Opening/Closing Remarks. Jerusalem Summit-2003

Opening Remarks
The ultimate goal of this Summit is to create an alliance of all individuals and organizations from different nations and faiths who realize the grave danger our democratic civilization faces. I'm talking about the new Totalitarianism, represented by radical Islam, and about moral relativism which erodes our resolve to fight and destroy these evil forces.

We see Radical Islam as the third onslaught of Totalitarian Evil on the free mankind in the last 100 years. The first two were Fascism and Communism. The free world managed to defeat them by uniting, working out a joint strategy, and mastering resolve to fight and prevail. Now, too, is the time to unite and lay out a coherent moral and political strategy in that crucial fight.

We believe that the center of such an alliance has to be in Jerusalem. Not for nothing these forces of Evil chose Israel as the focus of their attack: here lies the front line of that new battle. If Jerusalem falls, so will fall the entire free world.

That's why Jerusalem and Israel have to take moral leadership in forming a joint strategy.

We hope that this gathering of outstanding thinkers, political and spiritual leaders will help define that strategy.

The immediate goals of the first Summit is to discuss and offer two alternatives. The first is an alternative in the area of international politics.

The present international bodies designated to protect international law and provide moral leadership are totally inefficient. They have abused the democratic principle of simple majority and sank into corruption, cynicism and immorality. The world needs to unite on the new basis and in the new center.

That basis is - reclaiming moral values of our civilization, values which first shone to the world from Zion. It is highly symbolic that we are gathering in Jerusalem during Sukkot, the Jewish holiday prophesied in the Bible to become the Festival of All Nations. The Summit will discuss the practical ways to advance that prophetic vision: the principles for a new international alliance based on morality, and ways to make Jerusalem its coordinating and inspirational center.

The stand on the war waged by the Arab world on Israel lies at the heart of international politics. That is why the second Alternative that the Summit will discuss is an alternative to the so-called Oslo process. The slogan of the Summit is «Building Peace on Truth». We have to counter the deeply immoral, false and delusional paradigm engraved in the international politics that peace in the Middle East can be bought only by territorial concessions of a tiny democracy to the huge tyrannies. We will discuss viable and moral alternatives to that process and ways to introduce these alternatives into the discourse of international politics.

Finally, we plan to adopt the Jerusalem Declaration, which will outline the universal principles of fighting terrorism, and the need for a Jerusalem Alternative in the Middle East and in the international politics.

This Declaration is based on the works and ideas of many distinguished thinkers present in this audience.

I hope that with the help of the Almighty this conference will make productive and inspiring progress towards creation of the Jerusalem Alliance and towards Building Peace on Truth.

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Closing Remarks
Sukkot is the Festival when Jews were bringing the fruits of their harvest to the Jerusalem Temple. It was prophesied that the time will come when all nations on each Sukkot will come to Jerusalem bringing their gifts.

On behalf of the organizers I wish to thank all of you for the wonderful gifts you brought to Jerusalem. You brought your experience, your intellect, your love of Truth.

During the Summit we advanced in our attempt to work out a joint strategy of resistance to the Totalitarianism of the Radical Islam, and to the moral relativism which in vain tries to placate this Totalitarianism by sacrificing Israel.

I hope that we have made a first step towards creating an international Jerusalem Alliance. Starting from tomorrow, we plan an extensive follow-up.

We plan to launch public and information campaigns to spread the creative ideas which we heard here during the last 3 days.

We will call on other nations, organizations and individuals to join the Alternative programs developed here in Jerusalem.

We plan to keep you in touch with us and with one another: staying together, as members of the Jerusalem Alliance, we can accomplish far more than we would do as disparate individuals.

So far we're not many. I would like to see here the leaders from all religions and countries. But it's a start. I believe that the streamlets of truth that flow to Jerusalem will turn into a mighty river.

That vision of the prophet does not belong to some eschatological future. It's near. It's at hand.

Once the restoration of Israel did seem to belong to some unreal eschatological future, until a few men dared to perform the commandment "Shma"-Listen - and heard from the Almighty that the time came to materialize the promise. They turned their faith into action and the state of Israel was restored.

Likewise, another prophecy, another promise of the Almighty, about nations uniting in Jerusalem seems to belong to eschatology and fantasy. But nowadays more and more people are hearing the voice of the Almighty that the time has come to unite in Jerusalem.

Your presence here is a proof of it.

It's not a dream any more. It's a burning necessity. Everyone with the spiritual eyesight sees that the Almighty is bringing it closer and closer through exposing the irrelevance and harmfulness of all other attempts to unite humanity in places other than Jerusalem, and on the basis other than His commandments. The UN are the most vivid example of that futility.

WWII and the Holocaust sped up the process of restoring Israel. But we should not wait until the WWIII and, God forbid, a new catastrophe bring nations to unite in Jerusalem. We have to start it now, we have to call the world to come to its senses and unite in the true center on the true basis.

I urge you to spread the call for all nations to unite in Jerusalem. Together, united around Zion, we will build a true and lasting Peace.

We will build it on Truth, rather than political correctness.

Justice will be its pillars.

Faith in our values will be its impregnable walls.

Traditions of our cultures will be the Gates leading into it.

And love of our Creator will be its roof.

To repeat Herzl’s words: Im tirzu ain zo agada – If you will want it, it’s not a fairy tale.

Thank you for coming,

And I hope to see you next year in Jerusalem.