Rabbi Menachem Froman, Israel/Palestine 

At the edge of the Judean desert resides Orthodox Rabbi Menachem Froman.  As
a founder of the Gush Emunim settler movement in the West Bank, some people
may be surprised that Froman has been called the “wise one” by Yasser Arafat and
an “Israeli hero” by Sheikh Talal Sider, a former Hamas sympathizer.  But for those who know his work, these words of praise are simply proof of Froman’s firm belief
that regular meetings with the “other” build trust.  In fact, with his religious sensibility and commitment to peace, Rabbi Froman has dedicated most of his life to promoting reconciliation between Jewish settlers and Palestinian residents in the West Bank
and Gaza. 

The same year as the 1973 Yom Kippur War, it was a young Rabbi Froman who completed his studies and decided to make his home in the West Bank settlement of Tekoa, where he would eventually become Chief Rabbi and raise 10 children.  He and his fellow settlers came with the intention to learn Arabic and live in peace, and he fully expected that the Palestinians would be glad to see them come.  Yet Rabbi Froman was soon to recognize a different reality. 

The violence during the First Intifada served as a wake-up call through which he
came to better understand the impact of the Jewish settlements. With the land he
loved defining his perspective, he began working toward his vision of a “humane
state,” in which Israel and Palestine, as two states, would rule simultaneously over
the Holy Land. Froman envisioned Palestinians and Israelis each enjoying full independence while living on the same land, conducting business together and not giving way to violence.  Later, he would expand on that concept with the idea that Jerusalem should become ex-territorial, a city for all religions and all people. 

Recognizing the urgent need to reach across the divide, Rabbi Froman quickly began establishing relationships with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders.  Several months after the Second Intifada broke out, Yasser Arafat invited Rabbi Froman to his pres- idential palace in Ramallah. President Arafat listened as Froman made a case for the establishment of a joint committee of Sheikhs and Rabbis devoted to creating a solution for peace.  In response, both Arafat and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave
their approval.  Soon after, Rabbi Froman and Sheikh Talal Sider established a joint council of Jewish and Muslim clerics to work for peace.

Beyond his groundbreaking introductions, Froman has been a key mediator in conflicts, serving as a respected advisor to groups from diverse backgrounds and opposing political affiliations.  In 2002, his efforts helped to bring about the Alexandria Summit, which convened prominent Jewish, Muslim, and Christian clerics and produced the groundbreaking “First Alexandria Declaration of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land.”  

Ultimately, Froman describes the conflict in this region in the simplest of terms as a tragedy of “two peoples loving the same land.”  Through his commitment to a new era of mutual recognition and cooperation, Rabbi Froman continues to open new channels of communication between the two sides, always hoping that they will lead to his vision of a “humane state” in the Holy Land.

Though he admits that such a vision may not appear likely today, he stresses the importance of holding onto the ideal – which he believes can still be realized one day. 

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