Recently, Saudi researcher Abdulaziz Alghashian, from the Observer Research Foundation Middle East, published an opinion piece in Haaretz. In it, he argued that the Israeli public does not fully understand the Saudi worldview and strategy.
He noted that some Israelis mistakenly believe that Saudi Arabia would be willing to sign a normalization agreement with Israel without addressing the Palestinian issue. He further maintained that Israel’s military-focused approach as a strategy toward Iran stands in direct contrast to Saudi Arabia’s approach, which prioritizes dialogue with the Iranians.
Significantly, however, Alghashian described the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack as a “barbaric act without any justification” – a strong condemnation that, for the vast majority of Israelis, serves as the minimal starting point for any dialogue with the Arab and Muslim world.
This is, in fact, the most significant aspect of Alghashian’s opinion piece – and his call to action.
As he stated: “Our peoples share many common interests, but unfortunately, there seems to me to be nothing we share more than the pain of the spilled blood of our brothers. We must acknowledge each other’s pain and realize that peace is the only solution that can serve as a balm.
“I suggest one starting point: we need to create more serious discourse between Arab and Israeli researchers, experts, journalists, and academics.”
As religious leaders, we at the Ohr Torah Interfaith Center embrace Alghashian’s call and suggest broadening its scope into action. In my view, as an Orthodox Jewish rabbi, religion is a central part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict specifically and of the Middle East more broadly.
My goal, which is shared by many of my rabbinic colleagues in Israel and abroad, is to move religion to the other side of the equation – to the side of the solution.
Our position goes further: not only can and should religion be part of the solution, but no long-term peace is possible without addressing the religious dimension. This is because religion and tradition play a crucial role in shaping behavior – not only for individuals and communities but also for countries and diplomatic relations in the Middle East.
Ignoring the religious dimension and attempting to resolve conflicts solely based on shared interests has not proven successful thus far, and there is no reason to believe it will succeed in the future.
I am not suggesting that shared interests should be ignored. In this regard, Israelis fully share a common interest with the Saudis – namely, as Alghashian put it, the economic and security concerns about a region mired in unrest, conflict, and instability. Sometimes, it is important to reiterate the obvious: the vast majority of Israelis seek peace and stability, not endless war.
It is also evident that allegations of Israeli expansionist ambitions in the Middle East are groundless conspiracy theories. Israel seeks acceptance as an equal partner in the Middle East, with official and open relations – not as a “secretive mistress,” as Alghashian phrased it.
Mid-level dialogue
THE FIRST step, as Alghashian suggested, is indeed mid-level dialogue. However, we must include religious leaders from both sides in the dialogue alongside researchers, experts, journalists, and academics (in any case, many religious leaders wear additional hats as scholars, researchers, and the like).
A dialogue that excludes religious figures may yield fascinating insights for certain elites, but it will not succeed in driving deep processes, changing attitudes and behavior, or persuading key veto players on both sides, without whom no agreement can be reached – or sustained, if signed.
This mistake, of consciously excluding religious leaders, was already made during the Oslo process. The Oslo Accords architects correctly identified religious figures as part of the problem – but failed to recognize that they must also be part of the solution. We all know how that ended. Let us avoid repeating past mistakes and instead learn from them.
Neither Jews nor Muslims intend to abandon, change, or adapt our ancient identities and traditions to advance short-term interests. We propose the opposite approach: focusing on in-depth readings and discussions about our shared roots. This allows us to transform our different identities from sources of conflict into foundations for a shared and better future.
After many years of profound dialogue with leaders across the Muslim world, along with a growing group of rabbis knowledgeable in Islam and the Quran – some even fluent in Arabic – I am convinced of the potential of this process to yield meaningful results and believe the time has come to expand it.
The renowned Hebrew poet Rachel Bluwstein, whose central place in Israeli culture earned her the simple moniker “Rachel the Poet,” asked in one of her most famous poems: “Why does an outstretched hand not meet a sister hand?”
I see Alghashian’s article as an outstretched hand of utmost importance, and my response is simple: here is the sister hand; let us meet.
The writer, a rabbi, is the managing director of the Ohr Torah Interfaith Center, a division of Ohr Torah Stone.