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ORLANDO, Fla. — All around the world, people of every religious faith are watching to see if a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas can lead to lasting peace in a long-troubled region. An Orlando imam and rabbi are celebrating the new peace agreement, but they know there are many difficult days ahead.
Rabbi Yosef Konikov was preparing for the Simchat Torah annual holiday on Monday. Jewish families will celebrate by dancing with the Torahs at the Chabad of South Orlando Synagogue in Doctor Phillips.
As for what’s happening overseas, Konikov says Jews around the world are ecstatic to see Israeli hostages released, but they worry that many of the 1,900 released Palestinian prisoners could have bad intentions.
“Lasting peace, it has to be, it comes when it’s clear who is a terrorist and who is trying to defend lives of the people,” he said.
Just a few miles away, Senior Imam Tariq Rasheed was preparing for afternoon prayers at the Islamic Center of Orlando. Rasheed hopes that leaders of the Israelis and Palestinians will make sincere efforts toward lasting peace.
“We are hopeful that this ceasefire will hold and instead of killing people, both parties can sit around the table and sort it out,” he said.
Dr. Houman Sadri is an associate professor of international relations at UCF and an expert on issues in the Middle East. He says this conflict has taken a terrible toll on civilians, and he is relieved to see progress toward peace.
“I can’t see anything better than negotiation actually resulting in freeing human people … and stopping the war,” he said.
Sadri adds that for the peace process to last, there has to be more than just an end to violence. There needs to be trade between the Israelis and Palestinians and efforts to teach their children to understand each other.
Orlando religious leaders react to Middle East peace plan – Spectrum News 13
