The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, warned at the annual lighting ceremony of the Christmas tree held last night at Jaffa Gate’s Imperial Hotel in Jerusalem’s Old City, that Christians in the holy land have become the target of repeated and continuous attacks by radical Israeli groups, especially in the holy city of Jerusalem.
Speaking from the balcony of the Imperial Hotel, a property of the Greek Orthodox Church targeted for takeover by Israeli settlers, in ceremonies attended by member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Ramzi Khoury, representing President Mahmoud Abbas, representatives of heads of churches, members of the diplomatic corps, as well as civil society organizations and the public, Patriarch Theophilos said, “In the lighting of this Christmas tree, we celebrate all that represents the true character of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and our centuries-old unique experience of our multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious life together and our history of co-existence and mutual respect.”
He added, “This is a powerful reminder that Jerusalem is a beacon for the whole world, especially in the face of the turbulence and violence that affect the lives of so many. Christians have become the target of repeated and continuous attacks by radical Israeli groups, especially in the Holy City. For the past decade, countless crimes have been committed against Christians, including physical and verbal attacks against priests and clergy, attacks have been targeted against churches, holy places have been vandalized and systematically desecrated, in addition to continuous intimidation of Christian citizens, who all they want is to live normal lives as the God-given right of all humans. These radical groups are committing their crimes in a deliberate attempt to expel Christians from Jerusalem and other parts of the Holy Land.”
The Patriarch stressed, “This is the society we seek so eagerly to preserve and continue to build. We long for peace, and so let us not rend this fabric of our historic common life that has provided room enough down the ages for all who call the Holy Land their home. Divine Providence has set us in this Holy Land together and given us a matchless heritage. This simple ceremony of the lighting of a tree shows us the way and shines as a sign of hope in the darkness,” wishing “all our people many peaceful years and a happy Christmas season.”
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency