At the closing ceremony of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan, the Rishon LeZion, Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi David Yosef, declared: "Stop terrorism; peace is the supreme value in Judaism."
In his speech at the Congress, Rabbi David Yosef called for an end to terrorism and violence worldwide, emphasizing peace as the central value. "We say this clearly: Stop terrorism. Stop the killing," the Rabbi stressed, adding that peace is the essential foundation of the Jewish faith. "The name of the Almighty is 'Peace' according to our Jewish belief. When we meet daily, we say 'Shalom.' When we part, we don’t say 'goodbye,' we say 'Shalom.' Because we, the Jewish people and the Jewish religion, want peace. We believe that the most important value in the world is peace."
Despite an agreement among the organizers not to discuss the war in Gaza, one of the Muslim participants violated this understanding and spoke with hostility toward Israel. In response, Rabbi Yosef altered his speech and firmly retorted, "Stop terrorism."
In his English-language address concluding the Congress, Rabbi Yosef addressed Judaism’s stance toward other religions, stating: "According to our religion, we do not even have the right to persuade people of other faiths to change their religion and become Jews. No. We believe that every person should remain as they are. If they are Muslim, let them remain Muslim. If they are Christian, let them remain Christian. And the Jewish people will remain Jewish. We believe that every nation and every faith can continue in their own way." He emphasized the shared belief in one God: "We believe in one God, one God for all."
At the conclusion of his remarks, Rabbi Yosef urged the religious and world leaders to continue promoting the spirit of peace established at the Congress: "When we return to our countries, we must continue the spirit expressed here—the spirit of peace. World leaders and governments will hear the voice of Israel’s leaders speaking of peace, and with God’s help, there will be peace in the world." The Rishon LeZion concluded with another call: "I say again: Stop terrorism. Stop the killing. We want peace, but not at the expense of innocent lives. Our hostages and the children being murdered cannot be left behind. Stop terrorism, bring justice and true peace."