Responding to accusations with a word of truth and peace: 'Appeal of Christians and Jews for a word of discernment and peace'

Antisemitism is nothing new, alas. Re-emerging forcefully after Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War in 1967, it exploded following the Hamas massacres of October 7, as if a long-closed floodgate had suddenly been opened.

Thus, daily antisemitic acts throughout the world underscore the relevance of studies predicting massive waves of aliyah, even to the point of the departure of “all the Jews of France and Europe.” (“The End of the Jews of France” a study directed by Rabbi Dov Maïmon, research director at the Jewish People Policy Institute in Jerusalem).

A concerned Church. On the soil of the so-called “replacement theology,” the war in Gaza has entered all Christian communities, divided between condemnations of Israel and silence, with its attendant discomfort. Recently, “patriarchs and heads of the Churches of Jerusalem” denounced “Christian Zionism” as a “harmful ideology” that divides the Church…

No to silence. “In the face of this, it was not enough to remain silent. For when only one voice is heard, it eventually comes to be seen as the official voice of the Church.” (Dov Maïmon)

The “Appeal of Christians and Jews for a word of discernment and peace,” translated into several languages, is addressed to religious leaders and to all believers, Christians and Jews alike. It is co-signed by Dov Maïmon.

Given the gravity of the situation, the signatories chose to disseminate the appeal through a website specializing in petitions, in order to achieve broad visibility.

A Catholic appeal? The text bears the imprint of its initiators and authors. Nevertheless, the substance of its message—marked by balance and moderation in addressing matters related to the situation in the Middle East—can receive the assent of any Christian concerned with truth and attentive to the way God looks upon human beings, created in His image.

Excerpts from the appeal:

“We, members of Jewish and Christian communities, living in Israel or elsewhere, engaged in dialogue, express our profound shock and compassion in the face of the human suffering caused by the massacres of October 7, 2023, and by the violence that subsequently unfolded in the region, severely affecting Jewish and Palestinian populations alike.

We condemn blind terrorist violence that indiscriminately targets civilians—women and children—whoever the perpetrators may be.

These sufferings are now compounded by their instrumentalization in the service of ideological narratives that distort and obstruct discernment. The fact that these narratives find an echo even within certain Christian circles deeply concerns us and leads us to consider it necessary to speak out.

We speak in conscience, with gravity and responsibility. This suffering affects us, obliges us, and morally engages us. It calls for words that are just, but also for heightened vigilance in the very manner of speaking (…)

We are particularly troubled by the repeated use of the term genocide, conveyed even in Christian circles and media, as a definitive accusation against Israel (…)
We are also alarmed when Zionism, the State of Israel, and by extension Jews in general, are essentialized and presented as intrinsically colonial, racist, or criminal (…)
It is essential, in our reading of events, not to allow ourselves to be swept away by the emotion provoked by images and narratives, but rather to exercise attentive discernment and constant humility, without reducing human and historical complexity to an absolute, polarizing opposition between oppressors and oppressed (…)
We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the dignity and rights of all populations in the region, in the recognition that each people bears its own history, vocation, and responsibility (…)
We believe that justice without truth becomes ideology, and that truth without love becomes violence.

In these dark times, we call upon religious leaders and believing consciences to assume heightened responsibility. Our words can soothe or inflame, open paths or close them permanently. Faithful to our respective traditions, we choose to continue seeking together a word of truth carried by justice, tested by discernment, and sustained by love—without which no true peace is possible.”

A grounded hope. Speaking on January 23 on Radio J, Dov Maïmon expressed great optimism:

“If I am speaking about this this morning, dear listeners of Radio J, it is also to tell you something essential: there are, in the world, hundreds of millions of Christians who love the Jewish people, who pray for them, who desire their well-being wherever they may be, and who rejoice in seeing them live freely and sovereignly on their land, in Israel.

This reality exists. It is often silent.
But today, more than ever, it deserves to be heard.”

Vigilant and active. In a world subjected to agitation and violence, where threats have replaced dialogue, history has taught us that Jews have often served as an adjustment variable in major diplomatic decisions. Let us not rely on any political figure, whoever they may be, to protect Israel and the Jews when tensions and conflicts reach their peak. They have only one protector: Yeshua, their Messiah. And for a time yet, they have only one voice to proclaim truth and salvation: the Church. Let us therefore take very seriously our responsibility before the King of kings and Lord of lords. Let us not neglect any opportunity to be His voice—the only light in the midst of the darkness that is coming, and that is already here.

Full text of the appeal via the following links: in French; in German; in English; in Spanish; in Italian