Menachem Froman

He was well known for promoting and leading interfaith dialogue between Jews, Christians and Muslims, focusing on using religion as a tool and source for recognizing the humanity and dignity of all people.

[3] Froman, a former Israeli paratrooper who took part in the 1967 capture of the Western Wall, was a student at the Mercaz haRav and Yeshivat HaKotel yeshivas.

[6]After the election of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, Froman stepped up his efforts to organize meetings between Israeli and Palestinian religious leaders.

He met and conducted negotiations with current Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar and Hamas's Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, Sheikh Mahmoud Abu Tir, with the goal of drafting a ceasefire agreement that will end the killings in Gaza and the West Bank and lift the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip.

The proposal called for Israel to lift economic sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip and open all border crossings.

"[3] Along with Amayreh, Froman said that even if the attempt turned out to be a mere academic exercise, its elements could be used by the Jerusalem and Gaza governments.

It did not, for example, include the recognition by Hamas of the State of Israel, instead "recognizing that there are Jews living in the Holy Land", according to Froman, thus overcoming an obstacle that has long been a deal-breaker.

Froman lamented the early 21st century violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories, and laid partial blame for the failure of the Oslo Accords on the tendency of Israeli and Palestinian secular negotiators to ignore and marginalize religion and religious leaders in the peace process: Ahmad Yassin told me about the Oslo Accords that they were an agreement between our heretics and your heretics to subdue religion.

But if there will be a coalition with the PLO and Hamas to achieve a ceasefire, the chances of ending the shooting of Qassam rockets on Sderot are much better.

In August 2005, prior to the implementation of the disengagement plan, he moved with his family to Ganei Tal in Gush Katif in order to show support for the residents being evicted.

[16] His funeral in Tekoa on 5 March 2013, lasting 4 hours, was filled with music and poetry, and was attended by thousands of people of all political and religious ideologies.