British Jews and Muslims issue joint statement for peace

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the UK’s EJC affiliate, and the Muslim Council of Britain issued a joint statement calling for continuing to work for good community relations.

In the statement, the two groups said that while recognising that “Muslims and Jews have deeply held views about the conflict in Israel and Palestine, we acknowledge that our communities may disagree about the origins, current reasons and solutions to end the conflict.  But there are also points of agreement.”

“The death of every civilian is a tragedy, and every effort should be taken to minimise such losses,” the statement went on.  “The targeting of civilians is completely unacceptable and against our religious traditions. We pray for a speedy end to the current conflict and for a lasting peace for all.

“Whilst everyone has the right to voice their political opinion, be that in a rally or on social media, we must be mindful of how we convey our protest. There can be no excuse for racism, violence, or other forms of intimidation, when expressing views in the media, on the streets, outside shops or online.”

“We condemn any expression of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or any form of racism. We call for Muslim and Jewish communities to redouble efforts to work together and get to know one another.”

Click here to read the full article in Board of Deputies