Archbishop slams Israel for religious discrimination

Rasa - An Orthodox archbishop has criticized the Israel regime for discrimination against Christians in the occupied West Bank ahead of Easter celebartions.

News ID: 774

Date: 12 April 2014 - 06:01

Rasa News Agency reports - Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia, Atallah Hanna, on Thursday slammed Israeli authorities for imposing restrictions on Christians who want to celebrate Easter in a church in al-Quds (Jerusalem).

He said Tel Aviv's security pretexts for imposing obstacles are not acceptable as every Christian has the right to reach the Church without any impediments.

"We call on our sons, churches and followers to head to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and hold on to this religious and national right and refuse the status quo imposed by the occupation authorities," the archbishop urged.

His comments come days after Palestinian Christian groups in al-Quds denounced the Israeli restrictions on their right to worship in the illegally annexed city.

They also called for an end to discrimination against both Christians and Muslims.

In a report published in 2012, the US State Department noted that Israel’s restrictions have “negatively affected residents' ability to practice their religion at holy sites,” including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and al-Aqsa Mosque in al-Quds, as well as the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Nearly 200,000 Palestinian Christians live in the occupied territories and the Gaza Strip.