Christian religious figures have called for necessarily protecting the Arab identity of Jerusalem and its Christian and Islamic holy sites against Israel’s Judaization policy.
This came during a symposium on Jerusalem and its Christian holy sites organized in Beirut by al-Quds International Institution as part of the activities of the 60th International Arab Book Fair.
The symposium which was attended by religious political and intellectual figures was introduced by head of the media department at al-Quds Institution Mohamed Tarboush who described the Christian presence in Jerusalem as a “deeply-rooted part of the Arab identity of the city.”
In his speech father Antoine Daou secretary-general of the Episcopal Commission of the Islamic-Christian Dialogue in Lebanon stressed the importance of upholding the Arab identity of Jerusalem to protect its history presence and future against Israel’s Judaization activities.
For his part Greek-Orthodox church Bishop Luke Khoury said that “the Christians in Palestine and Jerusalem are exposed to cruel persecution by the Israeli occupation” which he accused of seizing their lands and properties and attacking churches and monasteries.
“The Zionist occupation’s measures have displaced the majority of Christians from their towns and villages and forced others to migrate under the yoke of obnoxious occupation while a group of them are still steadfast living in very harsh political security and economic conditions” he said.
