Provisional Agendafor the

Inter-Religious Peace Summit in Jerusalem 2008

Provisional Agendafor the

Inter-Religious Peace Summit in Jerusalem 2008

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Organized by

The Jerusalem Peace AcademyTogether with

The Art of Living Foundationand

The Club of Budapest

Global Crisis and the Middle East Conflict: Its Religious Roots and Resolution;

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1) Scientific Analysis (Forecast) and Divine Revelations (Prophecies) – Scenarios of the Future of Humanity, A New Heaven and A New Earth: Creating a New Civilization;

2) Misuse and Positive Application of Scriptures and Divine Revelations in Middle East Conflict: Religion as cause of conflict and means of resolution;

3) Disconnecting Religion and Politics in the Middle East;

4) The Religious Roots of the Conflict about Jerusalem and the Temple Mount;

5) The Significance of Jerusalem (and the Temple Mount) for Jews, Christians and Muslims according to the Prophecies and Divine Revelations of the Bible and the Qur’an

6) The Concept of Redemption (in Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Eschatology and Divine Revelations: Israel/Jerusalem and the Plan of God with Humanity and the Nations

7) Specific (central and highly charged) Religious Mysteries and Symbols (Holy Sites) and their Significance and Spiritual Impact in the three Abrahamic Religions: Golgatha, God’s Covenant, the Sh’khinah, Mount Moriah/Haram ash-Sharif, the Holy Arc and its Abode (the Holy of Holies) in the Temple), the Holy Grail, the Ka’aba in Mecca … their meaning and spiritual impact.

8) Convergence and Divergence of Religious Traditions (and its Salvation)

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9) Their Global Impact and Political Implications

10) Jerusalem and the Temple Mount

• Mayor Objective: Defining the Religious Roots of the Middle East Conflict, designing a path of salvation for it and getting to a mutual agreement about Jerusalem amongst Jewish, Muslim and Christian Religious Leaders;

• Establishing a Permanent Parliament (or Council) of Religions (or just

Imams and Rabbis) for Peace in Jerusalem

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Organizing and Steering Committee(s):• The Jerusalem Peace Academy,• The Club of Budapest World Shift Network / WWC (Prof. Ervin Laszlo)• And The Art of Living Foundation (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)

In cooperation with• Multi-Track-Diplomacy (Ambassador John McDonald)

• WCRP (Bill Vendley)• Hommes de Parole (Alain Michel)• Israeli Friends of Tibet (Anat)

• Bahij Mansour, (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)• The Iriah (General Manager)

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Inter-religious Peace Summit Jerusalem 2008

Inter-religious Peace Summit Jerusalem 2008

Global Crisis an the Middle East ConflictIts Religious Roots and Resolution

Humanity at the Crossroad: Advocating a Sustainable WorldHumanity at the Crossroad: Advocating a Sustainable World

JPAJerusalem Peace Academy

Zippori Campus, Jerusalem Forest, P.O Box 3353, Jerusalem 90133

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• 2008 is the 60th jubilee of the restoration of the State of Israel (in 1948) after a period of exile for more then 2000 years.

• The Middle East – with Jerusalem as its focal point – having become the global battle field of conflicting cultural and religious claims, political and economic interests and powers (Oil), thus holding the crucial conditions for world-wide destruction or salvation and peace, needs to be taken as first priority in the agendas of world politics and spiritual awareness.

• Nevertheless the purpose of the Summit is non-political and purely religious. It is meant to link the Jerusalem Question with the present Global Awareness Initiatives and to create a proper understanding and possible agreement about the (religious) root of the Middle East Crisis and fit instruments for its resolution (salvation) to bring about lasting spiritual, cultural, social and economic consolidation and peace for Israel and the Palestinians as well as to the area and the world. Yet, while we are aware about the close connection between politics and religion in the area, the Summit will deal plainly with the religious roots of the crisis, and definitely not with political issues.

