Yes, first of all, welcome here to Jerusalem Al-Quds.
We welcome you. We welcome our Turkish friends and our Muslim friends.
We are here. I myself am Israeli.
I have been a rabbi here for many years, here in Jerusalem, in a community here.
I come originally from Scandinavia, chief rabbi of Norway.
But I've been here in Jerusalem for many years.
I've also been in public office in the Israeli parliament, in the Knesset, in the government as a cabinet minister.
And what we're doing here, amongst other things, but first and foremost, is that we're working for peace.
But we're working for peace with a different attitude than what everybody else has been doing.
I have been involved in the peace process from the very beginning, from before Oslo, the Oslo process.
And what I saw was that the process was a process which was a secular process,
which not only was led by secular people, but which had a philosophy that peace has to be together with secularism,
with making the Middle East non-religious.
And therefore many religious people felt that they had to choose between their identity, religion.
It could be either Judaism or Islam or Christianity.
But the Christians here were not the main problem.
Judaism on the Israeli side or Islam on the Palestinian side.
And they were to choose between their identity and peace.
And therefore they chose their identity.
They said, we do not want to give up who we are, what we believe in, our tradition,
the tradition of our parents, in order to have a peace which doesn't look so peaceful also.
And I saw that there was one attempt after the other, the Oslo attempt, the Camp David, the peace, the road map,
Condoleezza Rice, Napolis, and so on.
And I was involved in a lot of these attempts.
And I saw that both on the Israeli side and on the Palestinian side, these attempts could not succeed
because the peace tent was too narrow, was too small.
So I created, together with some Jewish friends, and together with my Muslim friends, we created the religious peace track,
the religious peace initiative for peace in the Middle East.
I had a great partner, Sheikh Abdallah Nimr Dawish, blessed be his memory, who passed away a few months ago.
He created the Islamic movement in the Holy Land.
He created the Islamic Jihad.
And he was in prison for terrorism.
He wasn't a peacenik.
But he went into the depth of Islam.
He didn't compromise one word of Islam, of the Koran, of the Hadith.
He went into depth of Islam.
And he renounced terrorism.
And he said, I want to work for peace between Palestine and Israel.
This is the future for the two peoples here.
And we worked hand in hand.
In the beginning, we were very few.
But in the meantime, more and more people are joining the religious peace track.
We have centers all over Palestine and all over Israel.
And we have partners all over the Arab Muslim world.
Also in Turkey.
And in Iraq and in Syria and in Jordan and in Egypt and in Morocco and in Tunisia and so on.
And more and more people are joining.
Also people from the more radical movements.
People from Hamas.
People from Muslim Brotherhood.
Many people from the radical movements.
Who say, if this is a religious peace.
If this, not to exclude anybody from the tent of peace.
But if we open the tent of peace and make a religious peace track.
Which comes not out of interests.
But out of the deep belief.
That we are here.
This is the will of Allah.
This is the will of God.
That we are here.
Both peoples.
We are going to be here in all future.
And therefore we need to find a way.
Where we don't destroy and destruct the will of God.
By killing the image of God in the other.
And therefore we have to find a model.
Where Jerusalem Al-Quds.
Where we are now.
Becomes the gate to heaven.
And not a hell here on earth.
What will be in the coming world.
If we go to heaven.
Or we go to hell.
That is in the hands and the decision of Allah.
But what will be here on earth.
It is also.
God expects this from us.
That we create something good together.
For his creatures.
And if we can build here something together.
Jews and Muslims and our Christian friends together.
And we are building that here.
In this coalition.
If we can build something.
Which can save lives.
Which can give hope and future.
For the peoples here in the holy land.
And around us.
If we can do that.
Then this will be a message of sanctifying.
The holy name of God.
In the eyes of the whole world.
Not only leaders.
Not only the top leaders.
The extreme leaders also.
But also.
We have young leaders.
Who are working together.
Hundreds of young leaders today.
Are part today of our coalition.
It is expanding everyday.
We are also involved in the processes.
Mostly now of extinguishing fires.
To take care that people are not getting killed.
And the both parties are using us.
Also the politicians are using us.
As long as they are using us for good.
Then we are willing to be used.
But we want more than that.
We want to pass away.
Not instead of the politicians.
In the end the politicians have to make political agreements.
But we want to create a legitimization.
Which was not there.
During the processes.
In the 90s and the 2000s.
And all the meetings.
To create a legitimization.
A different atmosphere.
So that both peoples will restore the belief.
That peace is possible.
And that the religions.
That Judaism and Islam.
Want to live in peace with each other.
That this is the ideal.
That this is what God expects from us.
That we become junior partners.
To the will of God.
We are humble.
We know that there are a lot of things beyond us.
But this is what we are ordered to do.
And that we will be his servants.
Not by crushing other people.
And taking away their hopes.
But by serving.
By serving him.
We know that.
All the land belongs to God.
And we are temporary residents.
Here on this.
On this earth.
But when we are temporary residents here.
At least.
Let's behave.
In a way which respects.
The will of God.
And not which crushes his will.
The problem is that.
If you ask people.
What do their religion preach.
They will all say.
The religion preaches peace.
And tranquility.
And mercy.
And compassion.
And so on.
But when it comes down.
Then to the reality.
We don't really see the other side.
And we believe.
That we have.
That you know.
I say sometimes in a joke.
That we believe.
That if God had all the facts.
He would be on our side.
You know.
It's.
It's not something we joke with.
But.
People.
Put themselves.
They put God aside.
And they.
