Israel denies thousands of Palestinian Christians entry to Holy sites on Palm Sunday

Seaneh

Palestinian Christians from the west bank are being denied their basic human right to freedom to worship by Israel who are refusing "permits" for 60-70% of all Christians who applied to visit holy sites in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and during Holy Week.

Absolutely disgusting behaviour from Tel Aviv.

From Here

Member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi, On the holy occasion of Palm Sunday and beginning of the Holy Week in Jerusalem, spoke of her outrage at the increasing denial of entry to Jerusalem for Palestinian Christians, saying "there should not even be a question of needing permits to visit one's own city"

In a press release, Ashrawi said that early reports indicate that Palestinian Christian communities from the northern West Bank had to cancel their Palm Sunday celebrations in Jerusalem due to a lack of Israeli-issued permits.

Several scout groups are also unable to participate in the celebrations for the same reason. Parishes from the Bethlehem and Ramallah areas received between 30% and 40% of the permits they requested from the occupation authorities, the release added.

It said that since occupying East Jerusalem in 1967, Israel has forcibly denied millions of Palestinians and Arabs the right to access East Jerusalem, issuing limited numbers of permits for some holy events.

Ashrawi expressed deep frustration at the worsening of the situation this year. "This is a religious and national occasion, a time for collective worship and celebration. The fact that so many Palestinian Christian communities are denied their simple human right to worship freely in their own capital city is unacceptable."

She said "East Jerusalem is the occupied capital of the Palestinian people and freedom of worship is a basic human right for all of our Christian and Muslim citizens; a right which is being systematically and increasingly denied by a foreign occupying force."

Ashrawi called upon those who are able to be in Jerusalem for Palm Sunday, especially "dearly welcomed pilgrims and tourists from outside of Palestine" to "represent their Christian brothers and sisters who live only a few kilometers away, and who are cruelly denied the opportunity to partake in this important occasion."

Rhys Essien

Horrible carryon but whats new.They have free reign.Do as they please.But every bully has his day.

lmaopml

Seaneh wrote: »

Palestinian Christians from the west bank are being denied their basic human right to freedom to worship by Israel who are refusing "permits" for 60-70% of all Christians who applied to visit holy sites in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and during Holy Week.

Absolutely disgusting behaviour from Tel Aviv.

From Here

Is it possible that they are being overly cautious? Isreal seems to bear the hallmarks of an overly cautious nation, which is understandable in some ways considering how badly they have been treated rather recently, it's not something they are likely to forget - but perhaps not in others - the 'land' the power and glory etc are only diversions.

I think as far as Christians are concerned, we shouldn't really worry so much about securing Jerusalem as where we pray, whether we're Palistinians or Irish, but more so about how we pray and what we pray for - and perhaps it's time to try to understand where the paranoia stems from and see our role too? We can't control the politics of the region, but we can try to understand it, and seek some kind of peace where people can live and practice their faith without inciting others to act badly.

The situation in Jerusalem, and between the Palistinians and Isreal is bound to stir emotions - but nothing stirs the emotions more than needless deaths on both sides - because nobody has the monopoly on that.

Seaneh

lmaopml wrote: »

Is it possible that they are being overly cautious? Isreal seems to bear the hallmarks of an overly cautious nation, which is understandable in some ways considering how badly they have been treated rather recently, it's not something they are likely to forget - but perhaps not in others - the 'land' the power and glory etc are only diversions.

I think as far as Christians are concerned, we shouldn't really worry so much about securing Jerusalem as where we pray, whether we're Palistinians or Irish, but more so about how we pray and what we pray for - and perhaps it's time to try to understand where the paranoia stems from and see our role too? We can't control the politics of the region, but we can try to understand it, and seek some kind of peace where people can live and practice their faith without inciting others to act badly.

The situation in Jerusalem, and between the Palistinians and Isreal is bound to stir emotions - but nothing stirs the emotions more than needless deaths on both sides - because nobody has the monopoly on that.

They denied people the basic human rights of freedom of worship and freedom of movement, in their own land?

Over cautious my backside.
Christian Palestinians aren't a threat to anyone, Israel knows that, they are just playing their usual power games.
It's just typical of apartheid policies and laws in the west bank where Israeli's and Foreign nationals can move freely and do as they please but Palestinians can't even visit their own capital.

East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, it belongs to Palestine.
Palestinians, whether Christian, Muslim, Atheist or Pastafarian shouldn't have to "apply" to a foreign government for the right to visit a church or holy site or anywhere else in their own capital city and there is certainly no conceivable justification for circa 70% of people who try to visit these sites, places where the story of Christianity began, places of massive historical and symbolic importance in the story of Christ, to be blocked from visiting those sites. Sites which you or I could freely visit in the morning, no questions asked, just because we are white and European and not Arab and Palestinian.