• Now, there are some intriguing similarities between Israel and Tibet, and the Jews and the Tibetan People respectively. Both face the fact of neglect and forgetfulness about their origin and legitimate home in their native lands from the side of others who claim sovereignty over it - the ones from Islamic doctrine and the mainstream Muslim world, the others from the side of Chinese ideology and politics. While the Chinese occupy the Tibetan homeland neglecting a Tibetan sovereignty by the exiled Tibetans, Israel faces a neglect of the legitimate right of existence from their Muslim neighbours and Palestinian inhabitants, since their return in 1948 after 2000 years of exile. The Tibetans in fact are confronted with the threat of future neglect that the Jewish people are facing for these two millennia.

Background paper for the Jerusalem Summit 2008:

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• By lack of immediate experience, first hand information and biased blames and complaints from the side of ill-motivated Muslim Palestinians, many journalists, people and governments falsely compare the Israeli position with South African Apartheid where European colonialists occupied the land and suppressed the original native population, while in truth the people of Israel is the original native population returning to an occupied land after having suffered long exile, struggling for survival, acceptance and security. At the same time, the Muslim occupiers defend their exclusive claims, struggling for their own existence, while being unwilling to surrender to the returned landlords, thus causing unending tension and offence in the region and too much suffering for their own people. Still it would be the obligation of the Israeli Government to stop all kinds of retaliation, suppression and harassment towards Palestinians and to give them equal rights along with their Jewish brethren.

• Leaving Political Issues and Implications aside, we enthusiastically care for the destiny of our nation and its people – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – from a spiritual and religious point of view and want to draw attention to the threat of security and (spiritual) survival of the state and its people caused by violent distorted religious belief systems from the side of extremists in the Muslim world counting more then 500 Mio people.

• Concerned with the world-wide lack of true and covering factual information, understanding and knowledge about its deeper roots and true origin of the crisis, due to stereotyped prejudices, misguided propaganda, political manipulation and lack of insight into our specific calling, we feel the urgent need to analyze and openly name these lacking facts and issues and to bring them to a world-wide attention. In particular we aim for the establishment of World Parliament of Religions (for Peace), an international, inter-religious council or court consisting of selected and worldwide recognized spiritual and religious leaders committed to deal with the necessary corrections, steps, strategies and solutions towards our goal of world-wide reconciliation and atonement under the guidance of (selected leaders of) the conflicting parties and their prophetic scriptures. 8

• Once having gained a clear insight into the principal roots of the conflict as well as its consequences for the entire community of nations, it is not difficult to create a vision for its settlement as well as strategies for its resolution. (A perfect vision is already presented in the prophetic books of the Bible (Isaiah, Micah). Seeing the fact that all threads of human destiny are linked with the issue of Jerusalem and its prophetically proposed final Sanctuary, we also will understand that Jerusalem holds the causes of the conflict and the means for its salvation. In fact it holds the keys for the destiny of mankind!

• The basic position of the mentor as well as the steering committee of the Summit is the firm rejection of the present Politics of the Israeli as well as World Governments towards/with the Palestinians and its Arab neighbours – even in the face of the neglect and terror from their side. We see the last cause of the conflict not in occupation, but in a lack of righteousness on our side and in the neglect of our heritage and legitimate spiritual rights from the side of our opponents. We hold that an unconditional first step from the side of the Israeli Government is to stop all kinds of harassment and abuse of human rights towards Palestinian Arabs living within the confines of Israel as well as in the „territories“. Equal civil rights have to be granted to the Palestinians and all other minorities living in the country and sound condition have to be established for building an independent Palestinian state. As long as the Palestinians have no solution (= secure and granted living conditions) for themselves, Israel will also not find security and Peace for its people.

• Only when Israel is granting such equal rights to all, refraining from harassment and provocation, it will be (spiritually) authorized and suited to redefine its relation and state clear demands towards the Palestinians and the Arab world.

