Dear Israel,

Palestinians don't want a democracy, they want Sharia.

Palestinian Christians call for peaceful solution to conflict

'The present conflict is a suicidal situation in which Israel cannot survive,' Pope's representative in Jerusalem says, warning that stalemate poses danger to peace.

Palestinian Christians warn that the current situation of no-war and no-peace with Israel is not sustainable in the long term, and say they want to see a resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, which have been frozen for more than a year.


Most Palestinians say they support non-violent resistance to achieve an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, and some also encouraged the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement which aims to make Israel pay an economic toll for its continued control over the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

“The present conflict is a suicidal situation in which Israel cannot survive,” said Patriarch Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch emeritus and first Palestinian to serve as the Pope's representative in the Holy Land.

“Israel cannot survive surrounded by enemies. BDS is a way of pressuring Israel to make peace. Israel needs a true friend who can pressure it to make peace.”

Pastor Rami Khouri of the First Baptist Church in Bethlehem told The Media Line. “The situation is getting worse. We are losing a golden opportunity for negotiations, and this may be the last chance before the big war that is going to take place in the Middle East.”

He said the growth of radical Islam is frightening for all forces in the region that would want to see a peaceful resolution to both the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to conflicts in the broader Middle East.

“There is more animosity and hatred on all sides,” he said. “A future war will start from here, then southern Lebanon, Syria and Iran and it will escalate into a big war.”

Some Palestinian Christians say their primary identity is as Palestinians who are fighting for independence rather than as Christians.

“It’s not as Christians but as a nation and as a people that we face the same challenges,” Nora Carmi, from Kairos Palestine told The Media Line. “The greatest challenge is the ongoing Israeli occupation which can become extremely violent, does not respect international law, and can get away with anything.”

She accused the world of a double standard, citing the recent bombings in Paris at the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a kosher supermarket that left 17 people dead.

“The whole world protested what happened in Paris but when the same thing happens to a whole population nobody says anything,” she said, referring to Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip that left almost 2200 Palestinians and 70 Israelis dead. “Yet as Christians we are forbidden to lose hope. Hope comes from our faith, and we continue to have faith that there will be peace here.”

Back in 1948, when Israel was established, Christians in Palestine made up around 18 percent of the population... Now it is around two percent only.
They have been faced with the same discriminatory policies as Muslim Palestinians, pushing thousands to leave Palestine. In a 2006 poll, Christians living in Bethlehem said Israeli aggression and occupation was the main cause of emigration.


Inside Story discusses the sufferings of Palestinian Christians under the Israeli occupation.

Your Beatitude, what’s it like being the Palestinian bishop in the Holy Land?

Firstly, I’d like to confirm that I am the only Palestinian bishop in the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. A fellow bishop is serving in the city of Irbid in the north of Jordan; and there are also several Palestinian priests.

I take pride in belonging to this great religious institution that’s over 2,000 years old.

My church has been protecting the Christian presence in the Holy Land and the sacred items related to the life of Christ and Christian Church history.

I am proud of my religion and nationality, I am proud to belong to my fatherland. I am a Palestinian, and I belong to this religious people who are fighting for the sake of their freedom and dignity to implement their dreams and national rights.

I support Palestinians and share their cause and their issues. We the Palestinian Orthodox Christians are not detached from their hardships.

The Palestinian issue is a problem that concerns all of us, Christians and Muslims alike. It’s a problem of every free intellectual individual aspiring for justice and freedom in this world.

We the Palestinian Christians suffer along with the rest of Palestinians from occupation and hardships of our economic situation. Muslims and Christians suffer equally, as there is no difference in suffering for any of us. We are all living in the same complicated circumstances, and overcoming the same difficulties.

As a church and as individuals we protect this people, and we hope a day will come when Palestinians get their freedom and dignity.

Israeli aggression and occupation was the main cause of emigration.

Talk to the Palestinian Christians about their concerns.

Let's just talk about how this will happen Oralloy.
You will have 4 million people that Israel will need to fence in. Of course the people will want to leave, so you will have to top this fence with razor wire and build guard towers. You would want to ensure people wouldn't even think about escaping. Will they shoot people who try to escape?

Of course people who aren't in the fence to begin with will need to be rounded up. I assume the police will need to go house to house to make sure that no one is hiding any Palestinians outside the designated Palestinian area.

This people trapped inside will need food and housing. Will they starve, or will Israel provide them with some sort of subsistence. Even basic gruel costs money, and there are 4 million people...

“The present conflict is a suicidal situation in which Israel cannot survive,” said Patriarch Michel Sabbah, the Latin Patriarch emeritus and first Palestinian to serve as the Pope's representative in the Holy Land.
“Israel cannot survive surrounded by enemies. BDS is a way of pressuring Israel to make peace. Israel needs a true friend who can pressure it to make peace.”

Israel's behavior (what you are calling its "faults") is hurting the United States. Israel is undermining us on foreign policy and is damaging our interests in the region. Israel is the militarily and economically dominant power in the Middle East. It is obvious that they have quite a bit to do with the current problems in the region.
The US is paying a lot to cover for Israel, in money in international respect and in reduced leverage in the region.
Israel can't keep thumbing its nose at the US.

They might think they have you over a barrel with all those rich Jews in the USA

It hardly only rich or any other type of Jews for that matter who are supporters of Israel in the US.