Two Countries

It has been an odd few weeks, starting with the inauguration of President Trump and followed by his various remarks concerning the threatened delay in the release of hostages by Hamas.  His words – ‘all hell will break loose’ – in response to that delay were a breath of fresh air compared with the lacklustre performance of his predecessor.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, a dozen various Jewish and Muslim leaders presented ‘The Muslim-Jewish Reconciliation Accords’ to his Majesty the King, Charles III.  The Accords are the outcome of a yearlong series of high-level meetings convened by Imam Dr Sayed Razawi, culminating in a private retreat from 14-16 January at Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland.

The preamble to the Accords includes the following: ‘Global tensions, particularly in the Middle East, often strain relationships between these [Muslim & Jewish] communities, leading to misunderstandings and fractures at a local level. In times of crisis, these fractures can deepen, escalating Islamophobia, Antisemitism, and societal polarisation’.

The Accords run to five pages and follow the sentiments set out above.  There is no doubt there are serious bridges to be built between the two communities.  I have written on many occasions about this and in particular those extremists within the Muslim community who have made life so difficult for Jews living in the UK. I should add that I am a little concerned about the wording whereby Islamophobia and Antisemitism are run together, as if there is equivalence between them.  There is not, and we have seen over the last 500 days since 7 October 2023 how in the UK the Antisemitism has in large part come from those in the Muslim community who hate us and how the antagonism towards Muslims comes from the wider community.  In other words, to put Islamophobia and Antisemitism together is just plainly wrong.

As a starting point the word Islamophobia normally translates as a fear of Islam, not a dislike or hatred.  That conventional meaning has largely been abandoned in favour of those words ‘dislike’ or ‘hatred’.  Language under these circumstances is vitally important so what words can we use when we say we are afraid – and many of us are afraid – of extremists from within the Muslim community?  I am sure that the Muslim leaders who have contributed to the Accords have no time for these extremists, but there is nowhere within the Accords which makes reference to this.

The Accords are described as being not political, but religious and it is for that reason I assume that there is no mention of Israel or Zionism.  Putting aside the false equivalence I have already mentioned, these Accords whilst well-meaning will I am sorry to predict, will make little difference to the current position.  We have already seen how previous interfaith exercises failed disastrously when Israel and Zionism were not part of the dialogue.

Similarly where the hatred of Israel and determination to kill Jews declared by Hamas continues to be ignored, the idea of any form of lasting peace is nothing short of fanciful. President Trump’s idea of resettling people from Gaza into other parts of the Middle East might seen ridiculous at first, but it does address a few issues.  Firstly, Palestinians talk about being refugees.  If they are, then they should be allowed to settle somewhere which is safe and will allow them to live their lives in peace.  Secondly, Gaza has been devastated by the war initiated by Hamas and so living conditions are currently poor.  All in all the President’s idea might not be so bad, at least it is a change from the constant and wholly unrealistic calls for a two state solution.  If President Trump has created an environment where different solutions are being discussed, that can only be a good thing.

As for the Muslim-Jewish Reconciliation Accords, for those involved with these, they need to understand that there is no separation of religion and politics when it comes to Israel and Zionism.  Perhaps they should be taking a leaf from President Trump’s book and think about a different way of dealing with the hostility against the Jewish Community at the hands of extremists from the Muslim Community.  What is clear with both issues, the old ideas are just that, old.  It is time for something new.