WAFA – Palestine News Agency
March 27 2010

Holy Land Churches Slam Israel’s Policy in Jerusalem

Date : 27/3/2010 Time : 19:44

JERUSALEM, March 27, 2010 (WAFA)- In a press conference organized in
Jerusalem this morning by The National Christian Coalition in the Holy
Land, Representatives of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Latin
Patriarchate, Armenian Patriarchate, Episcopal Church slammed Israel’s
policies in Occupied East Jerusalem.

President of the National Christian Coalition in the Holy Land,
Dimitri Diliani, assured local Christian popular support of the
Churches’ position rejecting Israeli unilateral colonial settlement
building in the Palestinian Territory Occupied in 1967, especially in
Jerusalem, in addition to the churches condemnation of violations
committed by the State of Israel against the Palestinian People’s
national, religious and cultural rights.

`As we approach Easter Holidays,’ Diliani added, `Israeli
discrimination appears clearly when we compare the treatment of Jews
celebrating Passover on one hand, and Christians celebrating Easter on
the other.’

Diliani said, `if what Israel practices against Christians is
practiced anywhere in the world against Jews, that place would be
boycotted by the International community at once.’ He wondered, ‘Are
the Holy Land Christians less worthy than other human beings around
the world?’

Bishop Aris Shirverian of the Armenian Patriarchate expressed his
church’s dismay at Israeli policies in Jerusalem, especially during
the holidays where thousands of pilgrims are prohibited from visiting
the Church of Holy Sepulcher.

Father Dr. Peter Madrous of Latin Patriarchate assured that one who
plants injustice will harvest animosity ‘and that is the reason for
the Israeli paranoia, Israel has planted injustice for years’. Father
Madrous stated that Palestinian Christians are peaceful people who
have the right to practice their religion without Israeli armed
interference.

Rev. Zahi Nasser of the Episcopal Church criticized Israeli claims to
Democracy given reality on the ground. He said that Israeli building
an Apartheid Wall and violating Palestinian people’s rights directly
contradict its claims to being a Democracy. Rev. Nasser said that
Jerusalem is suffering just like Jesus suffered at the hands of his
capturers.

Father Issa Misleh, Spokesman for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate,
said that his church attempted to negotiate with the Israeli security
forces over the arrangements for the Holy Week, he added that these
negotiations faced major inflexibility by Israeli officials who
insisted on imposing their view of what should be taking place on our
holiday. Father Misleh rejected the Israelis excuse of security
saying that all throughout history Christians were not prohibited from
entering the same facilities under the same circumstances until Israel
decided that it should down play any Christian character of the holy
city of Jerusalem. He said that Christian and Muslim Palestinians
suffer from the same Israeli policies.

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