With Israel fighting its most unsuccessful war ever, it’s heartening to read this from our close neighbour:
In the wake of recent attacks on a mosque in Lower Hutt and a synagogue in Christchurch, New Zealand Muslims and Jews stand together against racism and vandalism. The New Zealand Jewish Council and the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand issued the following joint statement today:
In the wake of recent attacks on a mosque in Lower Hutt and a synagogue in Christchurch, New Zealand Muslims and Jews stand together against racism and vandalism. We are all dismayed by the current turmoil in the Middle East, but we pray and work for a lasting peace daily. We have no desire to bring foreign hatred to New Zealand’s shores – we only want to live peaceably with our neighbours. The vandals and bigots are a tiny but vocal minority, and we know that our many friends are ashamed of such acts occuring in New
Zealand.
We call on all New Zealanders to work hard towards increasing understanding and supporting each other in times of trouble, as this is the best way to achieve peace.
Stephen Goodman
Chair, New Zealand Jewish Council
Javed Khan
President, Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand
Sadly, Sydney has experienced yet another anti-Semitic attack in the last 24 hours.
UPDATE: Israel’s claims about Qana now look decidedly shaky, at best.