RABBI JONATHAN SACKS BLOG
October 30, 2014
On Thursday 30th October 2014, Rabbi Sacks spoke in a House of Lords debate on the situation in North Africa and the Middle East. In this 7-minute speech, Rabbi Sacks began by declaring an interest: “I am a Jew. Israel is therefore for me the place where my people were born almost four thousand years ago, the place to which Abraham and Sarah travelled, where Amos voiced his vision of social justice and Isaiah dreamed of a world at peace, where David composed the Psalms and Solomon built the Temple – and this had consequences not only for Jews but also for Christians and Muslims, who claim Abraham as their ancestor in faith, and whose God they take as their own.”
He argued that it is only “when power is secularised [that] peace is possible”, noting that the world, and particularly North Africa and the Middle East, was seeing a period where people were de-secularising, commenting that “when ancient theologies are used for modern political ends, they speak a very dangerous language indeed”. This, he said, resulted in the demonisation of Israel and “the slow descent of other countries into chaos.”
In a clarion call to people of all faiths and of none, Rabbi Sacks declared: “When you blame others for your failures you not only harm them, you harm yourself and your people. To be free, you have to let go of hate.” Every religion, he concluded, “must wrestle with its dark angels, and so today must we: Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. For we are all children of Abraham and it will only be when we make space for one another as brothers and sisters that we will redeem the world from darkness and walk together in the light of God.”
ArchitectGuy on Israel 