By Micah Halpern
I've Been Thinking:
Times are changing. I've said it before and I know I'll be saying it again - and again.
An Israeli rabbi was invited, as part of a group of interfaith leaders, to meet the King of Saudi Arabia in his palace.
Rabbi David Rosen spent 2 1/2 days in Saudi Arabia.
The group is called the King Abdullah International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue. Rabbi Rosen is a member of the board.
Quoted in the Times of Israel, Rabbi Rosen said: “would not have contemplated inviting us, and primarily me as a rabbi. This would have been too much for them”. He went on to explain that, in this sense, the reception at the royal palace was a “revolutionary moment.”
Rosen, is American Jewish Committee’s director of interreligious affairs, was
one of nine KAICIID board members who attended the meeting with King Salman, and the only interfaith leader representing Judaism. The other eight attendees represented Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.
According to the official statement of the organization: “The Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques welcomed the board members, who were holding their first meeting in Riyadh, and stressed the importance of KAICIID’s role in consolidating the principles of dialogue and coexistence among different religions and cultures, promoting the values of moderation and tolerance, and combating all forms of extremism and terrorism.”
Other rabbis have visited Saudi Arabia, most notably Rabbi Marc Schneier, who met with the foreign minister earlier in February.
This is real change and real progress. But remember, these changes must be taken step by step, the process must go slowly.
Micah@MicahHalpern.com
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