Israeli-Palestinian conflict: religious leaders should not mislead followers: FUOYE’s ex-Vice chancellor warned

By: Manoah Kikekon 

Khan Younis building destroyed by Israel strike (Photo Credit: The Times)

Former vice-chancellor of Federal University Oye Ekiti, FUOYE’s Prof. Kayode Soremekun has warned religious leaders in Nigeria to refrain from passing wrong messages to their followers ascribing the Israel-Hamas war as a religious war. 

He made this statement during a press interview at the symposium organized by the Department of History and International Studies, Lagos State University. 

The symposium, tagged 'From Palestine to Gaza: Analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, 1948-2023,' took place with the participation of scholars and international relations experts from different institutions."

According to Kayode, “The religious leaders in Nigeria, who are Christians and Muslims, should make every effort not to mislead their followers. Secondly, they should understand and appreciate the diversity of Nigeria, recognizing it as a plural society, especially when it comes to religion. They have the responsibility to inform their followers that what is happening is not fundamentally a religious war but rather a struggle for resources, such as land. The religious leaders are reacting more to the dynamics of history. Nigeria has, on its own, seen the Arab-Israeli war from a religious perspective. There were contradictions in the first republic in which Nigeria had relations with Israel, but the head of the ruling party at that time, the Nigerian Peoples Congress, always stated that he did not know where Israel is. Such misunderstandings can only complicate the domestic dynamics of Nigeria. We already have enough problems in this country, so they should guide their followers correctly on this issue."

Professor Adewunmi Falode, the head of the Department of History and International Studies, who moderated the seminar, provided insights into why Hamas chose to carry out an attack on October 7th rather than any other day. According to Professor Falode, who is also an expert in warfare, “the principle of warfare emphasizes the significance of timing and objectives. Both Palestine and Israel have their reasons because 'Palestinian fatigue' is already setting in within the international community. The Palestinian cause seems to be receding from international discourse and prominent Arab states are ready to normalize relations with Israel.

“Hamas launched the attack to derail this peace moves and move the Palestinian cause to the front burner of International politics”. He added. 

Professor Sylvester Odion, a lecturer in the Political Science Department at Lagos State University, argues that superpower involvement is a major factor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He emphasized that America's unrestrained support for Israel encourages that country's excesses in its interaction with Palestinians. He added, “Some people will resort to the Bible to claim that the whole of Palestine belongs to Israel. I don't know if we can evaluate state relations based on religion. The point to make here is that human losses are significant, as we all share a common humanity. We must not treat fellow humans as animals.”

'We must protect the interests of human existence. It is paramount, and we cannot negotiate on that. For me, the only way to achieve peace is for Palestinians to live side by side with Israelis. The human rights of both nations must be guaranteed and respected.'"

Associate Professor Olawale Lawal, in his speech, mentioned the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which proposed the creation of a Jewish state anywhere. He said “This state could have been established in Morocco, Uganda, or any other location. International actors concurred that a state should be created, but the decision on its location was primarily driven by international political interests, particularly those of Western nations.

He added, "The issue of state recognition needs to be approached with solemn analysis. We may not have solutions to the problem under discussion, but for those of us in humanitarian studies, we can only focus on the humanitarian crisis. Apportioning blame to any party involved can only further escalate tensions.

As a fundamentalist or a nationalist organization that is traceable to a territory, the tactics of terrorism should not be applied to achieving its goals and objectives the way Hamas has done. The consistency is collateral damage where anywhere becomes battle ground.

“I am only saying there is a wrong strategy somewhere, which is not an endorsement of a humanitarian crisis."

Speaking about the misinterpretation of the aspects of the war, Associate Professor Habeeb Sanni said the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is often viewed from a religious perspective, implying it's a war between Christians and Muslims. "This is clearly not true. Both of these groups have coexisted there for over a millennium. Jerusalem is significant to three major religions: Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It now appears that the Jews have taken control of the entire area.

“From my perspective, relegating people to specific areas and subjecting them to restrictions is akin to placing them in an open prison. The idea of a two-state solution has been proposed, but it remains a matter of debate. It's either that Israel is not ready to accept it or Palestine is not willing to tolerate a state of Israel within Arab territory. This will continue to be a contentious issue in international relations."

Recall that attack conducted by the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas from the Gaza Strip onto bordering areas in Israel, commenced on Saturday, October 7, 2023, which coincided with a Sabbath day and several Jewish holidays.