Haifa, Israel—The Peace Road 2017 event in Israel was an interfaith prayer for peace, organized by UPF-Israel’s Jerusalem Interfaith Forum for Understanding and Cooperation Among Religions.
The Mediterranean Sea at sunset was the backdrop of the event, which took place in Haifa Bay, on August 12, 2017. More than 40 people joined the prayer, including families; Ambassadors for Peace; members of the Jerusalem Interfaith Forum; and members from the Jewish, Christian and Druze faith communities, as well as representatives of the Israel chapters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) and the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), affiliated organizations; and the NGO, Bridges for Hope.
Rabbi Dr. Edgar Nof conducted the event and offered prayers and songs of peace. He said that in Judaism as well as in Islam "Peace" is one among the several names of God. Greetings and words of peace and harmony were given by Prof. Eliezer Glaubach, president of UPF-Israel’s Jerusalem Peace and Security Forum; Prof. Yishai Lachter, president of Bridges for Hope; and Mr. Hod Ben Zvi, president of UPF-Israel.
Mrs. Carima Katili, representing the Christian community from Acre, a city along the Mediterranean coast in northwest Israel, talked about the gospel of Jesus in which he spoke about uniting all nations. Mrs. Badira Naim Birani, representing the Druze community from Daliat El-Carmel in Haifa district, talked about the loyalty of the Druze community to the country in which they live, seeing themselves as a bridge between Judaism and Islam.
Mrs. Miri Kamar, director of the Jerusalem Interfaith Forum, concluded with words from UPF co-founder, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, who said: “The Silk Road was also a vehicle for the peoples of the East and West to meet and for Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity to meet. These different cultures intermingled and gave rise to a new culture.”