World Jewish Congress leaders at inter-faith forum in Doha, Qatar / Rabbi
Marc Schneier defends Israel against diatribe by Sheikh Taysir al-Tamimi on
Jerusalem
NEW YORK / DOHA - Representatives of the World Jewish Congress are
participating in the 8th Doha Conference of Inter-Faith Dialogue. WJC
Vice-President Rabbi Marc Schneider, who also heads the US chapter of the
World Jewish Congress and is founding president of the Foundation for Ethnic
Understanding, WJC Deputy Secretary-General Maram Stern, who is in charge of
inter-religious dialogue, and Claudio Epelman, executive director of the
Latin American Jewish Congress, are in the Gulf Emirate of Qatar where the
meeting is being held this week.
At the conference, Schneier defended Israel against a diatribe by Sheikh
Taysir al-Tamimi, the chief Islamic judge of the Palestinian Authority, who
said at the conference that Israel was "illegally occupying" and "Judaizing"
Jerusalem. Rabbi Schneier declared: "Jerusalem represents Jewish hopes and
dreams. For millennia, we have prayed toward Jerusalem. We pray at the
Western Wall, we mourn the destruction of our Temple 2,000 years ago, and we
tell each other 'Next year in Jerusalem'. Jerusalem has always been the
capital of the Jewish state, ancient or modern. It is therefore an insult to
all of us to accuse us of illegally occupying the city."
Schneier added: "At the same time, we respect that Jerusalem is a holy place
for Christians and Muslims as well. We know that the status of Jerusalem is
at the forefront of peace talks, but denying the other side's right to be
there is wrong and counter-productive."
The WJC vice-president praised the organizers of the 8th Doha Conference of
Inter-Faith Dialogue, which was opened on Tuesday by Qatar's Justice
Minister Hassan bin Abdulla Al Ghanim, for focusing on how to raise future
generations in a spirit of respect and understanding for other faiths. "This
is what inter-religious dialogue is all about: winning the future, and not
fighting the battles of the past."
About the World Jewish Congress
The World Jewish Congress is the international organization representing
Jewish communities in 92 countries around the world. The WJC serves as the
diplomatic arm of the Jewish people to governments, parliaments and
international organizations and has been at the forefront of inter-religious
dialogue with other faiths.
Media contact
Michael Thaidigsmann
WJC Brussels Office
Tel: +32 2 552 09 24
Mob: +32 485 86 95 84
Email: press@worldjewishcongress.org
Website: www.worldjewishcongress.org
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