April 2, 2012
As Christian leaders in Palestine, we were appalled by the baseless allegations you published in the Wall Street Journal on March 9. Your attempt to blame the difficult reality that Palestinian Christians face on Palestinian Muslims is a shameful manipulation of the facts intended to mask the damage that Israel has done to our community.
As has been stated in our Kairos document, we Palestinian Christians declare that "the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land is a sin against God and humanity because it deprives Palestinians of their basic human rights, bestowed by God."
The Israeli occupation is the primary reason why so many members of the oldest Christian communities in the world have left the holy land, Palestine.
Since the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and the Golan Heights began in 1967, the Israeli government has confiscated thousands of acres of land owned by Christian Palestinians to build settlements Israel now calls "neighborhoods." These settlements have divided Bethlehem and Jerusalem for the first time in the two millennia since Jesus walked between these holy cities.
Palestinian Christians in Jerusalem have been hardest hit by this land grab policy.
The Israeli government has demolished the homes of hundreds of Palestinians in the occupied city and revoked the residency rights of thousands more, while promoting foreign immigration to the ever-expanding illegal settlements throughout our occupied homeland.
Your claim, Mr Oren, that the Christian population in Israel has grown is disingenuous.
In fact, the percentage of Christians in the area began to decrease in 1948 when the creation of Israel caused a large portion of the Palestinian Christian population to become refugees.
The exaggerated growth of the Christian population in Israel that you claim is due primarily to the immigration of Russian Christians whom Israel was unable to distinguish from the Jewish immigrants pouring into the country after the fall of the Soviet Union. It is not due to any accommodation for the indigenous Palestinian Christian population, which is victim to an ongoing displacement policy implemented by your government.
It is also misleading to suggest that the occupation does not dramatically affect the day-to-day lives of Palestinians in the occupied territories. Palestinian use of airspace, telecommunications, and critical resources like water are all ultimately subject to Israeli control. We cannot move between our cities or travel abroad without crossing an Israeli checkpoint.
Israel’s matrix of control has cost our economy dearly and it dramatically limits the opportunities available to our youth. In 2010 alone, the cost of the occupation to the Palestinian economy was almost $7 billion, 85 percent of our GDP.
Our Holy Bible says, "'Peace, peace' when there is no peace" (Jer. 6:14). We seek a just and lasting peace. But to achieve peace, Mr Oren, your government must recognize the reality your occupation has created.
Our reality is one of occupation, oppression and loss. We endure your government’s assault on our natural and basic right to worship and its policy of exile and division between our communities.
Contrary to your erroneous claims, we assert that Palestinians are one people enduring Israel’s relentless occupation and suffering, together, from its oppressive practices.
We are united in our conviction that we deserve to enjoy the rights to which all people are entitled. Christian and Muslim Palestinians have struggled for freedom together for over 60 years. We intend to continue that tradition.
Ending Israeli occupation is the only way for Palestinians -- Christians and Muslims -- to enjoy a life of prosperity and progress. It is also the surest way to secure a continued Christian presence in this, our holy land.
