This is not a religious conflict, as many Jews and Muslims stand by each other in the Diaspora. Jews have stand against Islamophobia just as Muslims condemn anti-Semitism. Inspiring stories exist where Muslims and Jews have shielded each other from oppression. We have to eschew jingoistic propaganda, rhetorical questions and the blame games to listen to the voices that call for radical empathy. We need to hear the families of the murdered youth Naftali Fraenkel and Abu Khdeir who reached out to each other.

Those who are mired in bigotry have and will continue to derail efforts towards peace by resorting to fear mongering and smear tactics. Yet, the Persian mystic Rumi taught us to not be afraid of sullying our reputation. This is especially true when the lives of our children, both Jewish and Muslim alike are at stake.