Every 33 years, the somber holiday of Yom Kippur coincides with festive Id Al-Adha. For Jewish and Muslim neighbors, the coincidence can be a cause for friction, especially when tensions are already high.
On Wednesday, The Abraham Fund Initiatives (TAFI), held an unprecendented gathering in Lod with both Chief Rabbis of Israel, the President of the Shariya Court, the Khadi of Jaffa and a host of Members of Knesset, including Merav Michaeli MK who initiated the event, calling for a tolernat and respectful celebration/observance of Eid Al-Adha & Yom Kippur. The event was widely publicized and attended by hundreds of Lod residents and hosted by the Mayor of Lod at the City’s Cultural Center.
TAFI also published in Hebrew and Arabic media in Israel, appealling to the public to respect each others traditions.
Over the last couple of weeks, local leaders in the Galilee and in the mixed cities of Lod, Jaffa, Acre (see in Arabic media here), Ramle and others, took action to turn the holidays into a day of coexistence, raising awareness about the differences in celebration and urging tolerance and mutual respect. Meetings of local leaders, educators preparing school children, and flyers handed out in the streets are only some of the measures that were taken. In mixed cities, additional police presence and special traffic diversions are also planned.
Ron Shani, the Head of the Misgav Regional Council, issued a statement encouraging caution on the roads and a call to “all of us to show patience and restraint, to acknowledge the different traditions practiced on this day, and to enable all of us to enjoy our traditions and customs.”
Further reading:
Fears of friction as Yom Kippur and Id al-Adha coincide – Haaretz – Judy Maltz – 10.2.14
Jewish and Muslim leaders hold coexistence meeting before Yom Kippur, Id al-Adha – The Jerusalem Post – Ariel Ben Solomon – 10.2.14
Israel Police brace for holiday clashes in mixed Jewish-Arab cities – Haaretz – Jack Khoury, Nir Hasson and Yaniv Kubovich – 9.30.14
Israeli Muslims to tone down Eid celebrations on Yom Kippur – Ynet – Hassan Shaalan – 9.30.14
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Do you need support integrating these resources and issues into your philanthropic, communal, or Israel education work? Reach out for consultations, connections to experts, program support, training, or to plan your next event or mission. If you’ve used our resources, tell us about your experience!