British chief rabbi: Dialogue alone cannot bridge cultural divide 

Evoking Biblical-style convenants to express his vision, Sir Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth, told a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg that "a covenant is not a contract". "In a contract, each side seeks its own advantage, whereas in a covenant, two parties come together to acheive what they cannot achieve alone. A contract is a deal; a covenant is a marriage," he explained. 

"Dialogue may not be enough" as words "can’t always keep us together if other forces drive us apart," the Jewish leader continued. 

Sacks became the latest of a string of religious dignitaries to address MEPs as part of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID 2008 ), including Grand Mufti of Syria Ahmad Badr Al-Din Hassoun (EurActiv 16/01/08). 

Indeed, dialogue between religions and with Islam in particular quickly emerged as a central theme of the European Cultural Year (EurActiv 09/01/08), which officially came to an end with a conference entitled 'New Perspectives for Intercultural Dialogue in Europe,' held in Paris from 17-19 November. 

"Where words end, violence begins," warned Sacks, calling for the development of "covenants" whereby different parties would "come together to achieve what they can't achieve alone". "If we were completely different, there could be no communication, but if we were totally the same, we would have nothing to say," he explained. 

The Jewish leader warned that the distinction between citizens' rights and responsibilities was "not always clear enough in European politics". Sacks asked: "You can have a society without a state but can you have a state without a society?" 

Referring to the ongoing turmoil in financial markets, which is now affecting the real economy, he cautioned: "Rights without responsibilities are the sub-prime mortgages of the modern world". 

Hailing the chief rabbi's visit, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering praised the positive contribution that religion had made to European society, particularly regarding the development of "ethical awareness and values". 

Echoing Pöttering's sentiments, Sacks explained that "European civilisation was born 2000 years ago by dialogue" when the worlds of ancient Greece and biblical Israel were "brought together by Christianity," while "today, Jews and Christians meet in mutual respect as friends". 

EYID 2008 will end in December. The European Commission will present governments and MEPs with a report evaluating its success in December 2009. 

Meanwhile, next year has already been identified as the European Year of Creativity and Innovation.