Rabbi Froman meets Abbas, pledges support for UN bid

Chief rabbi of West Bank settlement of Tekoa says establishment of Palestinian state will benefit peace process and Israel.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Rabbi Menahem Froman 311 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Rabbi Menahem Froman 311
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Rabbi Menahem Froman, the chief rabbi of the West Bank settlement of Tekoa, met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Wednesday, pledging his support for the PA's bid to gain statehood recognition at the United Nations in September.
The establishment of a Palestinian state benefits the peace process and Israel, as well as working to achieve comprehensive, just peace and stability for the region and the world, Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted Froman as saying.
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Froman congratulated Abbas on the occasion of Id al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, and wished for peace and co-existence between Palestinians and Israelis through the establishment of the Palestinian state.
The rabbi also suggested that a committee be formed consisting of Palestinian and Israeli religious figures to stop instigation of violence on both sides.
Abbas reiterated to Froman his contention that the statehood bid is not meant to come at the expense of the peace process and follows Israel's refusal to halt settlement building.
One of the founders of the Gush Emunim settlement movement and a longtime resident of Tekoa, Froman – who teaches in yeshivot in Tekoa and Otniel – for decades has been doing his utmost to promote dialogue and understanding between Jews and Muslims.
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