Haifa Symposium: Religion as a path to peace amid Middle East conflict

As the Israel-Gaza war rages on, various observers have blamed religious extremism for fanning the flames of the conflict.

Critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say he has lost control of the war because he’s beholden to religious extremists in his party, while Hamas, an Islamist terrorist group, has gained popularity across the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Yet on a practical level, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog has dismissed such a notion.

“This is not a religious war. Israel is not and will never be at war with Islam or any religion,” Herzog told attendees of the University of Haifa's Laboratory for Religious Studies’ Second Annual Symposium.

“Yes, we’re at war. But we’re also in an era of peace,” he added, referring to the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements that Israel signed with Arab states three years ago.

Herzog was one of the many voices of optimism who spoke at the symposium held last month at the University. The event, which centered on “Religion and Diplomacy in the Middle East,” highlighted the significant role of religious leaders in fostering peace amidst the ongoing turmoil in the region. Together prominent voices argued that the region should gravitate more toward religion and use it as a basis for fostering interfaith cooperation for the sake of peace.

Uriel Simonsohn, Head of the Haifa Laboratory for Religious Studies, agreed, adding that religious leaders never got the proper credit for making such a landmark agreement possible.

“A review of the various peace accords Israel signed over the past decade reveals a mystifying absence of mentions of religious leaders, representatives of religions in the region or any kind of reference to religion other than token expressions that seem no more than symbolic gestures,” he said. “Interestingly, while religious figures and institutions are sidelined in peacemaking efforts, they often loom large in discussions of conflict with many framing the Middle Eastern discord in religious terms conjuring up a vague clash between Judaism and Islam dating back to ancient times.” 

The purpose of the event, and the Laboratory for Religious Studies in general, is to address this very misconception and harness the positive power of religion and highlight its ability to bring disparate people together.

“Ever since its inception four years ago, the Haifa Laboratory for Religious Studies has dedicated its efforts to bridging academic expertise with religious leadership and organizations to foster civic and social changes in Haifa, Israel, and the Middle East,” Simonsohn explained.

There’s a tendency, Simonsohn warned, to overemphasize the destructive influence of religion in the region and give too much credit to the argument that world peace would be possible if religion is eliminated from the conversation entirely. 

“Yet today’s symposium challenges this notion,” he said. “It’s founded on the belief that religion is here to stay. And rather than dismissing it as hindrances to peace, we should consider them as potential catalysts for reconciliation.” 

As such, in addition to Herzog’s remarks, the symposium featured a series panel discussions with a diverse group of academics, activists, and religious figures, as well as thoughtful speeches from notable figures like British Minister Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Special Advisor to the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi Rabbi David Rosen, and incoming University of Haifa Rector Mouna Maroun. The speakers all shared how faith can be a unifying force rather than a divisive one. 

Rabbi Rosen, who has taken leave from his position as the American Jewish Committee’s International Director of Interreligious Affairs to assume the role in the United Arab Emirates, was honored that evening for his 40-plus-year career of building bridges between religious communities. He is the former Chief Rabbi of Ireland, and held other pivotal roles in organizations dedicated to interfaith dialogue and diplomacy.

“The overarching theme of today is understanding that despite where we currently find ourselves, we’re in an era of amazing achievements,” Rabbi Rosen said.

Speaking of the landmark agreements in which Israel normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, and Bahrain, Rosen said, “They were called the Abraham Accords for a reason. You can’t say that today’s Satan is yesterday’s angel. But you can say you had an argument in the family. A bad argument. But it’s a family. And we must make peace in the family. This is how important interfaith cooperation is to our identities and future.”

Also addressing the audience was University of Haifa’s Maroun, who will be the first Arab to hold the office of rector at any university in Israel. She told the audience she is living proof that cooperation and dialogue between faiths can work.

“The city of Haifa and this unique campus is a holy spot where Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, and others live and study together,” she said. “This laboratory is the right place to focus on shared values and goals while acknowledging differences. Only here at Haifa can we build a world where diversity is celebrated and understanding replaces fear. It is a long and difficult process but one that we believe in.” 

“After October 7th, fear took over the Holy Land affecting all communities,” she continued. “There’s suffering of innocent children and elderly on both sides, the hostages and the humanitarian crisis are all barriers to dialogue and cooperation that make the dream of interfaith dialogue seem impossible to achieve. But each of us should ask, especially after October 7th, shouldn’t we return to dialogue?”    

The Laboratory for Religious Studies has done just that, making history in March when it issued a statement from 20 prominent leaders from across the religious spectrum in Haifa, in which they called for cooperation between their religions. The statement marks the first time such a diverse array of religious leaders publicly backed a partnership of this kind, and is a testament to the rich tapestry of coexistence in Israel’s third-largest city.

In addition to the statement, the group formed a steering committee that will work on putting their words into action by expanding the reach of this network and will act as a resource for communities who may experience flare-ups of tension. 

The Laboratory for Religious Studies hopes that if this formula succeeds, it can serve as a template for other mixed cities across Israel and beyond, where religious leaders can act as ambassadors of peace and dialogue. Moreover, the laboratory hopes that the creation of this committee will enable leaders to respond to conflicts as well as devise means for enhancing and broadening the scale of collaborations across religious divides in an unprecedented display of collaboration.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon offered an uplifting analogy summarizing the ethos of the symposium, saying, “I remember the leader of my community was once asked by a Christian why we think Islam is the correct path. He smiled and said, ‘I don’t believe any faith to be wrong. If one wants to get to Yorkshire, they can take the M1, A25, or country roads. But, ultimately, we all arrive at the same destination.”

“I understood what he was saying, religion is but a pathway where the starting and ending point are the same,” he said. “Ultimately, we’re all children of God.”

This article was written in cooperation with The University of Haifa