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Abbas advisor tells Israeli rabbis: "We denounce the killing of innocents" and encourage work towards a "just peace"

Headline: "Al-Habbash confirmed to Wattan that he met with Jewish rabbis at the Israeli presidential residence "

"[Supreme Shari’ah Judge and] Advisor to [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas on Religious [and Islamic] Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash confirmed to [the independent Palestinian news agency] Wattan the veracity of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy report [from Oct. 13, 2016], which stated that a meeting was held that was described as 'unprecedented' between Palestinian figures led by Mahmoud Al-Habbash and top Israeli rabbis, hosted by the occupation [Israeli] President Reuven Rivlin.

The institute stated in its report (full original text in note below –Ed.): 'In the first event of its kind, top Israeli Jewish and Palestinian Muslim religious leaders met, including the greatest rabbis in Israel, top [rabbis] from a prominent Jewish yeshiva in the West Bank, and top advisors on religious affairs to President Mahmoud Abbas, together with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in order to strengthen peace and emphasize their opposition to all forms of violence based on religion.'

In the statement given by the participants it was stated: 'God created life and commanded life. Therefore, we denounce the killing of innocents or any type of attack against the other and believe that the deliberate killing of innocents or an attempt to kill them constitutes terror, whether it is carried out by Muslims, Jews, or others. On this basis, we encourage all our people to act for a just peace, mutual respect for human life, maintaining the status quo of the holy sites, and the eradication of religious hate.'"

The original source text of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy report reads as follows: “In the first event of its kind, top Palestinian Muslim and Israeli Jewish religious leaders – including the top religious affairs advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel's Sephardi Chief Rabbi and leaders of a prominent West Bank yeshiva -- met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to promote peace and affirm their opposition to all forms of religiously inspired violence.
‘God created life and commanded life. Therefore, we denounce the killing of innocents or any kind of aggression against the other,’ read a statement on behalf of participants in this initiative issued at the meeting.
‘We believe the deliberate killing of or attempt to kill innocents is terrorism, whether it is committed by Muslims, Jews or others. In this spirit, we encourage all our people to work for a just peace, mutual respect for human life and for the status quo on the holy sites, and the eradication of religious hatred.’"

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