Ari Alexander guest blogged from the World Conference on Dialogue in Madrid, organized by the Muslim World League under the patronage of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
Rabbi Alan Brill gives his take on Madrid, starting with going on Saudi TV and explaining that no, Rabbi isn’t his first name.
But Isi Leibler says that “being hosted by King Abdullah had such an intoxicating impact on some Jewish participants that they lost their bearings and indulged in excessive praise of their host that degenerated into groveling.”
Tanya Cariina Hsu disagrees, seeing Leibler as propagating “myths regarding the kingdom of Saudi Arabia� and says “a conference wherein Shas rabbis sat down with Hamas leaders and openly spoke their minds, now that would be progress.�
Rabbi David Rosen makes the case that the recent Madrid event was “Not just another interfaith parley�.
Walter Ruby sees Muslim World League Secretary-General Abdullah Al-Turki’s statement “We hold Judaism as a religion in the highest regard” at the recent Spain interfaith parlay as bucking the Wahabi establishment.
