Muslims and Jewish New Yorkers Launch ‘Unbreakable Bond’ Initiative, Pledge United Stand Against Antisemitism

Muslim and Jewish leaders in New York have launched a new interfaith initiative tagged “The Unbreakable Bond”, reaffirming a shared commitment to coexistence, truth, and the rejection of antisemitism.

The initiative was inaugurated on January 1, 2025, bringing together faith leaders, elected officials, community organizers, and interfaith advocates from across the city.

Speaking at the event, Sheikh Musa Drammeh, President of Muslims-Israel Dialogue, described the gathering as more than a symbolic ceremony, calling it a moral declaration at a critical moment.

“This inauguration is not merely ceremonial; it is a moral declaration,” Drammeh said. “It is a statement that we refuse to allow hatred, distortion, and fear to define our relationships or our future.”

He warned that hostility toward Israel fuels broader hatred against Jews, stressing that antisemitism contradicts Islamic values.

“Hatred of Israel fuels hatred of Jews. Hatred of Jews corrodes the ethical foundation of any society,” he said, adding that “any ideology that normalizes antisemitism ultimately betrays Islam itself.”

Drammeh also recounted his recent participation in a week-long interfaith educational tour of Israel, organized in partnership with the OHR Torah Interfaith Center of Israel and supported by the Combat Antisemitism Movement.

According to him, the visit challenged widely held assumptions about coexistence in the region.

“We traveled not as tourists, but as witnesses,” he said. “More than once, Arab Israelis told us that even if a Palestinian state were established, they would choose to remain Israeli citizens because of the rights, stability, and dignity they experience.”

Addressing misconceptions around Zionism, Drammeh said the term has been deliberately distorted to justify hatred.

“At its most basic and accurate level, Zionism is the belief that the Jewish people, like all peoples, have the right to a homeland where they can live in safety and dignity,” he explained.

He further argued that Israel’s existence should be viewed within the broader context of post-World War II global state formation.

“Israel is not an anomaly of history; it is part of the same global transformation that produced dozens of nations across Africa and Asia,” he said, questioning why Israel alone is persistently singled out for rejection.

Drammeh also highlighted Israel’s humanitarian contributions to Africa, noting that acknowledgment of such efforts should be seen as moral honesty rather than political alignment.

“Israel has quietly saved African lives,” he said. “Gratitude for such deeds is not weakness; it is moral honesty.”

Referencing recent antisemitic attacks worldwide, including the killing of a Holocaust survivor, the Muslim leader said silence was no longer acceptable.

“Standing against Jew-hatred requires visibility as well as words,” he stated. “Raising the Israeli flag is not an act of provocation; it is an act of recognition.”

He concluded by calling on New York to serve as a global model for principled coexistence.

“Let us make New York a model of principled coexistence, where disagreement does not become dehumanization and solidarity does not require uniformity,” Drammeh said.

The event ended with a joint call for peace, justice, and mutual understanding, symbolized by the greeting “Shalom-Salaam.”