Interfaith efforts strained by Israeli-Palestinian violence

There is fear that the violence is becoming increasingly personal in shared neighborhoods. We do not know the immediate path through this, but we are certain that until we humanize one another, there wont be a path at all, Hasan added, We encourage our community members to reach out to someone else who holds a different view and listen to their story with compassion. Andrea Hodos, NewGrounds associate director, said she has close family in Israel and worries for Israelis taking refuge in bomb shelters.

The escalation of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is dismaying American Muslims and Jews who've been working to build bridges between their communities and are now struggling to quell fear and anger in their own circles. "We're heartbroken," said Muslim attorney Atiya Aftab, the New Jersey-based co-founder of a major interfaith group, the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom. She added that the situation threatens to derail the group's work. The organisation, which seeks to build trust and friendships between Muslim and Jewish women and teenage girls, issued a statement regretting the "violent response" by Hamas, the Islamic militant group ruling Gaza, but was more expansive and forceful in condemning actions by Israeli security forces. "The Israeli government has a responsibility to stop settlers and extremists from taking over the land and allow those who live in East Jerusalem to rightfully live there in peace," the group said. "As Muslim and Jewish women of faith ... we have a responsibility to rise up and respond to injustice and prejudice." The grim events in Israel and Gaza have fueled "raw discussions" among members of another Muslim-Jewish partnership, Los Angeles-based NewGround, according to its executive director, Aziza Hasan. She said a private Zoom gathering is planned for next week to address tensions within the community, which includes Palestinian Americans, Muslims with origins elsewhere and Jews holding a wide range of political views. Many members have relatives or friends in areas wracked by the violence. "NewGround has been working hard to listen deeply to the enormous anger and fear," Hasan, a Muslim, said via email. "There is fear that the violence is becoming increasingly personal in shared neighborhoods." "We do not know the immediate path through this, but we are certain that until we humanize one another, there won't be a path at all," Hasan added, "We encourage our community members to reach out to someone else who holds a different view and listen to their story with compassion." Andrea Hodos, NewGround's associate director, said she has close family in Israel and worries for Israelis taking refuge in bomb shelters. She has Palestinian American friends for whom she is also concerned, including one with family members in Gaza where there's little protection against Israeli air strikes. "We need to keep all these people in mind," said Hodos, who is Jewish. "It doesn't work all the time ... but our goal is to get as many people to stay at the table as possible, hearing one another's stories. That's what softens our hearts — to be able to be with one another through these times.'' Ingrid Mattson, a Muslim scholar and former president of the Islamic Society of North America, wrote this week on Twitter that she fears "meaningful interfaith relationships'' among US Christians, Muslims and Jews are in jeopardy "if those involved continue to be silent on Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque" during the holy month of Ramadan.

"This is the crisis of a generation," she wrote.

In an interview, Mattson said she was anguished by what she saw as a muted response from some faith groups as that holy site was attacked, a traumatizing event for Muslims everywhere: "It makes a person question the nature of the (interfaith) relationship."(AP) RUP RUP

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