Religion:
Obstacle or Solution to Peace?

The Forum took place at Tantur (Jerusalem) on July 8, 2021

شكرا لك - תודה - Thank you - Merci !


The Forum took place at Tantur. Thank you to all speakers, sponsors, partners and attendees!

Peace between Israelis and Palestinians is desired by the entire world!

The solution to the conflict has been entrusted to political leaders. What about religions?
Are they an obstacle to peace for fundamental reasons or only as passionate symbols, are they instrumentalised by powers? Can obstacles be overcome and religions become a solution and a way to true peace?

The Forum takes a long-term view and offers wisdom on how civil society can advance peace.

Partners

Program

14:00

Coffee & drinks, socializing and encounters

14:30

Welcome of Marc Lebret, Organizer of the Forum

Prayers and secular meditation

Rabbi David Rosen, Louis-Marie Coudray osb, Cheikh Imam Tamimi, and Voltaire read by Denis Charbit

Master of Ceremonies : Peta Pellach and Nivine Sandouka

15:00

Marco Impliazzo, President of Sant’Egidio
Ofer Bronchtein, Envoy of French Republic President Emmanuel Macron

History of the Other with Slimane Zeghidour and Denis Charbit

16:00

The Great Debate Israël-Palestine
Religion: obstacle or solution to peace?

Moderators : Nivine Sandouka and Adar Weinreb
With Abed Al Raouf Turman, Denis Charbit, Mohamed Dajani Daoudi, Alick Isaacs, Salim Munayer, Peta Pellach

Keynote speakers: Chief rabbi Michael Melchior and Sulaiman Khatib (Tbc)
Rabbi Nava Hefetz and Dr Leïla Abedrabo (Tbc)

Oher speakers: Elie Barnavi, Radia Bakkouch (World) Interfaith Tour, a youth organization, Françoise Tibika, Dr Taleb Al-Harithi (Tbc)

Q&A, interventions of the audience in presence or through zoom

Tbc = te bo confirmed

18:00

Conclusion
Dr Claudio Mario Betti (Sant'Egidio)
Marc Lebret

In the garden

The singer Einav with a guitarist and a bouzoukist, singing in Maroccan Arabic, Greek, Spanish and Yemenite.

"Verre de l'amitié" (glass of friendship)

Live interpretation in French, Arabic and Hebrew

The speakers



Sheikh Abukhalil Al-Tamimi

Leading activist for coexistence and peace, he has participated in the founding of the Wastiya Movement, a new moderate Islamic initiative. Sheikh Al-Tamimi is the president of International Movement for Peace and Coexistence IMPAC (Brussel) and coordinator in Interfaith Encounter Association (Jerusalem). He completed a master’s degree in Islamic Sharia studies at the University of Nadwat Al-Olama Diabond in New Delhi. Born in Hebron, Sheikh Tamimi lives in Ramallah.

Radia Bakkouch

President of Coexister in France, an interfaith youth-led movement that offers young people to experience diversity in a positive way through a 1 year peace education program. Coexister gathered 10 000 young people 10 years in 50 European cities and outreached 120 000 students to active coexistence. Radia is in charge of advocacy, action research and strategic partnerships. She is specialized in Peace Building, Youth Empowerment and Conflict Transformation.

Eli Barnavi

Writer, an Historian and Diplomat. He has been ambassador of Israel to France. He authored numerous books and surveys on religious wars and the history of Israel and the Jewish people. He is an advocate of the creation of a Palestinian State. He is a scientific advisor to the Europe Museum of Brussels.

Ofer Bronchtein

Advisor of French Président de la République Emmanuel Macron for the Middle-East Peace Process. He is a Peace activist involved at a high level both on Palestinian and Israeli sides. He is the President of the International Peace Forum.

Père Andrei Cezar

He is the superior of Sant-Peter in Gallicantu in Jerusalem. P. Andrei Cezar is Romanian and completed his training in philosophy and theology in France from 2005 to 2015. Since 2017, he lives in Jerusalem.

Denis Charbit

Professor of Political Science at the Open University of Israel. He is recognized as an expert of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He is a French and Israeli citizen. Denis is an agnostic.

Louis-Marie Coudray

Superior of the community of Benedictine monks and nuns of Saint-
Mary-of-the-Resurrection Abbey (Abu Gosh). Louis-Marie has been living in the Holy Land for 40 years. He is a French citizen and is a Catholic.

