We were surprised this morning to read a false news-article at the "Jerusalem Post" which claimed that the "Foreign Ministry Helps hundreds of Christian families flee PA areas" with the help of foreign embassies such as those of England, Canada and Cyprus". latinpat@actcom.co.il
Hundreds of Christian Arab families are still here
and will remain forever here
We were surprised this morning to read a false news-article at the "Jerusalem Post" which claimed that the "Foreign Ministry Helps hundreds of Christian families flee PA areas" with the help of foreign embassies such as those of England, Canada and Cyprus". Please note that the title is different in the Internet edition of the Jerusalem Post, and says "Hundreds of Christian Arab families fleeing PA areas".
After checking with various concerned parties, especially the mentioned embassies and among our Christian communities, we are confident that the mentioned report included a lot of fabricated information. Some foreign diplomats told us that there are only "registration" of foreign residents at their respective consulates and embassies; some of these are Arab Christian and Moslem families who have foreign citizenship, few of these families left the country. But, no one reported to us any foreign intervention to "help" Christian families to flee the Palestinian Authorities. The immediate reaction of some of them was "I' am surprised to hear that… I don't believe it is true… and we are only concerned only on our own citizens".
We wonder also how the Israeli Foreign Ministry is helping our families to flee the PA areas while they claim strict closure on the territories where our people is under military siege, refusing to grant, even the workers, the necessary permits to enter Israel and Jerusalem looking for their daily bread.
With regard to the recent attacks by some radical individuals in Gaza on some Christian properties there, we would like to thank the Palestinian Authority, especially President Yasser Arafat, for the immediate solution offered to this problem, by arresting the doers and giving immediate order to fix all damages.
We would like to highlight, once more, that the Arab Christian Community in the Palestinian Territories is an integral part of the Palestinian people. It suffers with it, rejoices with it, and shares with it the same hopes and aspirations. Therefore, the recent Israeli rumours about getting the town of Beit Jala involved in the recent clashes is not a coincidence, but aim to "divide and rule" among the one Palestinian people.
We are calling upon all leaders to resume the peace negotiations, as soon as possible, hoping to reach a just and comprehensive agreement between the Palestinians and the Israelis that will guarantee the freedom, security and stability in our region, so that our both peoples will "live in the beauty of peace"
Fr. Raed Abusahlia
Chancellor
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Our phone # is 6282323 our fax is 6271652 E-mail:latinpat@actcom.co.il
