Hanna: Palestinians will not surrender to Trump

Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem Atalla Hanna said yesterday that US pressure on Palestinians, which reached its peak in the latest “oppressive” series of decisions aimed to “liquidate” the Palestinian cause will not achieve Israel’s hopes.

Safa news agency reported Hanna saying: “The American President Donald Trump has made an incorrect evaluation when he thought that the Palestinian cause is up for sale in an auction and that it is possible to erase the right of return. This is crazy.”

Hanna added: “The deal of the century will not pass at the expense of the Palestinians. After 25 years of the absurd so-called peacef negotiations, the Palestinians have become more aware of the danger of the conspiracies being plotted to liquidate their cause.”

Palestinians will not raise the white flag for the dwellers of the White House and will not surrender to any oppressive power in this world that wants us to concede out rights and principles.

“It is not the US president or his allies who decide the fate of the Palestinians. There is no political power in the world that is able to abolish our existence or erase Palestine from the map. The Palestinians have never authorised anyone to concede or sell their rights.”

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He stressed that the Palestinians are sticking to their rights and principles, as well as Jerusalem as their capital and the right of return.

“The Palestinians,” he added, “must unite under these complicated circumstances and must be wiser and more credible and adherent to this blessed land.”

Hanna called for the Arabs to recognise that their “real enemy” is the one who “resides in the White House” and they have to recognise that “oppressive Zionism” is a tool being used to spread the colonial project in the Arab world.