DevMode
Vol. 20 No. 4 , 2015
Religion and the Conflict
Editorial

The urge to worship has been an innate human need since the dawn of history. The feeling of human weakness and the mystery of a greater power controlling life was the motive behind that need. But the emergence of social and power structures and organized religions, led in many societies to a struggle among religious and political leaders, who in some instances succeeded in attaining authority over both spheres or claimed they ruled by divine mandate. One can say that this conflict was eventually resolved in Europe via the separation of religion and state.

Yet this is not the case with Islam and Judaism. While Islam is still witnessing a struggle among different factions and schools of thought about the relationship between the state and religion, Judaism has developed a unique situation where religion has become the basis for a national identity, encompassing both religious and secular Jews.

The three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, share man
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Table of Contents
    Editorial
  1. Defeating Religious Fanaticism Using Their Own Tools ( )

    By Ziad AbuZayyad Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  2. Letters to the Editors
  3. Subject: Internationalization: A Joint Israeli-Palestinian SOS! ( )

    Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  4. Focus
  5. Religion and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict ( )
    The essence of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not religion but how to coexist in peace in the same land.
    By Patriarch Michel Sabbah Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  6. ‘Jihadi Salafis’— A New Component in the Palestinian Political Context ( )
    Political, economic, and educational and religious factors led to the rise of Jihadi Salafis who were infuriated by Hamas’s failure to create an Islamic state and enforce Sharia law.
    By Adnan Abu-Amer Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  7. A National or Religious Conflict? The Dispute over the Temple Mount/Al-Haram Al- Sharif in Jerusalem ( )
    Despite warnings from moderate Israeli and Palestinian religious and secular leaders, political leaders continue to perpetuate the conflict over the holy site.
    By Moshe Ma’oz Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  8. Islam and the Rejection of Violence ( )
    In the fundamental teachings of Islam and the results of a survey of Palestinians can be found a model for peace that renounces violence and the unjustified killings of innocents.
    By Mohammad Ibrahim Miqdad Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  9. Between and Beyond Humanism, Nationalism and Theism ( )
    The past two decades have seen a sharp rise in the powers of religious factions, with nationalism redefined along religious lines.
    By Tal Harris Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  10. Unraveling Arab Regimes Pave the Way to a New ME with Islamic Prospects ( )
    The Middle East is going through a decades-long phase of painful labor that may result in a modern Islamic democratic state that lives in harmony and peace with racial and ethnic minorities.
    By Ziad AbuZayyad Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  11. The Status of Christians within Palestinian and Arab Society: Identity at a Transitional Time ( )
    To face our political, social, cultural and economic challenges, Palestinians of all religions must reaffirm the best of our past and present, celebrate our humanity and overcome the prejudices that come with narrow identities.
    By Bernard Sabella Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  12. Israel’s National-Religious Jews and the Quest for Peace ( )
    Mainstream religious Zionists could support a two-state solution under certain circumstances and help advance the peace process.
    By Ofer Zalzberg Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  13. On the Relationship between Zionism and Judaism ( )
    Israel as a state and culture considers itself to be the fulfillment of Judaism and has a strong impact on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
    By Ahmad Ashkar Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  14. Zionism, Judaism and the State of the Jews ( )
    The tendency to frame the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as religious rather than national transforms the problem into one that is insolvable.
    By Laura Wharton Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  15. The Decline of the Islamic Civilization and Unanswered Question of the Relationship between Islam and Politics ( )
    Without clarifying the relationship between Islam and politics, we cannot achieve long-term stability in Muslim countries in the Middle East.
    By Sherif Ali Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  16. The Other Peace Process: Inter-Religious Dialogue in the Service of Peace in Israel and Palestine ( )
    A new model for inter-religious dialogue would include four elements — personal interaction, text-based learning, discussing core issues of the conflict, and taking action, separately and together.
    By Ron Kronish Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  17. Political Religion: From the Global and the Regional to Jerusalem and Back ( )
    The emergence of political religion/Islam did not occur in a void; U.S. policies in the region helped pave the way.
    By Azzam Abu-Saud Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  18. The Secular Left and the Religious ( )
    Religious Jews, including those inclined toward the political left, fear that the leftist- Zionist-secular agenda excludes them.
    By Lea Klibanoff-Ron Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  19. Al-Aqsa Mosque: Do Not Intrude! ( )
    Knowledge about Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Holy Qur’an, the Prophetic traditions and Islamic literature offers a narrative with clear political implications.
    By Mustafa Abu-Sway Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  20. Perceptions of Anti-Semitism in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict ( )
    Claims that criticism of Israel stems from anti-Semitism has a history in Israel, and can be cynically manipulated for political ends.
    By Paul Scham Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  21. Between Conflict and Cooperation: Religion and Politics in Europe ( )
    In Europe, the traditional churches (still) enjoy a privileged position vis-á-vis their cooperative relationship with the state.
    By Anja Hennig Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  22. Successfully Balancing Religion and Politics in the Holy Land: the Patriarchate of Jerusalem ( )
    The Patriarchate of Jerusalem has thrived amid political turmoil through its strong ties with Muslim-majority nations and focusing on its purely spiritual mission.
    By Anna Koulouris Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  23. Let’s talk Iraq, Syria and ISIS ( )
    How do we confront ISIS, which is taking advantage of political and social grievances of repressed populations?
    By William Morris Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  24. Decline of the Islamic Civilization, and the Absent Question about the Relationship between Islam and Politics ( )

    By Sherif Ali Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  25. Roundtable
  26. Religion and the Conflict ( )
    Hillel Cohen, Ehud Bandel, Aviv Tatarsky, Eetta Prince-Gibson, Walid Salem, Azzam Abu Saud, Ziad AbuZayyad, Khaled Diab, Ingrid Ross. Moderator: Hillel Schenker
    Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  27. Interview
  28. The Possibilities for Religious Peace in the Holy Land ( )

    By Rabbi Michael Melchior Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  29. Viewpoint
  30. The Strange Career of Israeli “New Historian” Benny Morris ( )
    What does Morris’s shift from calling attention to Israel’s atrocities in the 1948 War in the 1980s to attacking Palestinian society in recent years reveal about the mood of contemporary Israeli society?
    By Barry Shapiro Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  31. Book Review
  32. Drawing Fire: Investigating the Accusations of Apartheid in Israel ( )

    By Benjamin Pogrund Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  33. Culture, Literature and the Arts
  34. Palestinian and Israeli Art Scenes: Grasping the Differences ( )
    Can a German art student traveling to Israel maintain an objective, analytical distance from the conflict when discussing contemporary art by Palestinians and Israelis?
    By Carla Baum Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  35. Earth Is Pressing Against Us ( )

    By Mahmoud Darwish Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  36. On This Earth There Is What Deserves Life ( )

    By Mahmoud Darwish Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  37. Documents
  38. Kairos Palestine Document (excerpts) ( )

    Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  39. Pax Christi International Statement on Palestine and the Settlements ( )

    Vol. 20 No. 4 2015
  40. The Status of Status Quo at Jerusalem’s Holy Esplanade Executive Summary ( )

    Vol. 20 No. 4 2015