World's Jewish and Hindu Leaders Gather in New Delhi
Rabbi David Rosen, AJC's international director of interreligious affairs, and president of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC), met with world Hindu leaders at the historic first Hindu-Jewish Leadership Summit in New Delhi. In a joint declaration, the religious leaders affirmed their shared values, condemned violence, and pledged to address the challenges of poverty and illness. As special representative of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate's Permanent Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, Rabbi Rosen also met with Buddhist and Muslim leaders of India as well.
Project Interchange Brings Christian Clergy to Israel
Christian clergy from Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Virginia are participating this week in a Project Interchange educational seminar in Israel. The delegation will discuss the complexity of interfaith relations with leading Christian, Jewish and Muslim clergy in Israel and the role of religion in peacemaking. The group will travel to Christian sites in the Galilee, meet with Christian, Muslim and Jewish theologians, and learn about the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The group is accompanied by Rabbi Maynard Bell, director of AJC's Arizona Chapter, and Alex Helfand, assistant director of AJC's Westchester Chapter.
Quest for Peace Spotlights Israeli Peacemaking
Quest for Peace, a new AJC publication highlighting Israel's sixty-year effort to make peace with her Arab neighbors, can be downloaded at www.ajc.org. "Alongside the narrative of violence that usually describes the Israel-Arab conflict lies a narrative of peace, often overlooked," asserts Quest for Peace. "Israel has demonstrated repeatedly, both in word and deed, that it is committed to genuine peace with its Arab neighbors and a hopeful new era in the Middle East."
Federal Terrorism Trial Yields Troubling Verdict
AJC was disappointed with a federal jury's decision to acquit two Palestinians on charges regarding ties to Hamas. Government evidence, including secretly recorded communication between the defendants and Hamas, minutes of meetings between Hamas and Hezbollah and Iranian representatives, and financial records showing money transfers between the defendants and Hamas operatives, demonstrated that funds raised here were to be used for acts of violence against innocent civilians.
Ari M. Gordon Assistant Director Department of Interreligious Affairs American Jewish Committee 165 E56th St. New York, NY 10022 (212) 891-6768 (212) 751-4000 x266 www.ajc.org www.engagingamerica.org