Dear members and friends,

Shalom from Israel! The day after I finished a 10-day interfaith pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I was sitting with friends, watching the evening news report of President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s meeting in Washington D.C. It’s always comforting to see a display of friendship between an American president and an Israeli prime minister. Of course, many people were surprised to hear that the two-state solution, supported by many administrations, is not the only solution being considered by the new President.

Almost immediately after the news conference, I received emails from several members and friends asking me what I thought about it. I have to admit, I was not too surprised, and not because it is a new administration, perhaps bringing an innovative look, but because for years I have been traveling the country and studying the subject. The trip this year finally convinced me that we are looking at this issue too narrowly. While a two-state solution may prove to be a good one, it has to result from a good process. Furthermore, the shape and character of the two states is still far from being defined.

Photo: Rabbi Gadi took this picture at the Tantur Ecumenical Center in Jerusalem as part of the “Praying Together” initiative, where the three main Abrahamic faiths come together. In the back, the Muslims were praying on the floor, and behind the wall were the Christians. “This was very special, and it provides hope,” Rabbi Gadi said.

History has shown us that drawing lines on the map does not create nations, and certainly does not guarantee peace. Even when the United Nations voted to divide the land in 1947, it didn’t claim that Jews or Arabs couldn’t live on the other side of the line. More and more, we also understand that the solution is not of local scope, but would have to include the whole Arab world, Jewish world and, I would add, much of the Christian world. Any solution would have to recognize that there are two nations that share land that is not simple do divide — and not just because of the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. It is a small piece of land with many holy sites for multiple faiths, all of which should have safe access to them.

For the past few days, I have participated in a conference of Abrahamic Reunion, an international organization that brings Jews, Christians, Muslims, and other Abrahamic faiths together, and is determined to make peace from the ground up. They share my belief that clergy must play a key role in process. We are now traveling around the country and meeting with important stakeholders from all faiths. I am happily surprised to hear fresh voices and ideas for solutions, which recognize that the term “two states” is not necessarily sufficient, and that the process is more important than terminology.

One of the important lessons of the Parashah of Yitro we read last Shabbat — when the people of Israel received the Torah on Mount Sinai — is that the Torah was received in the wilderness, a place we share with the rest of the world. Thus it behooves the Jewish people to find a way to share the blessings of the Torah and the holy land with the rest of the world, especially with the Abrahamic faiths. We all believe in the one God who gave us the law, and we need to share its blessings as well as its burdens.

I am planning to write further about the topic upon my return and, as always, I welcome your responses and opinions.

 

Shalom, Salam, and Peace,

— Rabbi Gadi

 

Photo: Rabbi Gadi took this picture at the Tantur Ecumenical Center in Jerusalem as part of the “Praying Together” initiative, where the three main Abrahamic faiths come together. In the back, the Muslims were praying on the floor, and behind the wall were the Christians. “This was very special, and it provides hope,” Rabbi Gadi said.