“Unity of the Jewish People is paramount”
(Brussels, March 21, 2023) – As representatives of the leading Diaspora organisations in Europe, and in affirming our unwavering affiliation and commitment to the security and welfare of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state based on the principles of its Declaration of Independence, we express our deep concern and sadness as we witness the current sharp divisions in Israel and the subsequent threat this has on the unity of the Jewish people and the security of our one Jewish state.
At a time when Iran continues to threaten Israel’s very existence, as violence and terror spread across Israel, and as Hezbollah exploits internal division to strike across the northern border, we call upon leaders from all sides of the political spectrum to tone down the heated rhetoric, to negotiate on a basis of shared values and to seek that which unites rather than divides.
The existence of Jewish life in the diaspora is very much tied to what is happening inside Israel and the internal divisions, which affect the Israeli society have direct ramifications to the Jewish communities in the diaspora.
Many times in our history, internal division and animosity has represented the greatest threat to our survival as a nation. Those that seek Israel’s destruction can only find succour and support through this division. We cannot and must not allow the 2,000 year-old dream of the Jewish People, for which so many sacrificed their lives to bring about, to be placed in peril. We therefore call, at this late hour, for all sides to push back from the brink and to seek solutions based on non-violence, justice and collective responsibility towards all the citizens of Israel.
In the name of 42 communities, representing 2 million Jews in Europe, we cannot stay silent when our common future is at stake.
We join the call of the Conference of European Rabbis to designate tomorrow, Wednesday, the 29th of Adar,ֶ the 22nd of March, as a day of prayer and reflection, to pray for the peace in Jerusalem, as written in the psalm 122:
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”
Dr. Ariel Muzicant Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt
President President
European Jewish Congress Conference of European Rabbis
