World Economic Forum's religious leaders community calls for Middle East peace

The Community of Religious Leaders associated with the World Economic Forum, committed to justice, dignity and mutual respect for all, expresses its deep distress at the pain of innocents suffering everywhere.

In particular, the land that is holy to the Abrahamic religions has recently seen great death and destruction. While this conflict is a territorial conflict, all too often religion has been exploited and made part of the problem.

Therefore, the Community believes passionately that religion must be part of the solution. Indeed, no solution will be possible without such engagement.

Accordingly, the Community of Religious Leaders calls on the political leadership to engage the religious representatives of the three Abrahamic faiths - specifically the Council of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land - as partners in a search for a settlement which will lead to two independent states living in peace and free from violence, incitement and terror.

The Community supports all initiatives to bring peace to the Middle East, the most recent of which is President Obama's appointment of a special envoy, Senator George Mitchell, for whose success we pray.