Arab and Jewish musicians team up

Arab and Jewish musicians who are all believers in Jesus have teamed up to bring musical harmony in the Middle East.

The Israel and Ishmael Worship Tour, organised by Maoz Israel - an organisation "committed to reaching every Israeli with the truth of the gospel" - took place over the summer across France and Belgium, covering 18 cities in 30 days. The tour featured performances by Arab and Jewish musicians, worshipping Yeshua (Jesus) together in Hebrew, Arabic and French. Among them were the Arabic worship music Sakhnini brothers from Nazareth, who became Christians in recent years, and subsequently teamed up with Jewish believers in Jesus.

Organisers say the aim of the worship tour was to "re-state the abiding truth that there is still hope for peace in the Middle East."

According to Maoz Israel, the tour reached out to refugees from Muslim-majority nations, alongside Christian congregations.

A Maoz Israel spokesperson said: “What moved people most wasn’t just the music, but the testimony - that Jews and Arabs can live, work, and worship side by side because of Yeshua. For many, it was their first time hearing about Arab Christians or seeing this kind of unity.”

Organisers cited Ephesians 2v14-16, emphasising that Jesus came to reconcile man both with God and each other: "That, in Christ, the barrier of hostility would be broken, and peace would be restored."

While acknowledging ongoing security concerns, organisers said "barriers came down" as audiences were "encouraged to look up." "We were there to demonstrate how Jews and Arabs who love Yeshua are not only the solution to the Middle East conflict, they are evidence of God's transformative power to the unbelieving world," the Maoz spokesperson added.

The movement reflects a growing network of Messianic and Arab Christian congregations in Israel, where members worship together and promote dialogue across cultural and ethnic lines.

Maoz Israel described the tour as part of a broader effort to showcase examples of cooperation and reconciliation that transcend political divides. “We want to show the world that transformation and peace are possible,” the spokesperson added. "Yes, people will be divided over Jesus, but He is also the bridge to reconciliation."