Updated 17 May 2017.
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland partner with the Board of Deputies of British Jews, with the first Israeli-Palestinian ‘Invest in Peace’ events.
You can read reports of the first events on the Jewish Chronicle and Christian Today websites.
Robi Damelin and Bassam Aramin
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and the Board of Deputies have held the first series of local events in its ‘Invest in Peace’ initiative. They involved leading journalist Jonathan Freedland and MPs Tulip Siddiq and Catherine West. The ‘Invest in Peace’ initiative, the first of its kind at a national level, invites Christian and Jewish communities in Britain to come together in support of Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding projects.
Three events took place on the 9th and 10th May in London, each being locally led by a church and synagogue partnership. Christians, Jews and others sat alongside one another to hear from two bereaved parents, one Israeli and one Palestinian, who promote reconciliation as an alternative to revenge. Speakers Robi Damelin and Bassam Aramin, members of the Parents Circle – Families Forum, travelled to London especially for the three events.
The Revd Peter Colwell, Deputy General Secretary of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland said: “With so much violence, hatred and suspicion in the world, there is a critical need for different faith groups to come together. This is no less true than in relation to Israel-Palestine, where Jews and Christians often disagree, and cause each other pain in that disagreement. This approach aims to build bridges and create a sense of hope. The Parents Circle is a demonstration of the courage and bravery of people in the region whose pain and grief could easily lead them in a different direction. It is therefore a privilege for CTBI to be working in partnership with the Jewish community on this important initiative.”
Board of Deputies Vice-President Marie Van der Zyl said: “While geopolitics shouldn’t define the relationship between Britain’s different religious groups, we often find faith communities at loggerheads on the Middle East and taking stances which cause division between us. Invest in Peace presents an opportunity for Christian and Jewish communities to export peace rather than importing the conflict. A yearning for peace is integral to both our faith traditions, and so we are delighted to be leading this with our partners in the churches.”
Further events for ‘Invest in Peace’, taking place in the North of England and Scotland, will be announced soon.
The three London events were:
- West Hampstead (with Tulip Siddiq MP), 9 May
- Central London (with Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian), 10 May
- Muswell Hill (with Catherine West MP), 10 May
For further information, please contact either:
CTBI Deputy General Secretary: Revd Peter Colwell or
Board of Deputies Interfaith and Social Action Officer, Anthony Silkoff
