An extraordinary moment occurred this week at a Selichot event held at the Moroccan-Jewish community 'Porat Yosef' in North London, when a French Muslim imam ascended the podium and offered a prayer for the peace of Israel and the return of hostages from Gaza.
Imam Hassen Chalghoumi from France, known for his moderate positions and his fight against Islamic extremism, attended as a special guest at the event, which was also attended by cantor Elhay Lagrisi.
In an emotional atmosphere, Chalghoumi recited a prayer in Arabic, translated by a rabbi who speaks Arabic, in which he expressed hope for peace among nations, called for the return of hostages, and expressed faith in a better future.
The event was attended by senior figures from the Jewish community in the UK, including the Dayan Rabbi Abraham David, the community rabbi Rabbi Nissim Dahan, and Michel Dadon, president of the Porat Yosef community.
The imam also attended a Shabbat meal at the home of Rabbi Moshe Dadon, the brother of the community president. Participants at the event described the imam as emotional and eager to get to know the Jewish community more deeply.
Matan Bar-Noy, representative of the Zionist leadership in Europe and the UK, said: 'Imam Hassen Chalghoumi chose to stand alone before the public, to wish the people of Israel a Happy New Year and to hope that the hostages return home safely and in good health. Bright spots like this meeting remind us that the future can be better, and that in the end, good and sane people will prevail.'
Chalghoumi is not a stranger to Israel. Last August, he led a delegation of 15 imams and senior Muslims from Western Europe on a special visit to the Gaza envelope. The delegation visited sites of the Hamas massacre on October 7th, heard testimonies from survivors, and expressed solidarity with Israel.
During the visit to the Nova Festival site, Chalghoumi said: 'Humanity has lost its soul.' During the visit he added: 'I feel at peace in Israel, I feel comfortable among my Jewish brothers. You are a people of miracles, you will overcome this together with your Muslim brothers.'