This report from an interreligious meeting in the Middle East provides an example for us in the United States of constructive dialogue.

A group of Jews, Christians and Muslims from Israel/Palestine and from other parts or the world gathered together under the auspices of the World Council of Churches, the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and the Lutheran World Federation, in Thessaloniki, a city with a long history for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We exchanged views on the situation in Jerusalem as it has developed since our last meeting in Glion, Switzerland in May 1993. After a few days of intense conversation we decided to convey the following message, which though objected to by some was agreed upon by the vast majority.

Jerusalem is a city considered holy by the three monotheistic traditions. As was affirmed at Glion: "It is (the) one God who has shared with us the gift of Jerusalem so that we might share it with one another." In each faith, holiness as revealed and bestowed by God is reflected in standards of human behavior. It is through acts of justice and mercy that we sanctify God's creation. Conversely, when we violate these transcendent standards, especially when God's name is invoked to legitimize injustice, violence or callousness toward human suffering, we are desecrating what we profess to be sacred.

Jerusalem is a place of encounter between God and humanity and among human beings in their diversity. Jerusalem is called to be the City of Peace, but at the moment, there is no peace. Although the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians has been initiated, there is still a long way to go before a just and lasting peace is achieved. There is a crisis of confidence that threatens to unravel the whole process. Both parties need to build trust by faithfully implementing past agreements and not predetermining the outcome of future negotiations over Jerusalem by changing the situation on the ground.

1. Violence, whether by individuals or authorities, especially the taking of human life, must be denounced and rejected. Violence does not lead to peace and reconciliation but to extremism and hatred.

2. The collective and indiscriminate closure of Jerusalem endangers the prospects for peace. We believe there are ways other than closure to reconcile Israelis' right to security and Palestinians' right to security and free movement in and out of Jerusalem. We are particularly pained, when as a result of the closure, people are denied access to their holy sites and places of worship, and their places of employment, education and health care.

3. Sustaining a conducive climate for negotiations towards peace is the common responsibility of Israelis and Palestinians. Human rights violations and acts of indignity and humiliation undermine the confidence necessary to progress towards a resolution of the disputes which hold all of Jerusalem's residents hostage to fear and hostility. In this regard we strongly urge the Israeli government not to confiscate land, build and expand settlements, demolish Palestinian homes or revoke Palestinian Jerusalemites' residency rights.

4. Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem are under threat. Confidence-building requires that the Palestinian infra-structure be maintained.

5. We urge our leaders to take immediate steps of confidence building in Jerusalem so that our peoples will not be frustrated but will retain their hope for peace.

6. We encourage our two peoples, Israelis and Palestinians, and the three faith communities to develop a strategy of peace-education that is based on justice and reconciliation. Such education should engender respect for the identity, religious tradition and culture of the other. Peace education is effective when it is backed up by acts of concrete peace-making. Not only the formal educational system but also families, politicians, mass media, synagogues, churches and mosques should give this task of peace education a high priority so that the animosity dividing people in Jerusalem will be overcome and the two peoples may live in reconciled security.

7. We urge the government of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority to regain the momentum towards peace according to UN resolutions 242 and 338, the Declaration of Principles in 1993 and subsequent agreements in order that our peoples may enjoy their national and human rights as God meant it to be.

We are convinced that meetings such as ours contribute to the reconciliatory process and should continue with as broad a participation as possible. Joint action in the name of our Abrahamic heritages is essential to translate our principles into reality, so that Jerusalem may be the paradigm of coexistence.

Thessaloniki, 25-29 August 1996

Participants:

Jewish:
Ehud Bandel, Jerusalem
Jack Bemporad, New York
Sarah Cammiker, Jerusalem
Hillel Cohen, Jerusalem
Alain Dieckhoff, Paris
David Forman, Jerusalem
Yitzhak Frankenthal, Jerusalem
Blu Greenberg, New York
Yishaq Newman, Jerusalem
Yehezkel Landau, Jerusalem
Debbie Weissman, Jerusalem
Joseph Ehrenkrantz, New York, observer

Christian:
Salpy Eskidjian, Geneva
George Hintlian, Jerusalem
Riad Jarjour, Limassol
Jay Rock, New York
Bernard Sabella, Jerusalem
Lawrence Sammour, Jerusalem
Rima Tarazi, Ramallah
Munib Younan, Jerusalem
Suad Younan, Jerusalem

Muslim:
Abd El Rahman Abbad, Hebron
Thiab Ayyoush, Jerusalem
Musa Darwish, Bethlehem
Sheik Najeeb al Ja'bari, Hebron
Nazmi al Ju'beh, Jerusalem
Anis Al-Qaq , Jerusalem
Ali M. Rafi, Haifa
Awatef Siam, Ramallah/Los Angeles
Ghada Talhami, Lake Forest, IL

Staff:
Barbara Eckwall, Geneva
Michael Fitzgerald, Rome
Remi Hoeckman, Rome
Hance Mwakabana, Geneva
Tarek Mitri, Geneva
Hans Ucko, Geneva