TP O'Mahony: Israel-Hamas war shows the need for religious freedom and tolerance

The tragic irony is that both Judaism and Islam trace their roots back to the same source

Egyptian medics wheel a premature Palestinian baby evacuated from Gaza to an ambulance on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Monday. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

In a world of clashing religiously-driven ideologies—as the Israel-Hamas war is tragically showing—the need for religious freedom and religious tolerance has never been more important.

The latest conflict in the Middle East is driven by religious zealots representing two ideologies—Zionism in Israel and Islamism on the Palestinian side in Gaza. And these have taken on a hate-filled, militant, political form.