Put themselves.
Instead of God.
They don't see the other.
We don't meet each other.
We only see each other.
As the big enemy.
We don't.
Have a chance.
This is one of the tragedies.
Which has happened here.
Over the last 30 years.
We don't see the other.
As a human being.
As a fellow believer.
We.
We don't know.
Each other anymore.
We just know.
The bad things.
About the other.
So what we're doing.
Is.
That first.
We work.
Inside.
Every religion.
And then we.
Put together.
The big.
Most influential.
Leaders.
From both sides.
And when they see.
Each other.
In the eye.
And they see.
The sincerity.
Of the other side.
Then they can't say.
Well.
You have no right.
To be here.
You should be thrown out.
You should be killed.
You.
They can't say that.
Because they see.
That the others.
Are just as religiously.
Observant.
And.
Traditional.
And want to serve.
God.
Just as they want.
And then they have to say.
Well.
Then we have to find.
Solutions.
How we can work it out together.
And then the process starts.
But as long as we can say.
Well.
All of Islam.
Hate us.
They want us out.
Then we have to survive.
And when we have to survive.
All means.
Can work.
But.
When we suddenly see.
The most extreme.
Leaders.
Of Islam.
Who say.
We want to live together.
With you.
In Israel.
We want to find the solution.
Which gives us.
Respect.
And freedom.
But.
Which also respects you.
And you.
For security.
Then suddenly.
Also the rabbis.
Want to be a part of this.
And.
In this way.
We can solve.
All the difficult issues.
On the table.
We can talk about.
What's happening.
On.
Charm Sharif.
We can talk about.
What's happening.
In Jerusalem.
We can talk about.
What is happening.
Also.
In difficult.
Humanitarian.
Issues.
Everything is on the table.
And we can suddenly.
Help each other.
Instead of fighting each other.
But when we.
Just talk about.
Each other.
You know.
In a religious dialogue.
Which is just a dialogue.
And it doesn't.
Talk about.
The elephant.
In the room.
And the real.
Conflict.
We talk about.
The real conflict.
We don't.
Just have a religious dialogue.
When we talk about.
Abstract.
Values.
We talk about.
The values.
Which have to be.
Translated.
Into.
Solutions.
For.
Our.
People.
Who are.
Hurting.
And bleeding.
And suffering.
Well.
I.
Think.
That.
Islam.
Is.
A.
Great.
Religion.
In our world.
It has so much.
It does so much.
Good.
And so much.
Influence.
Uh.
Over.
So many.
People.
And.
In.
The Jewish.
Tradition.
Uh.
It is.
Considered.
To be.
A great.
Step.
Towards.
The.
Belief.
In.
One.
And the same.
God.
And therefore.
I believe.
That when we work.
Together.
There is.
No.
Limit.
To.
How much.
Good.
This can do.
For.
The future.
And I've seen this.
In.
An example.
We did here.
In this office.
You're standing.
We had.
Two years ago.
Idul Atcha.
And Yom Kippur.
The holiest day.
In the Jewish calendar.
And.
Idul Atcha.
It was on the same day.
And we had.
Great.
Warnings.
About.
Bloodshed.
Which would be.
On that day.
Because.
We celebrate.
Very.
Opposite.
The Jews.
Fast.
On that day.
And go.
In.
And the Muslims.
Celebrate.
Outwards.
They visit.
Each other.
They eat.
The lamb.
And.
Celebrate.
Outwards.
So.
It's.
Opposite.
And.
I went.
Then.
To.
The.
Leaders.
Of.
The.
Walk.
Fear.
In.
Jerusalem.
And.
I said.
You want.
Violence.
On this day.
They said.
No.
Absolutely.
Not.
So.
They wrote.
A.
Fatwa.
Saying.
That.
All.
The Muslims.
Celebrating.
Are not.
Doing.
This.
In.
This.
Way.
They.
Made.
A message.
That.
The Muslims.
Celebrating.
Are not.
Doing.
This.
In.
Order.
To hurt.
Our feelings.
Of Yom Kippur.
But.
Because.
They are serving.
The.
Is.
The Muslim holiday.
Contents.
Of.
It.
What is.
The content.
It is.
The same.
Idea.
Which appears.
In.
The Torah.
And.
In.
The Quran.
That.
God.
Allah.
Says.
To Abraham.
He says.
I.
Do not.
Want.
People.
To be.
Sacrificed.
In.
Instead.
You take.
An animal.
To sacrifice.
But.
I don't.
Want.
Human.
Sacrifice.
In.
My name.
I want.
Your obedience.
Yes.
I don't want.
The sacrifice.
This is.
What.
The Jews.
Also.
Read.
On.
The.
Which.
We're.
Reading.
And.
We.
Don't.
Bloodshed.
If.
We.
Don't.
Bloodshed.
So.
This message.
Went.
Out.
We.
Made.
Also.
YouTube.
Which.
Was.
Watched.
By.
Two.
Hundred.
And.
In.
Spice.
Of.
All.
There.
Was.
Not.
One.
Injured.
Not.
One.
Stone.
And.
The.
Head.
Of.
The.
Head.
Of.
The.
Days.
And.
Yom.
Kippur.
Why.
Can't.
We.
Can.
If.
We.
Go.
Together.
Islam.
We.
Can.
Be.
On.
The.
Front.
Of.
Making.
Peace.
In.
The.
Middle East.
And.
This.
Is.
The.
Message.
Of.
Our.
Coalition.
For.
Peace.
In.
The.
Middle East.