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Christmas in Occupied Palestine: ‘Dreams buried under rubbles’

Archbishop Theodosius Atallah Hanna, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem speaks to Ramisa Rob of The Daily Star in an exclusive interview about the cruel reality in occupied Palestine during Christmas.
PHOTO: AFP
Can you describe the occupation in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the treatment of Christians and Muslims since the onslaught in Gaza?
Unjust settler practices targeting our Palestinian people in the West Bank and in Jerusalem have not stopped for many years, but what is currently happening in Gaza is not an ordinary act of aggression or war, but rather ethnic cleansing and a genocide. Civilians are paying the bill for this war and the systematic destruction of everything in Gaza, not excluding churches, mosques, hospitals and all the buildings that serve our people there. Incursions—including arrests and assassinations—have increased in the West Bank, and settlers are roaming everywhere, carrying their weapons and provoking our Palestinian people.
As for the city of Jerusalem, there are many conspiracies against our holy city with the aim of undermining its identity, history and heritage. Al-Aqsa Mosque, which has a great importance among Muslim brothers, is often targeted by Israeli settlers. Christian endowments have also been targeted. When Al-Aqsa is being attacked, Muslims and Christians are attacked together, and when our Christian endowments are attacked, Christians and Muslims are attacked together. We are one family and one people, clinging to our roots and belonging to this blessed part of the world.
As an archbishop, how do you respond to the Western countries celebrating Christmas with what’s happening in Gaza? What is Christmas like this year for Christian Palestinians?
We are living under pain and suffering during the glorious Christmas holidays.
Our people in Gaza are being bombarded with shells; the tragedies are uncountable and irreversible. The Christian churches in Jerusalem and Palestine have announced the cancellation of all Christmas celebrations. The rituals and prayers in churches have been shortened so that we can raise our supplications and prayers for our people in Gaza.
The message that the Christians and the Christian churches in Jerusalem are sending to all the Christians of the world is this: “Remember that Palestine is the land of Christmas. Remember that the birth took place in Bethlehem. Remember that the people of this land, the people of Palestine, are suffering from occupation and colonialism, and our people in Gaza are exposed to the most inhumane situation possible.”
In other words, for the Christians who are celebrating Christmas around the world, we send our best wishes but, at the same time, we ask them to remember that they are celebrating the holiday while eating and drinking in their homes. Remember that people in Palestine don’t have the same privilege. Remember while eating in comfort, that the people in Palestine are starving to death. Pray for them, stand in solidarity with them. We all must. This Christmas, we appeal and demand that all Christian churches in the world raise their voices loudly and demand an end to this bloodshed and destruction.
How do you view Israel and the West’s depiction of Hamas and the claims of human shields to justify indiscriminate bombings?
There is no justification for what has been happening in Gaza for over 70 days. One can never justify killing innocent people. Israel says that it is fighting terrorism and Hamas, but what we see on the ground is that it’s targeting all the Palestinian people, whether it be in Gaza, the West Bank, or all of Palestine.
The majority of the political leaders in the West—there are some exceptions and we won’t generalise—are involved in manufacturing an unjust conspiracy about Palestinian land. In this war, there are mercenaries participating in the war from different countries. The US sends its missiles and weapons, and others do so as well. All of them bear a moral and humanitarian responsibility towards these injustices. Those who support and justify the occupation are part of this cleansing plan, to make the Palestinians disappear. We appeal to all the free people of all religions in the world, to take action and stand with the people in Gaza.
We appreciate all the marches, all the demonstrations, and all the sit-ins. The cause of Palestine and the cause of Gaza has ignited humanity in people. We hope the voices for humanity get louder and louder and that humanity prevails.
How did you view the truce that was reached earlier—the exchange of prisoners and hostages—and what do you believe is the solution to stop this genocide?
The reality of the hostage situation and the negotiation issue is up to the politicians. As for my duty, I defend my Palestinian people, as a Christian and as a Palestinian. My faith always teaches me and urges me to defend those hurting, those who are being oppressed mercilessly, in this world. We cannot ever support or stay silent when so many human beings are being killed and lives are being destroyed in the most grotesque circumstances.
For politicians and everyone involved, we demand that all efforts are made to reach a ceasefire. But we should also note that even when the genocide stops, many, many more tragic facts and images will be revealed from Gaza. So far, what people know about the horror unfolding in Gaza is only the tip of the iceberg. Dreams have been buried under the rubble. The horrors are unimaginable and they must not be allowed to continue any further. We demand for this war to stop. Now. Today. Not tomorrow.