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• One of our concerns regarding the State of Israel is that – despite all mistakes the Government has committed – the major part of the world is neither aware of the specific God-given calling (and mission) of our nation nor the neglect of the Biblical Revelations and the legitimate right of its existence in the midst of the Arab nations from the extremist Muslim world from Morocco to Indonesia and the hidden desire of tens of Millions of Islamists to annihilate the “Jewish entity” or to throw it into the see as Ahmedinejad, Bin Laden or Nasrallah openly speak out and are calling for. Having a little knowledge of the present oriental world we will know that the attitude of the Arab nations towards Israel has not changed since the Presidency of Gamal Abd el Nasser, while at the same time spiritual Islam offers a deep empathic and much more sophisticated attitude towards the Jews as we have seen from the luminous examples of Salah-ed-Din and Anwar el Sadat!

• Therefore the first and foremost issue, which we are raising as it is usually not perceived, is that the foundation and mission of Israel as a nation drastically differs from those of other nations. In fact it is unique in the entire world. And since it is alien it is therefore hardly to be understood in the Eastern religious and spiritual traditions (and since the descent of Christian faith in the West also in Europe) that Israel’s calling and mission, its destiny and redemption is linked (by God) with and bound to external factors; that is in particular with the Land of Canaan and the Promise of a Temple on Mount Moriah (Zion) in Jerusalem. This Temple which was first established by God under the rule of David and Salomon is supposed to become the crucial receptacle of God’s power in His final act of redemption. It is His explicitly given Promise (to the people of Israel and the entire world!) that His Glory shall return to His chosen Place – Mount Moriah – in form of the Sh’khinah, the living Presence of JHWH, descending from Its abode above at His time (“and the time is near”) to take possession of the Holy of Holies then being provided by a joint effort of Muslim-Jewish cooperation. From there it is meant to flood Jerusalem with God’s grace and bringing final redemption to humanity and its nations. (“From Zion will come forth teaching and the word of God from Jerusalem,” (Micah) “From Jerusalem will come forth justice for the suppressed and redemption for the world.” “I will restore Jerusalem with Judgement and Zion with Justice.” “And the world shall see that I, JHWH, the Lord of Israel, am with them.” …).

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In return Israel is commanded to be a model of righteousness and a light unto the nations – in modern language: to become shining examples of integrity and divine life as well as pioneers in spiritual education, character building and God-realization (in the manner of the Indian Masters of the last decades). In (Ex. 19) and (Isaiah) the Scriptures refer to this call by naming Israel “a kingdom of priests and holy people” (Ex. 19) and “a light unto the nations”. (Isaiah)

• Accordingly the Scriptures call the final temple an “abode of JHWH” and “a house of prayer – and pilgrimage – for all peoples”. And the Book of Revelation described the Temple as a City with twelve Gates representing the twelve tribes of Israel, meaning that it shall be guarded by the Masters of the 12 tribes, but open and accessible to entire mankind. Unlike the exclusive claims from the side of Muslim extremists who see all non-Muslims (as well as their books and rituals) as impure and are therefore neglecting their access to Mount Moriah, the final Temple is meant to be a direct gate to Heaven for all of humanity. This attitude of excluding non-Muslims from sites which are sacred to the Muslims (Mecca, Medina, Haram ash-Sharif), from their mosques and services, which is the very root of all neglect, discrimination and hostility towards Judaism and other Religions is standing in direct opposition to the universal vision of the Final Temple of the Bible, the Qur’an as well as with the Spiritual Understanding of the Eastern Religious Traditions. The Muslim leadership and communities need to learn to understand that the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (representing the location of the expected return of the Sh’khinah) has the same spiritual significance and religious importance in Jewish Heritage for the Jews as the Kaaba in Mecca has for the Muslim world.

• Our interest is not in building a new temple or in destroying the existing Mosques which we too regard as sacred, but to secure the legitimate rights for the access of the Temple Mount for the Jewish People. It is the declared political commitment and responsibility of the Israeli Government to grant and care for the existing Mosques – Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rocks – so that they would never be touched or even destroyed by any fanatics.

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• To clarify terminology 1: True Zionism is not any anti-ism, it is not against anyone, nor disowning anyone, nor is it a threat towards non-Jews; it does not identify with the stubbornness of settlers, nor with those who neglect the human rights of Ishmaelites, but it is to be understood as a spiritual Judaism (Jewish faith and attitude) which is abiding with God’s Covenant with Israel and the prophetic heritage of Israel and the Jews according to the divine revelations of the Scriptures. That means: Zionism stands for the humble acceptance and realization of God’s Covenant with His people and His calling and choice for the people of Israel to become a holy people and a light unto the nations.

