Imam Imad Al Masri: The Muslim community spreading peace in Israel and beyond
The Times of Israel Daily Briefing
The Times of Israel
4.5 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 27 February 2026
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe.
There is a religious community in Israel dedicated to spreading peace throughout the country and beyond. Days after October 7, this community opened its doors for hundreds of Israelis from diverse backgrounds, stressing the importance of maintaining peaceful dialogue between ethnic and religious groups.
That community is Muslim.
The Ahmadiyya number only around 2,000 in Israel, but are part of a global community of some 20 million.
In today's Lazar Focus, Imam Imad Al Masri, a Jordanian cleric living in Haifa, explains the origins of his sect and makes an impassioned case for the Ahmadiyya vision for spreading peace around the world.
As he marks the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, he discusses the community's outreach in Palestinian areas, including in the Gaza Strip under Hamas rule and during the recent war there. Al Masri recounts the reaction of the Ahmadiyya community to the October 7, 2023, attacks and how they dealt with initial suspicions from their Jewish neighbors.
As Israel maintains a shaky ceasefire in Gaza and prepares for a possible war with Iran, the Ahmadiyya present an unwavering call for peace that many find refreshing and uplifting.
Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome back to the Laser Focus. I am LaserBerman. Now, did you know that there is a religious community whose Middle East headquarters are based here in Israel in Haifa? And this community numbers 15 to 20 million people around the world. Did you know that this community is a leader in Israel and around the world in interfaith dialogue and peace? |
| 0:26.4 | And did you know that this community is a Muslim community? Now, we are here in the month of Ramadan, and I think it's a good time to talk about some of the Muslim communities here in Israel, especially this unique one. |
| 0:39.8 | And this is also a time where in Israel also many other places as well, you have a lot of interfaith iftar dinners after the days fasting comes to an end. |
| 0:49.1 | You have different organizations and groups bring together local Muslims as well as Jews and Christians to sit |
| 0:55.7 | together to eat and to really be together. |
| 0:58.6 | It's a very nice time here in Israel and I was at such a dinner at the president's residence |
| 1:03.4 | earlier this week and there I saw someone who I have known before but someone I was happy |
| 1:08.0 | to run into. |
| 1:09.0 | His name is Imam Imad al-Masri. |
| 1:11.8 | He is the Imam of the Ahmadiyah Muslim community in the Holy Land, which covers Israel and |
| 1:16.8 | the Palestinian territories. |
| 1:18.5 | And we will be talking to him today about the Ahmadiyya community, both in Israel and around |
| 1:23.7 | the world. |
| 1:24.7 | So welcome Imam Imad al-Masri. Yes, thank you, Leisar, for having me here, |
| 1:31.5 | and I'm looking forward for our interesting conversation. As am I, but first, we have to pay the bills |
| 1:36.9 | so we will take a quick break, and then we will be back to talk with Imam Ima al-Masri. |
| 1:51.2 | Are we entering a new global order? |
| 1:55.8 | Alliances around the world are shifting and things we used to take for granted like Israel's geopolitical role in the Middle East, the future of the U.S. Israel relationship, |
| 2:00.6 | and America's role in the world are now all future of the U.S. Israel relationship, and America's |
| 2:01.3 | role in the world are now all up for grabs. If you want to understand what's really going on |
| 2:06.9 | and what this all means, I'd like to invite you to join me, Dan Cynor, on the Call Me Back podcast. |
| 2:13.3 | Our goal is to give you the facts, context, and insights you need to make sense of a changing world, |
... |
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