The interfaith summit in Alexandria, Egypt ended this morning with a joint statement by Jewish, Moslem, and Christian leaders pledging to use their \"religious and moral authority to work for an end to the violence and the resumption of the peace process.\" The statements condemned “the murder of innocents in the name of God.” Although the leaders resolved that, \"The sanctity and integrity of the holy places must be preserved, and freedom of religious worship must be ensured for all,\" PA Police Mufti Abdul Salam Abu-Shkaidem told The Jerusalem Post that this does not mean Jews should be allowed access to the Temple Mount: \"[Just as] I am not going to pray in the church [or] the synagogue [but rather] I pray in my place, and they pray in their place... Give me access to go to my mosque, and I am not stopping you from going to your church or synagogue... [The Jews] have no right to go there, this is a mosque - the whole Temple Mount.\"
Yitzchak Rath, spokesman for Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, explained to Arutz-7 that Rabbi Lau\'s support of the summit was connected only to its efforts to save lives. \"This was not a religious summit per se,\" Rath explained, \"but strictly a matter of trying to prevent murder and killing, and to get the leaders of the three religions to make a statement against them.\" The summit was initiated by Deputy Foreign Minister Rabbi Michael Melchior, in cooperation with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey (the head of the Anglican Church), and also featured the participation of Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi and other local leaders of the three religions.
Yitzchak Rath, spokesman for Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, explained to Arutz-7 that Rabbi Lau\'s support of the summit was connected only to its efforts to save lives. \"This was not a religious summit per se,\" Rath explained, \"but strictly a matter of trying to prevent murder and killing, and to get the leaders of the three religions to make a statement against them.\" The summit was initiated by Deputy Foreign Minister Rabbi Michael Melchior, in cooperation with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey (the head of the Anglican Church), and also featured the participation of Sheikh Mohammed Sayed Tantawi and other local leaders of the three religions.