Towns Imbedded in History and Challenged by Realities of War and Peace
Christian Mayors from the Holy Land: Towns Imbedded in History and Challenged by Realities of War and Peace
( 9th International conference, Friday, Oct. 26, 2007)
By Louis Medgyesi-Mitschang
The mayors of Bethlehem, Ramallah and Beit Sahour described in graphic detail the harsh living conditions of their citizenry under the Israeli military occupation.
Dr. Victor Batarseh, mayor of Bethlehem traced the decline of the Christian population in Palestine. In 1948 it was 20% of the total population, today it is less than 2%. As pointed out by Ms. Jannet Michael, mayor of Ramallah, the Christian population of the Ramallah and Bethlehem area accounted for 90% of the Palestinian Christians at one time. Today it is about 20%. In fact the number of Christian Palestinians now living in Chile exceeds the number living in the “Christian Triangle” around Bethlehem.
Recent surveys show that over 50% of the remaining Christian population is considering emigration due to the unbearable political and economic conditions. The mayors stated that if conditions continue unchanged, in 15 years there would practically be no Christian left in the Holy Land!
The confiscation of land for Israeli settlements, for military bases, and for building the Separation Wall has destroyed the major source of income for many Palestinian Christians. The consequences are devastating. The unemployment is now 60-70%. The Wall separates entire communities from schools, health facilities, places of work and even of worship. Today over 47% of the occupied West Bank is reserved for the Israeli settlers and constitutes a de facto Israeli annexation contrary to the rulings of the International Court of Justice and the resolutions of the UN. The harsh military occupation causes widespread frustration, collective humiliation and deep resentment among all Palestinians.
The mayor of Beit Sahour, Mr. Hani Naji Hayek, reminded the conference attendees that his historic city is known as the “Town of the Shepherds’ Field.” Poignantly, he noted that now his town is surrounded by the Israeli Barrier Wall built on the confiscated fields where the Angels first appeared to the Shepherds announcing the birth of Jesus Christ, singing “Glory to God in the Highest, on Earth Peace, Good Will toward Men.”
The mayors appealed to Western Christian churches to become vigorous advocates for their oppressed Palestinian brothers and sisters in faith, who are voiceless. They called for ending the military occupation and restoration of the basic human rights of their citizenry.
Mr. Hayek eloquently summarized the sentiments and hopes of his fellow mayors by stating that “my dream is to see our children running and playing as your children do. … My dream is to bring back a smile to their youthful faces.”
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