agree on the use of the term "occupation" in a statement on ending violence in the region.
The program, called "Interreligious Dialogue," was produced by Israel's Arabic TV station and will be aired at 7 P.M. tonight on Channel 33.
The founder of the Islamic Movement in Israel, Sheikh Abdullah Nimr Darwish, had spent a long time trying to bring the religious leaders together for what was dubbed a "historic meeting," and suggested that the participants meet again on a regular basis in an effort to find a shared basis among the region's various religions.
But in Tuesday's debate, the religious leaders found it hard to agree on the wording of the statement.
"Are you prepared to fundamentally condemn the occupation?" the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, asked Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar. "The occupation is a mistake ... The question is simple: What do you, as a Jewish religious figure, say about the occupation - that one nation occupies another nation?"
Amar responded that he does not agree with the use of the word "occupation."
"The blessed God, creator of the heavens and earth, gave the Land of Israel to the people of Israel," he said. "I don't call that occupation. The principle must be clear: There is a land that belongs to the Jews and there are parts of it that belong to the Palestinians." [as individuals, not as a people - YM]
At that point, Darwish jumped in.
"The diplomats have already progressed more than us," he said. "We have to be the cold water that puts out the fire, not fanning it. What causes us to lag behind?"
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Good for "Unoccupied" Amar
Israeli religious leaders' meeting ends with spat over term 'occupation'
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7 comments:
It is sad that religious leaders who believe in one same universal God claim that he give land to any human or group. God cannot be an old man seating at the heavens and distribute ownership rights to selected group.
The God they are talking about is much greater and deeper. It is universal Being that we all share;
Do you know that there are much wisdom in other leaders in the Moslem, Christian and Jewish world that are not looking on the history of interpretation of the bible, rather in the emergence process of God's consciousness in our world.
Neri, you are in error. Who really believes in a same, universal God? If they did, why should they doubt the veracity of the words in Genesis about the making of a covenant with the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that includes a specific terrotiral dimension to the religious practices to be observed? Aren't you arguing backwards from a liberal, post-modern viewpoint?
You are right, anyone can be in error. But if we claim the other one is in error, we may not listen and may not find our own errors.
-> Who really believes in a same, universal God?
I first assume that you believe in Universal God. This is a deep recognition of the "whole". The properties of that God are in debate not the reality of our whole existence.
Is Kok a good reference for you? check this out: http://www.zehut.net/main_id.asp?id=47 it is about 1 hour but well worth it.
You ask the Moslem not to be Moslem and accept the Jewish superiority. I also see the Jewish tradition as one of the highest human practices of god I still can see the wisdom of Islam and Christianity. We need to respect all the children of Abraham and the Whole Human exstance – do you expect them to convert to Judaism? Do you expect them to recognize the superiority of Judaism and keep their faith?
We Share the space and time, and our children will need to share this earth. God presence exceeds the biblical text, it contains in word and interpretation of human wisdom. As we all need to check what we say. I may error as you might.
To the issue of Territory – Zionist concept of territory is a "modern" term relayed on "border drawing" of the West. Our Nation existed and holds it value for thousands of years by adoption with the evolution in the Human understand of itself and Israel exist here now for the wisdom of the Zionist who was deeply empowered by the religious Zionism. The Zionist concepts focus and emphasis the ethno-centricity of the Jewish people. We must start emphasis on the Universal wisdom of the Jews and with that we need to take higher understanding of reality – as the fact that whole humans are on the same constrained used to be blue round planet
-> Aren't you arguing backwards from a liberal, post-modern viewpoint?
No way, I am not post-modern and I really think that your position is not just another interpretation, I think you are wrong and that you will be able to see it and experience it. The fact that I see things differently is not because I accept any perspective. If you want to mark me you can use "Integral and complex" – no right answer of truth, rather a complex of perspectives of the True, Beautiful and the Good.
Your argue is a mirror for us, that belong to the nation of Israel. We can see that have a lot of work to do inside before we we be able to really integrate with others (nations or religions).
Regarding the link to Zehut site, I think that if we will read the article that behind the lecture ("Lemilhemet Haemunot Vehadeot") we will be able to get some new point of views of the place of our nation inside the other nations and the place of our belief versus the world religions.
Join the next generation movement - www.amisrael.org
Nes-Zion - is this artical "Lemilhemet Haemunot Vehadeot" available on the Web?
I finally figured out that these cmments are from the person who was on a BBC interview program some two weeks ago when I was at a wedding.
Anway, Neri writes:
Our Nation existed and holds it value for thousands of years by adoption with the evolution in the Human understand of itself and Israel exist here now for the wisdom of the Zionist who was deeply empowered by the religious Zionism. The Zionist concepts focus and emphasis the ethno-centricity of the Jewish people. We must start emphasis on the Universal wisdom of the Jews and with that we need to take higher understanding of reality – as the fact that whole humans are on the same constrained used to be blue round planet
Any universalism is a death-knell for Jews and Judaism and Zionism (which are all rolled-into-one by me). What universalism is there that sees little immediate danger from Iran and is willing to let us go?
-> Aren't you arguing backwards from a liberal, post-modern viewpoint?
No way, I am not post-modern and I really think that your position is not just another interpretation, I think you are wrong and that you will be able to see it and experience it...If you want to mark me you can use "Integral and complex" – no right answer of truth, rather a complex of perspectives of the True, Beautiful and the Good.
Are you Bahai? Or just "high"?Really now, your interpretation of history, of theology and of politics is way off. Good luck in the higher speheres of universalism.
I am the guy from the BBC, you can listen t what they brodcast here:
http://www.dex.co.il/view.php?t=34287
You english is much better then mine.
My friend I am not a Bahai but I respect these people. I also respect and understand Asher Vizan who took his own life, I see the stress of his position and I am sad that we got to a situation he did what he did. So my universalism is not flat as you implied.
The problem is that I born here, my son born here and I am looking into the future. And you and me going to share it, should we ignore each other? Should we claim that the other one is a criminal?
The problem I place in front of you is that you are in my universalist world, where Good is root of all being. From what I understood from what you said I guess you claim that there is one perspective of true religion and this is Judaism and all others perspectives are enemy. I guess you include me as your enemy and I think you missed the point.
We are living in a period of change. Your home is in danger, as your life and my son life. You are my brother, and from your Halacha I am yours.
So you probably need to recognize me in your world. And I think we should find a path to the future of our childrens, and that people as Asher Vizan could dedicate them selves to the true practice of God as I he whished.
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