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Can we make peace now? The Jews offering Muslims a date

The Jews giving Muslims fruit and flowers explain why they believe the gesture is so important right now

April 10, 2024 11:29
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A Jewish man hands out dates in Jerusalem to Muslims breaking their fast (Photo: Jacob Binyamin)
3 min read

 Ramadan prayers on Temple Mount have long been a tinderbox in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But for the last four years, as the sun has dipped over the Old City during the holy month, thousands of sweet treats and flowers have been handed out to Muslim fasters by their Jewish and Christian neighbours at Damascus Gate.

“People are angry, we can understand it is hard and they might have relatives in Gaza. But we have so many things in common,” says Dr Gadi Gvaryahu, the chairman and co-founder of Tag Meir, the organisation behind the initiative and whose volunteers were seen handing out the dates in a clip that went viral last weekend.

“The date is a symbol that shows we are neighbours, we care, we don’t hate, and it is a symbol of friendship,” he adds.

Handing out flowers on Jerusalem Day (Photo: Facebook)[Missing Credit]

The tradition began in 2020, when a Jerusalem Jew and a Franciscan Christian started giving out the dried fruit, a traditional treat with which Muslims break their fast. Now dozens of volunteers join them and Tag Meir on three evenings during the holy month to hand out boxes of dried fruit, sweets and bottles of water.