In the 90th minute, IPCRI faxed a request to the Government of Israel prior to its meeting this morning with a request to transfer the Gush Katif synagogues to the Palestinian Authority so that they can used as buildings for the public benefit such as community centers, health centers, educational centers and peace centers for the development of dialogue between sectors of the population, religious groups and future Israeli-Palestinian meetings.

If the synagogues are left in place without such a specific request to the Palestinian Authority, it will be most difficult for the Palestinian Authority to prevent the Palestinian masses from trying to destroy the last remnants of the Israeli occupation of Gaza.

If the synagogue buildings, which once they are vacated and are no longer functioning synagogues, are transferred in an orderly fashion with a specific request to use them for the public benefit but for non-religious purposes, these buildings could become a symbol of peacemaking between Israel and Palestine rather than a scar and a bad memory.

We appeal to the Government of Israel to accept this proposal and we call on the Palestinian Authority to make the best use of these assets for the benefit of the people of Gaza.

Gershon Baskin and Hanna Siniora
Co-CEO’s