The assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish extremist led immediately to a period of soul searching in Israel and among World Jewry that continues to this day. In the aftermath of that tragic and shocking event, we are ever more mindful of the dangers posed by an atmosphere characterized by extremist rhetoric potentially leading to violence, and by an absence of civil dialogue.

Extremists such as Yigal Amir or Baruch Goldstein are criminals whose acts place them beyond the pale of Jewish tradition. Although both individuals claimed that they acted in the name of God and with the support of Jewish law -- Halacha -- American Jewish leadership, including American Jewry's leading Torah scholars, made clear that such claims are illegitimate and wrong. -As one group of such leaders wrote, "we unequivocally declare that Jewish Law and Ethics provide no justification whatsoever for this act of violence."

For years we have actively condemned acts of extremist violence in the Arab world that have led to the deaths of hundreds of innocent Israelis. Acts of fanaticism, whether religious or secular, perpetrated by Jews must be rejected just as forcefully.

The swift, forceful, unequivocal condemnation of violence, however, is not enough. We must recognize that extremist rhetoric helps create an environment that incites individuals to engage in hateful, illegal, and violent acts. At the same time, the rights of free speech and lawful dissent which are basic and indispensable in a democratic society must be protected. It is critically important that those with various views of the peace process condemn explicit hate speech, venomous language, and threatening words. It is also critically important that we provide an opportunity for dialogue among all the conflicting viewpoints and provide an atmosphere in which differences can be expressed with civility and respect.

Today, the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council and its member agencies make a commitment to work vigorously in support of efforts to condemn Jewish extremist rhetoric and violence, and to promote intracommunal dialogue. Toward that end, we will:

• urge the full spectrum of religious institutions and organizations in Israel and the American Jewish community to consistently condemn explicit extremist rhetoric or hate speech;
• encourage the development of new initiatives through Israeli and American Jewish institutions, including Jewish-Jewish dialogue, to promote civility and respect for democratic values;
• counter any attempts to characterize an entire segment of the Jewish community as being monolithic or supportive of the kind of extremist rhetoric that can create a volatile atmosphere;
• encourage the teaching of Jewish traditions of mutual respect, democratic values and civility as part of the core curriculum in all Israeli and American Jewish educational institutions;
• urge all Jewish institutions in Israel, the United States and elsewhere to cultivate an atmosphere of civil and respectful communal discussion on issues related to the peace process and other controversial issues.

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