Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims, begins this year in early April. It is a month in which Muslims connect to God and his commandments, including prayers in various houses of worship, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.
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Most Muslims fast during the hours of the day and pray in mosques at night or early in the morning. The fact that many Muslims in Israel continue work as usual does not make things easier and can even lead some to exhaustion.
Given that the May 2021 Gaza fighting coincided with the last few days of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr – the holiest day of the month – all elements in Israel must learn from the past and strive for days free of escalation and provocations while providing freedom of worship.
This is a strategic decision that must be implemented on all levels: to instruct every police officer to contain small incidents as well as immediately and thoroughly investigate any unusual incident to prevent unnecessary escalation that could lead to an unnecessary conflict, damaging the process of healing in the ties between Jewish and Arab Israelis.
Now is not the time to argue over who is responsible for last year's events, but to prove that we can achieve multiculturalism in Israel if we truly want peace. All parties must work for lasting calm, without ego or constant efforts to prove who is boss. Let the worshipers flock to the mosques even if extremists are not thrilled, and give those who fast breathing space during the day, even if involves holding back from saying something that irks us at the moment.
As a Muslim who fasts and prays on Ramadan, and strongly believes in the sanctity of the month, I know how important it is for every Muslim to be calm, caring, supportive, and accepting during the fast. This is not at all a culture of violence, which, unfortunately, is attributed to the Muslim sector at this time.
All we ask on Ramadan is to be allowed to fast in peace and be given free access to mosques, including in east Jerusalem; To rejoice and not see policemen entering holy Muslim places unnecessarily. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past and allow extremists to trigger violence.
The police must hold honest conversations with the heads of Muslim communities out of a recognition of the freedom of worship and a genuine conviction that peace is tested in moments of mutual respect during the holidays. The political leadership – the prime minister, Knesset members, and mayors – must refrain from statements and actions that could escalate matters just to garner votes. They must seek to calm the public and build basic trust.
These are holy and sensitive days, which can bring about pure and positive soul-searching, or, alternatively, a renewed flare-up of unnecessary violence. Ramadan is a month of commandments and faith, and all parties must emphasize this and apply it in action.
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