A prophetic walk

Since the beginning of the year, the violence seemed to never want to stop. She was everywhere. It took all forms. And ever since politics established it as a virtue, it fed on its own effects. For Avi Dabush, director general of the NGO Rabbis for Human Rights, the worst thing is that religions were instrumentalized by politics to stir up this cycle. Including his. With slogans that he considers – and many others with him – completely contradictory like “Jewish supremacy”. For Avi, supremacy has no place in society or (and even less) in religion. Whoever she is.

So he contacted some friends. “We were inspired by Rabbi Abraham Yehoshua Heschel and Martin Luther King. With their joint solidarity march, they are a courageous example of religious leadership. Avi and his friends decided to organize a march in Jerusalem for peace, equality and justice for all. It was to take place a week before Jerusalem Day, which has become a symbol of conflict and violence. “Right now, says Avi Dabush, it’s not enough to say no. We need to bring the shared vision of religious leaders on justice, equality and peace and we need to do so in the public space that has become a symbol of far-right religious violence. »

Several Jewish, Christian, Muslim and interfaith organizations have joined the project. “In Israel, says Avi, about 80% of Jews believe in God, and the same goes for Muslims. Also, whoever wants to change something in this society, whoever fights for a liberal democracy, must dialogue with the traditions of the people on the ground. Religion is a necessary tool for discussion. »

And they walked. After a few speeches, a few songs, lots of hugs, smiles, emotions. Unable to pray together – because with the best will in the world, it remains difficult – each listened to the prayer of the other, acquiescing. Then they set off. The one-kilometre route took place from Sion Square on the main pedestrian thoroughfare on Jaffa Street, at the gate of the same name, the famous entrance to the old city of Jerusalem. They walked, content to sing to a religious tune “lalala”. You had to see the dazed eyes of the passers-by. Jews, Muslims, Christians, arm in arm, happy to be together, without exuberance, without provocation, without hatred. Tearing the veil. Breaking down the walls erected to separate them.

Certainly, they were not thousands. Two hundred at most. But their unlikely device, in the country’s tense situation, stunned passers-by. Some didn’t like it. “They took us for leftists,” laughs Ora. You have to admit there were. What was also there was jubilation at doing something that was neither politically correct nor religiously easy. In short, prophetic!

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