Signed:
Adv. Nabil Mushahwar, Chairman of the Palestinian Bar Association Fr. Faysal Hijazeen, Director-general of the Latin Patriarchate Schools in Palestine and parish priest of Ramallah Archbishop Atallah Hanna, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem Fr. Farah Bader, Assistant priest, Ramallah Roman Catholic Church Fr. Johnny Abu Khalil, Roman Catholic priest of Nablus Fr. Firas Aredah, Roman Catholic priest of Jifna Fr. Ibrahim Shomali, Roman Catholic Parish Priest of Beit Jala Rev. Saliba Rishmawi, Lutheran Church, Ramallah Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Member of the Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee Fayez Saqqa, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Bethlehem Fouad Kokali, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Beit Sahour Hind Khoury, Ambassador, Jerusalem. Former PLO representative in Paris Bassem Khoury, Architect, Jerusalem Dr. Charlie Abu Saada, Director of Juthoruna Forum Yusef Daher, Inter Church Center, Jerusalem Lucy Thalgieh, Project coordinator, Wi’am Center, Bethlehem George Saliba Rishmawi, Coordinator, Siraj Center for Holy Land Studies Professor Gabi Baramki, Former President of Bir Zeit University, Ramallah Issa Kassasieh, Deputy Head – PLO Negotiations Affairs Department, Jerusalem Dr. Elias Iseed, Secretariat of the Orthodox organizations in Palestine, Beit Sahour Khader Abu Abara, President of the Beit Jala Orthodox Club, Beit Jala Marwan Toubasi, Governor of Tubas, Chairman of the Orthodox organizations in Palestine, Ramallah Fr. Jamal Khader, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Bethlehem University Salim Hodali, Head of the Diaspora Unit, Bank of Palestine Nader Abuamsha, Beit Sahour YMCA Dr. Jad Isaac, Head of the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem Yousef Hallaq, Electrical Engineer, Jerusalem Dr. Varsen Aghabekian, Management Consultant, Ramallah Rania Elias, Director, Yabous Cultural Center, occupied Jerusalem Wassef Daher, President of YMCA Nader Muaddi, Palestinian Christian activist, occupied Jerusalem Raji Zeidan, Mayor of Beit Jala Dr. Bernard Sabella, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, occupied Jerusalem Peter Abu Shanab, Chairperson of Holylanders, occupied Jerusalem Dr. Kholoud Daibes, Palestinian Authority Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Rif’at Kassis, General Coordinator of Kairos – Palestine Andre Batarseh, YMCA, occupied Jerusalem Rami Saleh, Treasurer of the Palestinian Counseling Center, and Deputy Director of Jerusalem Legal Aid Center Dr. Manuel Hassassian, Ambassador, PLO representative in London Shawki Armali, Ambassador, PLO representative to the Holy See Dr. Linda Tabar, Professor, Bir Zeit University Rateb Rabie, President of Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation Anthony Habash, Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, Bethlehem Ibrahim Mourad, Fashion Designer Maggie Mourad, Former instructor, Bethlehem University Maha Saca, Director - Palestinian Heritage Center, Bethlehem Elham Salameh, Director, social and cultural department – YMCA, occupied Jerusalem Ibrahim Matar, President, National Christian Association, occupied Jerusalem Dr. Nabeel Kassis, Former president, Bir Zeit University Ziad Bandak, Minister, Presidential Adviser for Christian Affairs Hanna Amira, Member of the PLO Executive Committee Janet Michael, Mayor of Ramallah Dr. Rita Giacaman, Director of the Institute of Community and Public Health, Bir Zeit University Mary Sabella, occupied Jerusalem Dr. Jacqueline Sfeir, Director of MaDad, Bethlehem Eileen Kuttab, Director Women Studies Institute, Bir Zeit University Zahi Khoury, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Palestinian National Beverage Company, Coca-Cola Rev. Mitri Raheb, Senior Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, president of Diyar Consortium Dr. Nuha Khoury, Dean of Dar al-Kalima College, Bethlehem Khalil Nijim, Consultant, secretary of Diyar Board, Bethlehem Rev. Imad Haddad, Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Beit Sahour Layla Sayeh, Director of PenMedia Michael Asfour, YMCA, occupied Jerusalem Afif Safieh, Ambassador, former PLO representative to the Hague, London, Washington, Moscow and the Holy See Nora Kort, President Arab Orthodox Society, Jerusalem Anton Salman, President Anthonian Charitable Society, Bethlehem George Saade, Bethlehem Deputy Mayor, on behalf of the Bethlehem Municipal Council Hani Hayek, Mayor of Beit Sahour Maher Sahlieh, Head of the Arab Orthodox Scouts, occupied Jerusalem Fr. Hanna Salem, Latin Seminary priest, Beit Jala Dr. Muna Mushahwar, Arab Orthodox Club, occupied Jerusalem Fr. Raed Abusahlia, Roman Catholic parish priest of Taybeh Fr. Aziz Halawa, Roman Catholic parish priest of Beit Sahour Omar Harami, Palestinian Christian activist, occupied Jerusalem Elie Shehadeh, Palestinian National Initiative, Beit Jala Iyad Aburdeneh, Environmental expert, Bethlehem Claudette Habash , Palestinian Christian refugee, occupied Jerusalem Yacoub Al Yousef, Arab Orthodox Club, occupied Jerusalem Usama Salman, Director, San Vincent Association, occupied Jerusalem Rami Zeidan, General manager, Traveller Experience Tours, occupied Jerusalem
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