I think it's important for Christians to acknowledge and vocalise the the fact that their fellows in Christ are being persecuted no matter where it happens, whether it's in India or Sri Lanka or Sudan or China or Saudi or Northern Nigeria or Palestine, whether it's because of their religion, denomination, skintone, race or nationality.

I think it's important Christians around the world pray for their brothers and sisters and I think it's especially pertinent that we support the worlds oldest Christian community, in the birthplace of Christianity, when they are being persecuted and denied the right to worship in their homeland at sites which are important to the history of Christianity, on the celebration of the day Christ rose from the dead and defeated sin and death. The fact that those very places would have been filled with white, neo-conservative, hardcore evangelical, ignorant Christian-Zionist Americans and Europeans while the native members of the original Christian congregations are denied access is not just disturbing, but disgusting.

I do understand the history and the politics in the region. I understand the ethnic cleansing of the native population that lead to the 1948 Palestinian Exodus which is still ongoing in the West Bank.
I understand the manner which it was allowed to happen unabated because Europe allowed itself to be emotionally blackmailed by bigots like David Ben-Gurion,who gleefully stood by while groups like the Stern Gang and Irgun were allowed to slaughter native Muslims and Christians and take their lands, Demolishing whole villages in Northern Israel, purging entire neighbourhoods of West Jerusalem and forcing the natives to flee to Lebanon, Syria and Jordan under extreme violence and why it is still ongoing because American Christian's are stupid enough to allow warmongering lunatics like Netanyahu and bigoted groups like AIPAC emotionally blackmail them into buying the same crap 65 years after the formation of Israel in the UN.

I understand that If I was to get into a fight with a Palestinian in Hebron or Jericho or Bethlehem and we both threw a punch at each other, I would be arrested and tried under civil law and released with a caution while he would be tried under military law, in a military court, and most likely spend several months in a military internment camp.

I understand it all too well.
I just wish more people did.

JimiTime

Seaneh wrote: »

They denied people the basic human rights of freedom of worship and freedom of movement, in their own land?

Over cautious my backside.
Christian Palestinians aren't a threat to anyone, Israel knows that, they are just playing their usual power games.
It's just typical of apartheid policies and laws in the west bank where Israeli's and Foreign nationals can move freely and do as they please but Palestinians can't even visit their own capital.

East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, it belongs to Palestine.
Palestinians, whether Christian, Muslim, Atheist or Pastafarian shouldn't have to "apply" to a foreign government for the right to visit a church or holy site or anywhere else in their own capital city and there is certainly no conceivable justification for circa 70% of people who try to visit these sites, places where the story of Christianity began, places of massive historical and symbolic importance in the story of Christ, to be blocked from visiting those sites. Sites which you or I could freely visit in the morning, no questions asked, just because we are white and European and not Arab and Palestinian.

I think it's important for Christians to acknowledge and vocalise the the fact that their fellows in Christ are being persecuted no matter where it happens, whether it's in India or Sri Lanka or Sudan or China or Saudi or Northern Nigeria or Palestine, whether it's because of their religion, denomination, skintone, race or nationality.

I think it's important Christians around the world pray for their brothers and sisters and I think it's especially pertinent that we support the worlds oldest Christian community, in the birthplace of Christianity, when they are being persecuted and denied the right to worship in their homeland at sites which are important to the history of Christianity, on the celebration of the day Christ rose from the dead and defeated sin and death. The fact that those very places would have been filled with white, neo-conservative, hardcore evangelical, ignorant Christian-Zionist Americans and Europeans while the native members of the original Christian congregations are denied access is not just disturbing, but disgusting.

I do understand the history and the politics in the region. I understand the ethnic cleansing of the native population that lead to the 1948 Palestinian Exodus which is still ongoing in the West Bank.
I understand the manner which it was allowed to happen unabated because Europe allowed itself to be emotionally blackmailed by bigots like David Ben-Gurion,who gleefully stood by while groups like the Stern Gang and Irgun were allowed to slaughter native Muslims and Christians and take their lands, Demolishing whole villages in Northern Israel, purging entire neighbourhoods of West Jerusalem and forcing the natives to flee to Lebanon, Syria and Jordan under extreme violence and why it is still ongoing because American Christian's are stupid enough to allow warmongering lunatics like Netanyahu and bigoted groups like AIPAC emotionally blackmail them into buying the same crap 65 years after the formation of Israel in the UN.

