We need to rethink how we build Jewish-Muslim relations in Britain

Britain is a society living through polarisation, fear, pain and deep distrust. The increase in Antisemitic and Islamophobic hatred represents a moral emergency in Britain. Muslims and Jews must begin finding common ground to counter the hatred facing both of our communities. Our safety is intertwined.

I appreciate that not everyone is ready for dialogue.

Emotions are raw. The Israel-Palestine conflict has left deep wounds, Interfaith is in crisis. Neglecting to build resilience during less heated times leaves communities unprepared. When crises erupt, dialogue fractures. Muslim and Jewish communities need to rethink Interfaith and rebuild cross-community relationships.

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Often, interfaith remains surface-level. I sometimes jokingly call this “bhajis and bagels interfaith”, where politeness trumps honesty. Interfaith dialogue that avoids difficult topics may still serve a purpose, helping to initiate social contact and begin to build relationships.

I believe the time has come to take these activities to the next level. Understandably, some participants may fear that the hard work invested in building trust could be jeopardised by more difficult conversations.

Yet, with the right framing, boundaries and care, engaging in constructive discomfort can deepen trust, strengthen relationships and make dialogue more authentic and resilient.

Professor Jonathan Haidt’s analogy of the elephant and the rider is instructive: our gut-level emotional responses are like an elephant, powerful and often uncontrollable, while our rational mind, the rider, scrambles when the elephant charges.

In interfaith work, Israel-Palestine is that elephant: overwhelming and unavoidable, shaping dialogue whether we acknowledge it or not. Avoiding it deepens the empathy deficit and isolates communities. Avoiding it deepens the empathy deficit and isolates communities.

The answer lies in humanisation without normalisation. By normalisation, I mean the impulse to pursue coexistence or dialogue while ignoring injustice, avoiding difficult truths, or prioritising comfort.

Humanisation, by contrast, is recognising the full humanity of other peoples: their pain, vulnerability, and moral stakes, even when this recognition is uncomfortable, challenging, or emotionally unsettling.

It is not about agreement, but empathy, accountability and courage. Muslims must stand against antisemitism with the same urgency others are asked to confront Islamophobia. Jewish communities, meanwhile, must stand with Muslim communities when they  are targeted.

Choosing humanisation without normalisation means staying present in dialogue, even when it triggers discomfort or grief, and refusing the easy comfort of silence.

During the Solutions Not Sides annual Bridge Builders Programme, young participants meet Israeli and Palestinian peace-builders, wrestle with the emotional and spiritual weight of land and identity, and build the “muscle memory” of disagreement without dehumanising one another.

One participant from our recent cohort reflected: “Real bridge building means giving young people space to question, challenge, and disagree, with compassion and courage.” These encounters equip participants to confront hatred, respond to injustice thoughtfully, and develop the allyship our times demand.

As part of this work, I have developed guidelines for interfaith dialogue around Israel-Palestine: creating safe spaces for uncomfortable dialogue, finding common ground, learning to disagree respectfully, and working towards the common good. Dialogue must lead to action: standing against antisemitism and Islamophobia, exploring barriers to peace, and fostering empathy and shared responsibility.

History reminds us that Jews and Muslims can and have coexisted, in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. Those shared past endeavours remind us that deep alliances are possible, but nostalgia alone is insufficient.

Ultimately, humanisation without normalisation is the path forward. It demands courage, empathy, and sustained commitment. Only then can we imagine a Britain where Jewish and Muslim communities feel safe and protected.

Mohammed Ali Amla is the Public Affairs Director at Solutions Not Sides, a trustee at the Faith and Belief Forum and a steering committee member of ENCATE (European Network for Countering Antisemitism through Education).