The Alexandria Process

Israeli and Palestinian Religious Leaders in Support of the Middle East Peace Process

Project Chairs

More than a dozen senior Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders from the Holy Land met in Alexandria, Egypt, in January 2002 and concluded an unprecedented joint declaration pledging themselves to work together for a just and lasting peace. The agreement, which was thereafter known as the First Declaration of Alexandria of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land, pledges the faith leaders to use their religious and moral authority to work for an end to violence and the resumption of the peace process. It also envisages the establishment of a permanent committee of leaders from the three religions in the Holy Land to pursue the implementation of the declaration. The accord also calls on Israeli and Palestinian political leaders to implement the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations. The Institute has provided financial support to the Alexandria Process—a continuing effort by religious leaders to implement the Declaration—since shortly after its signing in 2002.

First Alexandria Declaration of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land

In the name of God who is Almighty, Merciful and Compassionate, we, who have gathered as religious leaders from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish
Signing of the Alexandria declaration. communities, pray for true peace in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and declare our commitment to ending the violence and bloodshed that denies the right to life and dignity.

Signing of the Alexandria declaration
(Credit: USIP Photo)

According to our faith traditions, killing innocents in the name of God is a desecration of his Holy Name, and defames religion in the world. The violence in the Holy Land is an evil which must be opposed by all people of good faith. We seek to live together as neighbours,respecting the integrity of each other's historical and religious inheritance. We call upon all to oppose incitement, hatred, and the misrepresentation of the other.

The Holy Land is holy to all three of our faiths. Therefore, followers of the divine religions must respect its sanctity, and bloodshed must not be allowed to pollute it. The sanctity and integrity of the Holy Places must be preserved, and the freedom of religious worship must be ensured for all.
Palestinians and Israelis must respect the divinely ordained purposes of the Creator by whose grace they live in the same land that is called Holy.
We call on the political leaders of both parties to work for a just, secure, and durable solution in the spirit of the words of the Almighty and the Prophets.
As a first step now, we call for a religiously sanctioned cease-fire, respected and observed from all sides, and for the implementation of the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations, including the lifting of restrictions and return to negotiations.
We seek to help create an atmosphere where present and future generations will co-exist with mutual respect and trust in the other. We call on all to refrain from incitement and demonization, and to educate our future generations accordingly.
As religious leaders, we pledge ourselves to continue a joint quest for a just peace that leads to reconciliation in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, for the common good of all our peoples.
We announce the establishment of a permanent joint committee to carry out the recommendations of this declaration, and to engage with our respective political leadership accordingly.

Host & Chair

His Eminence Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, Grand Mufti of the Al-Azhar & His Grace the then-Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey.

Signatories

The Shephardi Chief, Rabbi Bakshi Doron;
The Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel, Rabbi Michael Melchior;
The Rabbi of Tekoa, Rabbi Menachem Fromen;
Rabbi David Rosen, President of the World Conference on Religion and Peace;
The Rabbi of Savyon, Rabbi David Brodman;
Rabbi Yitzak Ralbag, Rabbi of Maalot Dafna;
Chief Justice of the Sharia Courts, Sheikh Taisir Tamimi;
Minister of State for the Palestinian Authority, Sheikh Tal El Sider;
Mufti of the (Palestinian) Armed Forces, Sheikh Abdusalam Abu Schkedem;
The Mufti of Bethlehem, Sheikh Taweel;
Representative of the Greek Patriarch, Archbishop Aristarchos;
The Latin Patriarch, His Beatitude Michel Sabbah;
The Melkite Archbishop, Archbishop Boutros Mualem;
Representative of the Armenian Patriarch, Bishop Arist Shrivinian and The Bishop of Jerusalem, The Right Reverend Riah Abu El Assal

Background

In the summer of 2001, Canon Andrew White was approached by both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority and asked to ascertain whether there was anything that could be done to engage the religious leadership of Israel and Palestine in the faltering peace process.

This request was based on their shared conclusion that one of the key reasons for the stagnation of the Oslo Accords was that its overly secular approach did not deal sufficiently with the conflict’s religious dimension. Complex issues associated with Jerusalem, the holy sites, and other areas of spiritual significance were seen as examples of the need for such dialogue. It was suggested that the then–Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, would be a suitably respected figurehead to lead such an initiative.

After a series of covert meetings in and around Jerusalem, and discussions with Yasser Arafat, Ariel Sharon and the leadership of Egypt and Jordan, a three-day summit took place in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria. Sheikh Mohammed Said Tantawi, the Grand Imam of the Al-Azhar and one of the world’s most senior Muslims, hosted the talks, whilst Dr. Carey chaired the meeting.

The meeting resulted in the signing of the historic First Alexandria Declaration of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land on the 21st of January 2002. The Declaration contained a joint condemnation of violence, a commitment to work together for peace, and a call for the implementation of the Mitchell and Tenet recommendations.

A Permanent Committee for the Implementation of the Alexandria Declaration (PCIAD) was established from the signatories and other spiritual leaders and has since met regularly in Jerusalem—once at Lambeth Palace as well as once at the Vatican—where it received the Pope’s blessing. PCIAD’s main mission is now to utilize religious influence to support progress on the road map.