• This call includes the firm believe that God has chosen Mount Zion (Moriah) as His final abode on earth, to be guarded by the sons (descendants) of Jacob, yet as a sanctuary for the blessedness of entire mankind, to be accessible for and shared with all nations irrespective of faith, gender, color, ethnicity or other belonging. It is meant for the good of entire humanity and embracing Ishmaelites, Semites and non-Semites as well.

• To clarify terminology 2: True Islam is not a term for superiority or exclusive truth of one specific revelation, but meaning “surrender” to God on the ground of Muhammed Rasul’s teaching – the Qur’an – which in his own words is “one …”. True Islam does not claim to be the last and final revelation, nor does it deny the timeless validity of the revelations given by God beforehand – the Thanakh and the Gospels, the Eastern Traditions etc. It is not contradicting other traditions, but confirming and extending their truth for the sake of peace and mutual respect among entire mankind.

• Thus the Summit is designed to shed light onto the relevant questions and issues, and to open a path and initiate balanced initiatives and strategic approaches in order to bring about a final solution to the deadly conflict equally resulting in the comfort of justice, healing and salvation for the region and the world.

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We hope being able 1) To release a common resolution concerning world wide initiatives towards the set goal,2) to lay the foundation for establishing something like an inter-religious parliament, council or court authorized to speak justice and right about the future meaning and world-wide role of and the legitimate sovereignty over the Temple Mount on the grounds of divine revelations as held in the prophetic Scriptures of the three complementary Abrahamic religions. This Council being composed of international spiritual and religious leaders from all backgrounds and traditions shall be legitimated to address the relevant local and global institutions like the UN, the Arab League, the Quartet etc. proposing and advocating its resolution previously agreed.

• Such a resolution or charter could finally be adapted by politics and governments as a base for their decisions and their implementation.

• To sum up, the unique goal of the Summit is to clarify the religious roots of the Middle East Conflict and to straighten out misguided and perverted religious beliefs in Judaism and Islam and to lay a foundation for a joint and close cooperation by establishing a Permanent Parliament of World Religions, an inter-religious council or court vested with the legitimate authority and power to judge in matters of (rightful or unrightful) religious claims from any particular tradition and to speak right in the question of the authenticity of the Biblical and Islamic Scriptures as well as of the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish State, equal rights for all its minorities and the access of the Temple Mount for Jews as well as for non-Jews and to define the legitimate ownership and/or sovereignty over Mount Moriah (Temple Mount), which is God’s. Even if the vision seems to be too far away for us to realize, we need to act as if it were to be realized today. It is as Martin Luther King said: “A justice postponed is a justice denied.”

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• A first step in bringing about a solution to the unending conflict between cultures, faiths and peoples, we envision coming from within the religious leadership from both camps – Jewish and Muslim. From the side of the Jews in respecting Muslims and Palestinian Arabs as equal partners in daily life, ethnicity, religious belief and spirituality, and vice-versa from the side of a spiritual Muslim leadership and their followers. There is a definite need to restore religious beliefs – Jewish, Christian and Islamic alike – to truth in accordance to their genuine origin and root in the one God. Additionally the Muslim world should understand its role as protectors of the minority of the Jewish brethren in the likeness of king Cyrus, Salah-ed-Din and Anwar el Sadat, who in their righteousness were holding their protecting hands over their Jewish brethren for the good of the Muslim world as well as mankind as a whole. Only then we can rectify and restore the glory of Moses Rabenu, Eliyahu Ha-navie, Jesus the Christ and Muhammed Rasul before the face of our world. Thus all of mankind will be able to participate in the benefits and blessings of a re-established final Temple of His Covenant.