I understand that If I was to get into a fight with a Palestinian in Hebron or Jericho or Bethlehem and we both threw a punch at each other, I would be arrested and tried under civil law and released with a caution while he would be tried under military law, in a military court, and most likely spend several months in a military internment camp.

I understand it all too well.
I just wish more people did.

Just wondering, if you were hypothetically in the position where what you say goes in the region, what would be the solution you'd implement?

Also, have you been there? Your passion on the topic seems to suggest so :)Its one of those topics where its hard to cut through the propaganda etc, so its always good to have someone with first hand experience to pick the brain of.

Seaneh

JimiTime wrote: »

Just wondering, if you were hypothetically in the position where what you say goes in the region, what would be the solution you'd implement?

Also, have you been there? Your passion on the topic seems to suggest so :)Its one of those topics where its hard to cut through the propaganda etc, so its always good to have someone with first hand experience to pick the brain of.

I'd dismantle the settlements and withdraw from the west bank for starters. I'd end the blockade of Gaza.
I'd allow the Palestinians to petition for UN membership without demanding the US veto it at every turn.
I'd engage in meaningful dialog with the PA and go back to the Oslo Accords and follow the path people like Shlomo Ben Ami and Yitzhak Rabin tried to follow in the 90's as endorsed by Jordan, Turkey and Egypt.

Israel constantly bangs on about it's "right to exist" while totally ignoring and denying the right for a Palestinian state to exist.

People point to the fact that Hamas won't accept Israel without pointing out that Kadima's charter claims all lands in Gaza and the West Bank as Israeli and that the junior government parties are even more extreme, some calling for the expulsion of all non-jews from Israel and for anyone who refuses to serve in the IDF to be stripped of citizenship.

People ignore that Israel's demand to be recognised as a "Jewish State" is nonsense. It means that Jewish Israelis are more important than non-jews and means that governmental agencies like the Ministry of Housing and Construction can continue to discriminate against Native citizens and Ethiopian Jews while providing housing to foreign immigrants.

Doing those things would be a nice start.

And yes I've been there. I actually used to be a supporter of Israel until I went there and saw the reality.

Morbert

Seaneh wrote: »

They denied people the basic human rights of freedom of worship and freedom of movement, in their own land?

Surely you would need a secular state as opposed to a Jewish one to guarantee freedom of worship.

Seaneh

Morbert wrote: »

Surely you would need a secular state as opposed to a Jewish one to guarantee freedom of worship.

East Jerusalem isn't in a Jewish state, it's in Palestine.

Also freedon of religion and freedom of movement for all residents within the each state are both protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Both were blocked.

lmaopml

Yeah I'm sorry Seaneh, I'm possibly more consumed with those Christians in Egypt, Syria and Nigeria who are being quite literally killed for practicing their faith - Churches being blown up and people killed simply because they are Christian - and unfortunately because it has nothing to do with Isreal or the West we don't hear too much about it...it's not particularly, for some odd reason news worthy, even though it's happening..

It's rare that you will Sky News report on another Church blown up and parishioners killed in Egypt or Syria.

Churches and parishioners being targets doesn't make western news - but people are actually dying in their own homelands, real down to earth Christians, and their own parishes decimated, in places other than Isreal - which is a hotbed of dispute.

It's a piece of land, that will always be contentious, common sense says so - one I think Christians shouldn't be too worried about really because we can praise God anywhere anytime we're free -

However, ones own homeland is something entirely different, and there are other Christians other than the Palestinians or the West who are quite literally forgot and overshadowed because of the fight for this 'land'.

paulaa

Israel's policy towards the Palestinians, Christian and Muslim, is an atrocity that is being tolerated and even sanctioned by the West.

The latest assault on the oldest/original Christian communities in the world is now taking place .

More than 50 Palestinian Christian families will lose access to their agricultural land, causing economic hardship to the dwindling Christian community and a small community of elderly nuns at the Cremisan convent from 75% of their land and from a nearby monastery with which it has close ties. The playground of a nursery and a school run by the Cremisan sisters will be bordered on three sides by the wall."

"The campaign against the route of the barrier at Cremisan was taken up by the UK foreign secretary, William Hague, and the archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols. In a letter disclosed by the Guardian last year, Hague told Nichols that he shared his "concerns about the problem of land confiscation by the Israeli authorities affecting the people of Beit Jala and similar Palestinian communities in the occupied territories".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/26/west-bank-convent-israeli-barrier?CMP=twt_gu