Dr. Prior reiterated that the performance of the mainstream Christian churches (not merely that of the Holy See) has not been a model of ethical engagement. Prior suggested that Church authorities ought to be prepared to insist that Israel (1) apologize for its injustice to Palestinian Arabs, (2) undo the damage it has perpetrated, (3) honor its commitments regarding the Palestinian right of return, (4) make appropriate compensation for the damage it has done, and (5) on the basis of confession of restitution, move towards a less ethnocratic polity. Rev. Prior also encouraged conference attendees not to be afraid of being called anti-Semitic simply because “we are calling for justice”.
Rateb Y. Rabie, HCEF President and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, the tomb where Christians believe Christ “rose from the dead”, opened the Conference by showing how Palestinian Christians have maintained their original teachings and Faith through schools, housing projects and charitable institutions, but noted that the current situation has caused an immense drain on their resources and the need for assistance grows greater each day.
The Honorable Hanna Nasser, Mayor of Bethlehem, told the Conference that while the church of Bethlehem is small in size it is the most important church, since it is the “Mother Church”. Mayor Nasser told how, at the turn of the century, the Christian population was 18% of Palestine, and now it is less than 2% and within the last 18 months 1,500 Bethlehem Christians have left for good. He attributed the declining existence of Christians to the continuing arrest, political situation, fear, and frustration. He spoke of the dying tourism industry in Bethlehem and an unemployment rate of around 70%.
Rateb Y. Rabie, HCEF President and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, the tomb where Christians believe Christ “rose from the dead”, opened the Conference by showing how Palestinian Christians have maintained their original teachings and Faith through schools, housing projects and charitable institutions, but noted that the current situation has caused an immense drain on their resources and the need for assistance grows greater each day.
The Honorable Hanna Nasser, Mayor of Bethlehem, told the Conference that while the church of Bethlehem is small in size it is the most important church, since it is the “Mother Church”. Mayor Nasser told how, at the turn of the century, the Christian population was 18% of Palestine, and now it is less than 2% and within the last 18 months 1,500 Bethlehem Christians have left for good. He attributed the declining existence of Christians to the continuing arrest, political situation, fear, and frustration. He spoke of the dying tourism industry in Bethlehem and an unemployment rate of around 70%.