Jerusalem Archbishop says plan to expel Sheikh Jarrah families will not succeed

The head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, Archbishop Atallah Hanna, said on Tuesday that the Israeli plans to expel Palestinian families from their homes in the city’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood will not succeed, Al-Watan Voice has reported.

“Your issue is the issue of all our people and your tragedy is the tragedy of all of us,” Archbishop Hanna told a delegation from Jerusalem’s neighbourhoods. “All Palestinian and Arab parties are interested in this issue.”

He pointed out that Sheikh Jarrah has become a matter for international public opinion to consider due to social media. “The youth are using technology show the world the suffering, pain and oppression being inflicted on them.”

This “new Nakba” will not be allowed to pass, he insisted. “This is not a legal issue to be resolved by the courts. It is an issue of existence, loyalty and connection to this holy city where the Palestinians are facing plans to turn them from residents into guests.”

Archbishop Hanna reiterated that the voice of the families facing dispossession must reach out to the whole world. “This is our city, our capital, our Qibla [the direction faced when praying] and the host of the most important holy sites for us.”

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