ABUJA – The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, has stated that dialogue, tolerance, and empathy are the essential foundations for peaceful coexistence and national unity in Nigeria.
Speaking at an interfaith conference in Abuja, Ambassador Freeman emphasized that progress can only thrive when religious diversity is respected. He described peace not as the absence of conflict, but as the “presence of respect, empathy, and shared purpose,” urging a conscious choice of “dialogue over hate” and “building bridges rather than walls.”
The envoy pointed to Israel, where Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Druze live and work side by side, as a practical example of coexistence. He acknowledged Nigeria’s own painful challenges and security crises, stating that healing can only begin “through understanding and partnership,” and that sustainable peace must start in neighbourhoods and places of worship, not just government halls.
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