Religious affairs and issues of personal status, such as marriage, divorce, and conversion, are determined by leaders of Israel’s recognized religious communities — Jewish, Muslim, Druze, and 10 Christian denominations.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

In a historic interfaith gathering, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Interior Ministry convened top religious leaders from across the country to reaffirm their commitment to peace, human life, and interreligious solidarity.

The meeting, held on Wednesday at the Druze Center in the northern town of Julis, brought together Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III, Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Muslim imams, and other representatives of Israel’s religious communities.

Chief Rabbi Yosef, speaking at the opening of the meeting, highlighted the shared moral duty to oppose violence and protect life.

“The Torah of Israel sanctifies human life. This is a supreme value that is without peer,” he said.

He further emphasized the longstanding bond between the Jewish and Druze communities.

“We have a covenant in blood with the Druze community, and the state must do everything to defend the Druze wherever they are. Sitting here are religious leaders from around the world. Any religion worthy of the name is obligated to sanctify life. We must make it crystal clear: We choose life. I call on you to make your voices heard and do everything for the return of the hostages.”

Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif echoed these sentiments, calling the gathering a “clear statement of light against darkness, and good over evil.”

In July, hundreds of Israeli Druze entered Syria following the massacre of their brethren in southern Syria. The Israeli Druze community has also launched a grassroots campaign to collect and deliver humanitarian aid.

“Together we can convey a clear message to the world, to wake up in light of the atrocities in Syria and not stand on the sidelines. If this is not stopped in Syria, it will threaten the entire Middle East,” Tarif said.

Rabbi Eliezer Simcha Weiss, chairman of the interfaith committee, described the gathering as a moment of shared responsibility and mutual support.

“With the Druze community we share a bond of life – born of dedication, courage, and selflessness. We weep with them over the recent tragedies that have struck their people, just as they stood with us in our own times of suffering,” Weiss said.

“Though we are different peoples, together we shall endure. All those who seek to destroy us, even by the most diabolical means, shall not prevail. We survive in faith, in hope, and in the unshakeable belief in peace, in a future, and in the sanctity of human life.”

Chief Rabbinate Director General Yehuda Cohen highlighted the importance of dialogue across faiths, stating, “This meeting expresses our joint responsibility as rabbis, patriarchs, imams, and sheikhs to advance a life of respect, partnership, and mutual guarantee. The Chief Rabbinate ascribes great importance to constant dialogue with all religious communities, based on the belief that the sanctity of life takes precedence over any disagreement.”

Imam Sheikh Muhammad Jorban, representing the Interior Ministry’s Islamic Department, stressed that “Injustice does not distinguish among people, and our joint stance is to stand alongside the injured and to preserve the dignity of all people.”

Religious affairs and issues of personal status, such as marriage, divorce, and conversion, are determined by leaders of Israel’s recognized religious communities — Jewish, Muslim, Druze, and 10 Christian denominations.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead.

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