Seminar: What Can We Talk about with the Arab-Muslim World?

Prof. Yitzhak Reiter of the Institute and Ashkelon Academic College, emphasized the importance of familiarizing oneself withfatwas – rulings of Islamic law – in order to acknowledge the broad range of concepts that differ based on circumstances and interest, as opposed to the majority view that regards their religious legal discourse as harsh and rigid. Prof. Reiter claims his research presents the voice of the moderate Muslim clerics who support negotiations with Israel, within the framework of Muslim legal rulings. This voice, he claims, is sometimes overpowered by the voices of the more known Muslim figures that reject Israel’s existence.

Efraim Halevy, Head of the Shasha Center, discussed the importance of the book and his involvement in advancing its translation into English and Arabic to make it more accessible to all sides in the hope that it will encourage discourse in every spectrum. He went on to claim that the idea of “an end to the conflict” is not attainable but we should strive for a temporary agreement that will allow both sides to hold on to their dreams. The latter is based on the assumption that Israel does not have the capability to eliminate Hamas.

Dr. Muhammad al Atawneh of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev referred to the discussions that developed among Muslim sages and clerics in light of the “Arab Spring”. He recognizes two main approaches related to this discourse: The first approach presents the side of participants in protests against the regime as a religious obligation, while the second approach asserts that the protests in the Arab world are seen as an anti-Muslim action which they claim will lead to eventual anarchy.