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Summit 2008

Definition of the problem: The central issue in this conflict is an increasing world-wide neglect of God’s (JHWH’s) promise to restore Zion to His righteousness and the return of His Sh’khinah (the fullness of His spiritual glory and power) to Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount of old, a part of Mount Zion). It is the Sh’khinah whose presence and power shall bring forth the final restoration, redemption and blessedness of all Israel as well as that of the nations as referred to in the Old and the New Testament of the Bible; this promise is the cause of Abraham leaving Ur and going to the land of Canaan; it is the cause of Moshe leading the Israelites out of the captivity in Egypt back to the Promised Land; it is the cause that Cyrus, king of Persia, released the Israelites from Babylonian captivity and sent them back to Jerusalem to restore their sacred sanctuary; it is the cause for King David’s purchase of the Mount Moriah from Arauna the Jebusite; it is the cause for Solomon to build the Temple as an abode for the Sh’khinah that descended to it and took possession of its Holy of Holies in the moment of its initiation! It is the cause of Jesus’ promise of re-gathering the flock of Israel from the four corners of the world into the Holy Land and Jerusalem. And it is the cause of Mohammed’s testimony about the authenticity of the Tanakh, the return and restoration of Israel in the Promised Land and its Temple at the end of Days, stating even, that they would have to fight for its defence!

Definition of the problem: The central issue in this conflict is an increasing world-wide neglect of God’s (JHWH’s) promise to restore Zion to His righteousness and the return of His Sh’khinah (the fullness of His spiritual glory and power) to Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount of old, a part of Mount Zion). It is the Sh’khinah whose presence and power shall bring forth the final restoration, redemption and blessedness of all Israel as well as that of the nations as referred to in the Old and the New Testament of the Bible; this promise is the cause of Abraham leaving Ur and going to the land of Canaan; it is the cause of Moshe leading the Israelites out of the captivity in Egypt back to the Promised Land; it is the cause that Cyrus, king of Persia, released the Israelites from Babylonian captivity and sent them back to Jerusalem to restore their sacred sanctuary; it is the cause for King David’s purchase of the Mount Moriah from Arauna the Jebusite; it is the cause for Solomon to build the Temple as an abode for the Sh’khinah that descended to it and took possession of its Holy of Holies in the moment of its initiation! It is the cause of Jesus’ promise of re-gathering the flock of Israel from the four corners of the world into the Holy Land and Jerusalem. And it is the cause of Mohammed’s testimony about the authenticity of the Tanakh, the return and restoration of Israel in the Promised Land and its Temple at the end of Days, stating even, that they would have to fight for its defence!

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• According to the Jewish Bible, the Temple shall be a “House of prayer for all peoples.” There is no exclusiveness in it. To the contrary it shall be accessible to all people and become a place of spiritual pilgrimage for all nations. Yet the statement affirms that it shall be the stronghold of (the priests and kings of) Israel.

• So the core of the problem from the perspective of the Bible and the Jewish Heritage is the neglect of the authenticity and promise of the Scriptures, of the existence of the Temple, of the legitimacy of the existence of a “Jewish entity” (Jewish State of Israel) in the midst of Muslim countries and the exclusive claim from fundamentalist Islam for sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. (That is to say that they not only exclude followers of other faith from visiting Mecca or any other of their Mosques, but have also exclusive claims over the sacred places and promised blessings meant for the Jews and the entire world – a claim which is in fact the root of apartheid, which we – as Jews – are usually being blamed for.)

• Secondly or even beforehand Israel has to end harassment against (loyal) Palestinians and give equal rights to any minority living within the compounds of its borders.

• The Goal: To get to an unbiased understanding of the roots of the conflict, and – if possible – to come to an agreement about the Divine Promises for Israel and the world. This includes the defence of Jewish Heritage against being ignored, neglected and attacked from other sides. (A mutually agreed and signed Charta should be released and dealt with as a model to be advocated and brought before the UN as well as the local governments for a resolution (in line with the 1948 foundation concept of the State of Israel).) Secondly to establish and empower a “Permanent Parliament or Council of Religions for Peace” in Jerusalem in the likeness of the UN as a monitoring institution alert to any kind of intentional distortion of divine revelations and the misuse of them and as a court legitimized to judge in questions of neglect and hostile acts against persons or rights from any other religious community. 16