Prophets of peace” “

“We have before us a new page in history, and it is up to us to write it”. Rabbi René Samuel Sirat , president of the Conference of European Rabbis, thus underlined the importance of the responsibility of the men and women of today. We spoke to him concerning the ever more difficult situation in the Middle East. Our interview took place in Palermo at the international meeting “Men and Religions” promoted by the Community of Sant’Egidio, where Sirat took part in a round-table encounter on the “self-criticism of religions”. “In order to promote real peace”, said Sirat, “prophets are necessary, and men of religion can play that role. They are the prophets who will shape history”. What is your greatest fear for the Holy Land? “There is a serious risk of becoming accustomed to the idea that in the Middle East there is no longer any alternative to war and that this situation of conflict can still last a long time. That is why it is vital to seek peace, peruse it ceaselessly and follow all paths that may possibly lead to it. I have no wish to enter into Israel’s internal questions, but it is important to remember that children and innocent civilians are killed in the attacks and when people die by mistake, religions are questioned. The fundamental principle that guides religions must be the search for peace”. But is peace possible? “The question is knowing whether the Palestinian Authority, and in particular President Arafat, has truly accepted the idea that Israel has the right to exist in the Middle East and that it can be a State like any other. What we want from the Palestinians are non-evasive answers. But we do not want this at the expense of our values, at the expense of peace, because that for us would be a dramatic loss of moral identity for Israel”. Are Jews ready to subject themselves to self-criticism on the question of the Holy Land? “I have been struggling for peace between Israelis and Palestinians for thirty years. For thirty years I have been saying that it is necessary to create an Israeli State and a Palestinian State. I feel that the people are much closer together than their political leaders. The people – both Palestinian and Israeli – know that there will be two States on the Holy Land”. Who, then, benefits from war? “Fear. Everybody is afraid of everybody else. The Palestinians are afraid of the Israelis because they have superior military power. The Israelis are afraid of the Palestinians because they react with terrorist attacks. At the moment, what rules the Middle East is fear. The fear is real, it is everywhere, in Israel as in Palestine”. When will it all end? “Some people have paid with their lives. What is necessary is to have the courage to call a halt, to stop replying to bombs with bombs. Peace can still win, but we need the help of God”. Maria Chiara Biagioni Sir correspondent in Palermo