The Episcopal Diocese of Occupied Jerusalem has strongly denounced the Israeli police for breaking into the premises of St. Andrew’s Anglican/Episcopal Church in Ramallah and damaging church property last Thursday.
At around 3:00 am “Israeli forces made an unannounced and unwarranted raid on the premises of St. Andrew’s Anglican/Episcopal Church in Ramallah” the Episcopal Diocese said in a recent press release.
“Making a forced entry the soldiers wrecked the Church’s entrance by smashing through the door’s lock and security glass. For two hours Israeli soldiers occupied the entire complex which includes the church sanctuary parish hall church offices rectory and the Arab Episcopal Medical Center” the Diocese added.
“The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem led by the Most Reverend Hosam E. Naoum unequivocally condemns this attack on one of its sacred places of worship as well as the devastation of church property as both a violation of international law and a terroristic act against the entire community.”
“Although there is no justification for this shocking incursion into church premises the Israeli forces only later justified this harsh treatment as a raid on Al-Haq one of the most prominent Human Rights groups in the West Bank to whom St. Andrew’s rents an office with an entrance totally separate from the church” the Diocese said.
“Places of worship and church compounds should be sanctuaries for communities to feel safe to practice their faith and ministry. Indeed the UN Human Rights Committee has explained that ‘the concept of worship extends to … the building of places of worship’” it underlined.
Last Thursday the Israeli occupation forces stormed and pillaged headquarters of seven Palestinian human rights and civil organizations including al-Haq in Ramallah and Bireh cities and delivered permanent closure orders issued against them.
