European Muslim leaders visit Israel in bold peace mission
Delegation condemns extremism and urges dialogue during high-level meetings
A delegation of 15 Muslim community leaders from across Europe visited Israel this week in a peace-building mission, meeting with President Isaac Herzog and senior officials in a bid to promote interfaith dialogue and confront Islamist extremism.
The group – from the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium – arrived on Monday for a packed week-long programme that includes visiting sites hit in the 7 October attacks, touring the borders with Lebanon and Syria, and meeting victims of terrorism and religious leaders.
During a meeting at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, Dutch imam Youssef Masbeh led the group in a recitation of Hatikvah in Arabic. “We are all children of Abraham,” President Herzog told them. “What you’re doing on this visit reflects the silent majority who yearn for shared life. Here in Israel, we want peace. We want to see all our hostages back home – and we want to see an end to the suffering of the people in Gaza, too.”
French imam Hassen Chalghoumi, head of the Conference of Imams of France and known as “the peace imam”, warned that “this war is not just between Israel and Hamas, or Israel and Hezbollah. It is a confrontation between two fundamentally different worlds. You (Herzog) stand for democracy and liberty – the world of brotherhood, humanity, and compassion.”
Credit: Times of Israel (video still)
The UK’s representative, Noor Dahri, executive director of the Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism (ITCT), said Islamists in Europe pose a greater threat than in the Middle East. “In the region, people know who the extremists are. But in Europe, they live among the people and spread their political ideology unchecked in mosques and community centres.”
Speaking to The Times of Israel, Dahri added: “Since 7 October, even Muslims who previously supported Israel have turned their backs or stayed silent out of fear. This delegation is here to say that the Jewish nation is not the enemy of Muslims, and Israel is not against Islam.”
The visit was coordinated by The European Leadership Network (ELNET), an NGO that strengthens relations between Europe and Israel. The delegation has also met with IDF Arabic spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee, Chief Rabbi David Yosef, and relatives of Druze and Bedouin victims of recent terror attacks.
Chalghoumi acknowledged the personal risk involved. “We are fearful of the threats,” he said. “But the courageous are those who make history and change the world.”
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