On July 7, 2025, a group of imams and Muslim community leaders from France, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom arrived in Israel on a weeklong trip designed to build bridges between faiths. They met President Isaac Herzog, toured Jerusalem’s holy sites and sat with families affected by conflict. Their goal stood clear: to bring back a message of understanding and respect.
Delegation Meets President Herzog
The visit began at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, where President Isaac Herzog welcomed the imams. Imam Youssef Masbeh, who has led congregations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway for two decades, broke the ice by singing an Arabic chant set to the tune of Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem. He invited everyone to join him, and soon the room filled with song and gentle laughter. Masbeh said that this act reminded people that many of our hopes and dreams overlap.
Herzog spoke of shared roots and mutual respect, calling Abraham the father of both peoples. “What you do in your own countries and here today reflects the silent majority that wants peace,” he told the delegation. He urged the visitors to carry that message back home. This meeting set a tone of openness and honest talk that lasted through the week .
Discussions at the Knesset
The next day, the delegation met with members of the Knesset to discuss regional tensions and security needs. Chairs and tables formed a circle, and voices rose and fell with questions about living side by side. The imams asked about daily life in a country under threat and how Israel balances safety with freedom of worship.
MKs shared how citizens cope with rocket alerts and border tensions. The imams spoke of fears in their own communities when news reports single out Muslims. Both sides found common ground in a wish for families to sleep through the night in peace. By the end, the group agreed that honest talk must replace fear-driven talk in both Europe and the Middle East .
Touring Jerusalem’s Sacred Sites
Later, the delegation visited the Old City of Jerusalem. They walked together through narrow alleys, stopping first at the Western Wall. Some bowed heads in silent prayer. Then they passed through the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where stones mark the place of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Finally, they entered the Al‑Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount. Guards watched politely as imams and local clerics shared readings from the Quran and Torah.
For many delegates, this marked their first time in Jerusalem. Turin‑based Imam Ali El Aarja said he had longed to stand in these places since he visited Mecca and Medina. He pointed out that in his ancestral Morocco, Muslims, Christians and Jews once lived side by side, and he hopes this visit can rekindle that spirit. He said that sharing stories at each site made faith feel less foreign and more like threads woven into one cloth.
Visits to Memorials and Families
Halfway through their stay, the group traveled to Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial. They listened to a survivor’s account of loss and courage. Tears formed as they saw photographs of families torn apart. The imams laid wreaths and spoke of human dignity, saying that every life matters and that memory must guide us to do better.
Other meetings brought them face to face with families of former hostages taken in Gaza. Mothers and fathers spoke of long nights without news. Some held photographs of loved ones still missing. The imams listened in silence, then offered words of compassion. They said they would share these stories back home and ask their communities to pray for all hostages, Jewish and Arab.
Talks with Religious Leaders and IDF Spokesperson
The schedule included a meeting with Sephardic Chief Rabbi David Yosef. He spoke of Jewish teachings on hospitality and respect for neighbors. The imams responded by citing Quranic verses on kindness and fair treatment. They agreed that holy books call on people to treat others as they wish to be treated.
In another session, the group met Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces’ Arabic spokesperson. He explained how the army tries to warn civilians before operations. He also spoke of efforts to rebuild homes and supply aid. The imams asked tough questions about civilian harm. Adraee said that war wounds all sides but that Israel aims to reduce noncombatant suffering whenever possible.
Messages of Brotherhood
Imam Hassen Chalghoumi of France, known as the “peace imam,” summed up the spirit of the trip in words of solidarity. He said, “We are cousins, not enemies. We share faith in Abraham and a call to justice.” He also said he prays daily for the safe return of hostages and an end to civilian suffering in Gaza. His message urged leaders to act with compassion and to seek dialogue, not only on battlefields but in schools and mosques as well.
Noor Dahri, who leads the UK’s Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism, added a key point. She said that many in the West cannot tell faith apart from radical politics because extremist groups hide behind charity work. She argued that when European imams visit Israel and see the human cost of extremism firsthand, they can speak against hate with authority. Dahri insisted that the trip can weaken radical voices by offering a truthful view of Israel and its people.
Personal Analysis
This visit matters because it shows honest talk can break fear. It shows that religious leaders can meet across divides, ask hard questions and share real stories of loss. Those stories will echo longer than any speech in a grand hall. When an imam hears a mother describe her missing child, he carries that memory back to his home country. His words then reach hundreds of worshipers, who cannot ignore that mother’s pain.
I believe such trips can shape better attitudes over time. They can move people from fear toward openness. They can remind communities that shared history means more than a single tragic event. Since October 7, many Muslims in Europe felt they had to choose sides or stay silent. Visits like this give them a chance to speak up for peace without fear.
Sources: timesofisrael.com