Methodology

In October 2002, PCIAD held a major consultation at Lambeth Palace, with Dr. George Carey serving as chair during his last two days in office. The following four points served as the event’s main objectives:

A re-affirmation of the delegates’ commitment to The First Alexandria Declaration of Religious Leaders of the Holy Land, with particular reference to ending the violence;
A discussion of PCIAD’s future strategy, in particular how it relates to those involved in political/security negotiations—such as the Quartet and the wider international community;
A discussion over whether to establish mechanisms to respond to crisis—such as the problems in Nazareth and Bethlehem—that PCIAD delegates may be able to help to resolve;
Reflection on how appropriate it is to begin talks related to Jerusalem and the Holy Places.

A ten-point plan was proposed as the basis of an implementation schedule for the following year:

To maintain the relationships and channels of communication developed since the Alexandria Declaration was signed;
To increase the local ownership of the Alexandria Declaration implementation process;
To establish an inter-religious council for Jerusalem and the Holy sites;
To sustain the existing close working relationships with the political leadership of both the government of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority;
To engage with those religious leaders seen to be instruments in the perpetuation of violence;
To establish and set in motion clear channels of communication with the Quartet;
To develop a program of education—through religious institutions—that will foster and encourage an environment of tolerance and eventual reconciliation;
To systematically work through the implementation of the Alexandria Declaration;
To provide encouragement for the delegates to the Permanent Committee to enable them to continue the bold work that they have started;
To engage with other nations of the Middle East region, at the highest level.

Permanent Committee for the Implementation of the Alexandria Declaration

The Alexandria Declaration established a Permanent Committee for the Implementation of the Alexandria Declaration (PCIAD) including signatories as well as other spiritual leaders. PCIAD’s main mission is to utilize religious influence to support the peace process.

Toward the end of 2003, the PCIAD met regularly to discuss how best the Alexandria Process could improve interfaith communication amid the struggling peace process. The idea of a purely Islamic consultation was proposed, with the empowerment of the Islamic religious leadership combined with a commitment to decrease the incitement of violence as its central tenets.

Based on those discussions, Canon Andrew White, together with Rabbi Michael Melchior and Rabbi Menachem Froman, were invited by Sheikh Taisir Tamimi, the leader of the Palestinian delegation, to facilitate a meeting of twenty-five Palestinian Islamic religious leaders in Cairo on January 12, 2004. The consultation included the Grand Imam of the Al-Azhar and His Eminence Sheikh Mohammed Sayeed Tantawi, and reaffirmed the importance of the Alexandria Process. This proved to be a beneficial catalyst in the ensuing debate and led to the conclusion that significant progress could only be made via constructive interfaith dialogue.

The principal outcome of this Cairo Consultation was an increase in the grassroots understanding of the religious dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with a resolve to educate and create a positive environment for effective dialogue. To this end, the inclusion of many Islamic delegates who had never before been involved with the Alexandria Process had a significant impact. The delegates returned to Palestine willing to engage in consistent inter-religious dialogue in the future. There was also interest in holding a similar Jewish consultation comprised of influential Rabbis from every sphere of Israeli society.

Ultimately, the aim of these consultations is to create a consensus within the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim delegations in order for inter-religious dialogue to proceed effectively and augment the efforts of the political track of the Middle East peace process.

Recent and Future Activities

PCIAD is one of the few visible networks that span the religious and political divide between Palestinian and Israeli leadership. Most of the delegates to the Permanent Committee do not have a history of involvement in interfaith dialogue and cooperation and, as such, they are able to represent the grassroots opinion of their constituents. With the escalation of violence since late 2001 and the increase in regional tension as a result of the Iraqi war, it is now imperative that religious influence be brought to bear to augment the political peace process enshrined in the Quartet’s peace plan, known as the road map.

Both PCIAD as a whole, as well as small sub-groups from the Permanent Committee, have been actively involved in efforts to de-escalate violence on the political, religious, and community levels. Since 2002, these efforts have ranged from delegates working against the demonization of the other to practical conflict resolution and negotiation work. Delegates were, for example, actively involved in helping to resolve the crises that arose at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the security compound in Hebron, and the encirclement of Arafat’s own compound in Ramallah. Other delegates have engaged with those religious figures thought to be playing a part in the perpetuation of violence.

Over the course of 2006, three local centers were established in Gaza, Kafr Qasam in northern Israel, and Jerusalem to broaden the regional ownership of the Alexandria Process. These centers enable improved communication and allow for strategies to be implemented by religious figures with expert knowledge of the local political and religious situation at a community level.

In March 2007, a dynamic working group was formulated, representing the three Abrahamic religions, from which projects can emerge using the Alexandria Process as a foundation. These would initiate practical grassroots projects, which aid under-privileged communities, while inherently communicating the importance of reconciliation.

Despite the horrific violence that continues to scar the Holy Land, PCIAD is committed to seeing through the complex process of reconciliation in the Middle East. There is a particular awareness of the need to engage with local, regional, and international political and religious leadership, including the Quartet (comprised of the EU, the UN, the USA, and Russia), who have expressed a desire to work closely with PCIAD. The delegates have also decided that the PCIAD needs to meet regularly in order for members to engage with influential religious and political leaders in the international arena and to remove themselves from the tensions of the immediate conflict zone. Thus consultations in London, Washington D.C., and key Muslim states across the Arab world—in particular Egypt, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Syria—are a priority.