By Jeremy Balfour, Conservative MSP for Lothian

LAST year the Scottish Parliament debated a motion that “This House believes in Cultural Bridges not Boycotts”. Last year also saw the first ever International Shalom Festival at the Edinburgh Fringe, a celebration of Israel’s rich cultural diversity, with Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Israeli and Palestinian performers and artists coming together in the belief that only dialogue can lead to peace.

As a member of the Cross-Party Group (CPG) on Building Bridges with Israel, I believe strongly that dialogue not demonisation is the only way to break down barriers and diminish hatreds. Drowning out or shouting down voices which conflict with or contradict our own, doesn’t really work. Maturity dictates that at some point we have to listen to others. Sadly, in Scotland today the debate over Israel and Palestine shows no few signs of maturing.

Next week the International Shalom Festival returns to Edinburgh as a three-day event designed to promote peaceful co-existence by fostering cultural ties between diverse elements of Israeli society and other countries. The performers will include Jews, Arabs, Christians and Bedouin, all celebrating the diverse culture, music, art, dance and food of Israel and aiming to build cultural bridges and develop international friendships. The festival is a cultural not a political event, based on the belief that democracy and respect for co-existence are the precursors to peace. Sadly, merely mentioning Israel or Palestine in modern Scotland leads to instant polarisation of opinion. Sides are taken and held, debate stops and the vacuum is filled with violence and hate.

It should be clear that no matter what perspective we bring to this issue, we can surely agree that polarisation hasn’t worked. The time is long overdue to listen to other viewpoints and create space for understanding. The Shalom Festival offers Scotland a chance to show that art can cut across religious, political and ideological differences and that only tolerance and the acceptance of others can bring about peace. It calls for cultural bridges, not walls of intolerance.

This year’s Shalom Festival will see performance and testimony from people who have crossed divides and put distrust and hatred aside to communicate, engage and celebrate the culture of their land.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim community from Haifa run a community centre in their city which brings Christians, Jews, ultra orthodox Jews and Muslims together. Asad Shah, the Glasgow shopkeeper murdered in the city last year was a member of the peace-loving Ahmadi community in Scotland. An Islamic cleric and his Jewish wife from Jaffa will tell their inspiring story of mediating between people of different cultures. A series of paintings will be on display by Jewish, Muslim and Christian artists, who through their love of art, have created an atmosphere of friendship and sharing, and built lasting relationships and hope for the future.

The Shalom Festival allows Scotland to show that it supports the path to peace and rejects absolutely those who advocate hate and destruction. The artists who will take part, show that peaceful coexistence is already the chosen reality for many of Israel’s people. I wish the festival every success and am proud of the fact that it allows Scots to show they support a path to peace which rejects the demonisation or isolation of any group. I am sure it will be a joyful celebration of Israel’s rich cultural diversity and I’m certain Scotland will give a warm welcome to the Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Israeli and Palestinian performers and artists coming to the city to build much-needed cultural bridges.