A Poetic Conclusion

Abstract

Over the years, as I was walking down the path of life, I came to recognize that I have three principal commitments in my relationship with the world: first, as a human being, I am committed to cultivating interpersonal relationships that are in line with the Golden Rule of reciprocity, “You shall love your fellow as yourself”; second, as a religious man, I am committed to promoting interreligious understanding and harmony, particularly between Jews and Muslims; and third, as a man of nationality, I am committed to forwarding the peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict, particularly between the Israelis and the Palestinians. As a context for this book, I chose the Gate of Mercy for two reasons—one is that it represents a symbolic site “where Islam and Judaism join together,” a place of possibilities for their reconciliation; and two is that it represents my conviction of the centrality of mercy, compassion, and love as fundamental spiritual values shared by all religions.