Mohammed Dajani Daoudi

Peace activist and a Professor of political science and economy. Mohammed co-founded Wasatia ("Moderation"), an organization that promotes the Islamic traditions of nonviolence and compromise. He is a Palestinian living in Ramallah. Mohammed is a Muslim.

Marco Impagliazzo

Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Rome. He has been President of the Community of Sant’Egidio since 2003. Since 1987, he has been among the organizers of the International Prayers for Peace. His field of scholarly expertise is the Catholic Church and the relations between Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Marco is an Italian who lives in Rome.

Rabbi Nava Hefetz

She is the Director of Education at Rabbis for Human Rights. In her role, she works with Israeli communities to expose them to the reality of the Occupation, examining its repercussions from a Jewish-universal standpoint. Nava also coordinates an Israeli-Palestinian women’s group that meets in Jerusalem. She lives in Jerusalem.

Alick Isaacs

Professor of Jewish history at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Alick co-directs Siach Shalom (Talking Peace) which seeks to create meaningful cooperations for peace between religious and nonreligious leaders in Israeli and Palestinian societies. Alick is an Israeli citizen who lives in Jerusalem. Alick is a Jewish orthodox.

Marc Lebret

Organizer

He has been involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 2007. He is the co-founder of the Interfaith Coordination of the greater Paris (CINPA,) and runs the intercultural NGO Carrefour des mondes et des cultures. He is a French citizen who lives in Paris. He is a Catholic.

Claudio Mario Betti

Claudio Mario Betti is the Director of the Australian Catholic University Rome Campus. He has been actively involved for many years with the Community of Sant’Egidio, especially as Assistant to the President of the Community of Sant’Egidio. He has been involved in most of the activities of the Community of Sant’Egidio in the field of peace and inter-religious dialogue since 1982. Claudio Mario is an Italian who lives in Rome.

Chief Rabbi Michael Melchior

Jewish leader, thinker and peace activist. He founded Mosaica – The Religious Peace Initiative as well as the Citizens’ Accord Forum. He is the rabbi of the Beit Boyer community in Talpiyot (Jerusalem) and the Chief Rabbi of Norway. Rabbi Melchior is a former Cabinet Minister and a former Knesset Member.

Salim Munayer

Executive Director and founder of Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation which has been bringing Israelis and Palestinians together since 1990. Salim is a Palestinian-Israeli born in Lod. Salim is a Doctor of Philosophy and holds a M.A. in intercultural studies.

Peta Pellach

Peta Pellach is a co-founder of Praying Together in Jerusalem, which gathers every month, the Director of Educational Activities at the Elijah Interfaith Institute, an educator, feminist activist, blogger and radio journalist. Peta is an Australian-born, Orthodox Jewish Israeli who lives in Jerusalem.w

Chief Rabbi David Rosen

American Jewish Committee's International Director of Interreligious Affairs. He is the former Chief Rabbi of Ireland and headed the International Jewish Committee for Inter-religious Consultations that represents World Jewry in its relations with other world religions. He serves on the Chief Rabbinate of Israel's Commission for Interreligious Relations.

Nivine Sandouka

Palestinian activist for peace, social justice and gender equity. She is the Executive Director of the NGO ‘Our Rights- Hoqoqona’, focusing on civic and political rights of Palestinians in East Jerusalem, especially women. She currently works with the German Association for Development Cooperation Agiamondo. She is a Palestinian of Jerusalem. Nivine is a Muslim.

Françoise Tibika

She is the delegate of the French association Artisans de Paix in Jerusalem, President of the Israeli Institute of Science and Consciousness, a writer and researcher on molecular consciousness at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, with a Ph.D. in chemistry.

Adar Weinreb

Israeli-American who’s dedicated to connecting between people in conflict. Living in Israel, his main focus is the Israel-Palestine conflict. He has a YouTube channel called Sulha where he hosts weekly live discussions between Israelis and Palestinians

Slimane Zeghidour

Writer, researcher and editor-in-chief. He is an expert of the history of Jerusalem and the Middle East. He wrote among other novels: "Sors, la route t'attend" (Go out, the road is waiting for you). Born in Algeria, Slimane lives in Paris. He is a French and Algerian citizen. He is a secular Muslim.

Tantur Ecumenical Institute

The Tantur Institute serves as an "oasis" in the Holy Land for encountering sacred people, traditions, and places.

Address: Ha-Rosmarin St 1, 9111301 Jerusalem, Israel

The Tantur campus sits atop a hill on the southern edge of Jerusalem, overlooking the Judean hills and the city of Bethlehem.

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