Rabbi, sheikh call to end violence

Rabbi Michael Melchior, a former member of Knesset for Meimad, and Sheikh Muhammad Kiwan, chairman of the Council of Muslim Leaders in Israel, meet at the scene of Tuesday’s synagogue massacre, and call on believers of all faiths to work towards quelling violence and promoting peace.

“There will not be a religious war,” Kiwan declared.

“Any person who murders another man is far from any religious belief,” continued Kiwan.

Melchior, a former chief rabbi of Norway, calls to crack down on terror, and says religious leaders must provide an example to young believers in order to convince them to turn away from extremist views.

“We must end this bloodshed,” he says.

“But the unanimous condemnation of the attack by religious leaders of all stripes is very uplifting; it shows young individuals that there is another way.”

Kiwan contends that tensions in Jerusalem spiked as a result of “provocations in the al-Aqsa Mosque,” and says security forces must stop extremism on all sides.

“An attack at a place of worship is unacceptable,” he adds.

Earlier, ultra-Orthodox representatives sat alongside Muslim, Druze, Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican leaders at the scene of Tuesday’s deadly attack.