Citizens Declare Cease-Fire: Hundreds of Palestinian Muslims and Israeli Jews Come Together to Break Their Fast
On Tuesday, July 15th, hundreds of Palestinian Muslims and Israeli Jews united to break their mutual fast day together at thirteen events throughout Israel and the West Bank.
At one of three events held in Jerusalem, over one hundred people– Jews, Muslims, and Christians— gathered for an evening of socializing, learning, and vegetarian food co-organized by The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and Jerusalem Peacemakers. The event took place on Mt. Zion at the Jerusalem Inter Cultural Center on the seamline between East and West Jerusalem.
The events were part of a global movement of interfaith break-fasts for Ramadan and the Jewish fast day of the 17th of Tammuz. The group ‘Choose Life’ organized efforts around the joint fast day as a “Hunger Strike Against Violence,” and publicized about 32 events located in six countries across three continents, from New York to Paris to Kuwait City.
The evening began with words of blessing from rabbis and sheikhs. Haj Ibrahim Abu El Hawa, Co-founder of Jerusalem Peacemakers, said, “The new generation needs to carry the message of how we can live together, because we are not born with signs over our heads that say we are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, or Buddhist. We are all one.”
Rabbi Yonatan Neril, founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, stated “This gathering empowers the children of Abraham– Jews, Muslims, and Christians– to come together in the holy city of Jerusalem and see the humanity in the ‘other’. It’s not about us vs. them. It’s about us and them, about how we can live together in one land.”
Eliyahu McLean, co-founder and director of Jerusalem Peacemakers, said, “Let the world know that there are Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, and Muslims in Jerusalem and all over the land that do not buy into the narrative that we are enemies, that we have to hate each other, that we have to be at war with one another. We actually see things differently.”
The 17th of Tammuz is a Jewish fast day commemorating five catastrophes in Jewish history, including the Roman breach of the walls of Jerusalem. The Muslim fast during the month of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and promotes self-purification and spiritual connection.
For more information about the sponsoring organizations, go to www.jerusalempeacemakers.org.
The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD) unites faith communities, teachers and leaders to promote co-existence, peace, and sustainability through advocacy, education and action-oriented projects.
Inquiries can also be directed to 054-723-4973 or info@interfaithsustain.com
Photos and video footage are available upon request.