Arabic video on Jewish ties to Jerusalem aims to foster co-existence
The video is the fourth released by the AJC as part of its Arabic-language series "An al-Yahud," ("About the Jews"), which aims to build engagement between Arabs and Jews.
By DONNA RACHEL EDMUNDSA general view of Jerusalem as seen from the Mount of Olives shows the Dome of the Rock, located in Jerusalem's Old City on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, June 21, 2018(photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
An Arabic-language video released on YouTube aims to educate the Arab world about Jewish links to the city of Jerusalem, in a bid to promote peaceful coexistence between the groups who venerate the city."Jerusalem is holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews," a voice-over tells viewers, continuing: "All of our prophets are deeply connected to that city, and our sacred traditions venerate it. Jews pray for the peace of Jerusalem as a place where all can coexist and thrive together," before going on to explain the city's particular significance to Jews.The video, released by the New York-based American Jewish Committee (AJC), focuses on aspects of Jerusalem that a Muslim audience can relate to, such as Abraham's sacrifice of his son at Mount Moriah, which is located at Jerusalem."The Hebrew term for [Solomon's] Temple, "Beit HaMikdash" is likely why Jerusalem became known in Arabic as "Bait al-Maqdis," the narrator further points out.An English-language version has also been released.“Jerusalem and the Jewish people are inextricably linked,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “For millennia, Jews have been central to Jerusalem and Jerusalem has been central to the Jews. And yet, there are some who deny or minimize our connection to Judaism’s most sacred city, ignoring age-old religious and historical texts, irrefutable archaeological evidence, and the Jewish people’s deep and impassioned attachment to Jerusalem since antiquity."This important video tells the story of Jerusalem through Jewish eyes, introducing audiences across the Arab world to the facts behind the Jewish people’s powerful connection to the city. Only once that connection is acknowledged, alongside that of Christians and Muslims who also venerate the city, will true peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors be possible.”The video is the fourth released by the AJC as part of its Arabic-language series "An al-Yahud," ("About the Jews"), which aims to build engagement between Arabs and Jews. Previous videos in the series have focused on the origins and beliefs of the Jewish people, the history of Muslim-Jewish relations, and the Holocaust. The series builds upon the AJC's longstanding engagement with the Arab and Muslim worlds, meeting regularly over more than three decades to discuss matters of mutual interest, such as the fight against extremism, Muslim-Jewish relations, and deepening ties between the State of Israel and Arab states. So far, the project's Arabic-language Facebook page has garnered in excess of 168,000 followers, while the Twitter account has more than 63,000 followers. The top locations for viewers include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, the organization said in a statement.
