Viewpoint: Religious freedom must be protected in Holy Land

Abraham's House - Image LPJ

Rev Dr Mae Elise Cannon and Sir Jeff Abood write: There should be no difference between religious freedom and its expression in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Thus, we are greatly dismayed at the decision by Israel's Minister of Internal Security, made on October 26, to ban cultural events for children that were supposed to take place at a Catholic Institution in East Jerusalem, Maison d'Abraham (Abraham's House).

We join with the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries in the Holy Land in expressing our profound disappointment over this recent decision. The cancelation of the event is not merely an interference in the internal work of Maison d'Abraham, but more fundamentally marks yet another step taken by the Israeli Government to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem. We represent a diverse group of national Church communions and organizations working to encourage US policies that actively promote just and lasting peace in the Middle East. We, and the organizations we represent, remain deeply concerned that these recent actions threaten peace and undermine religious freedom in the region for people of all faiths.

The canceling of this recent cultural event for children represents another example of an ongoing pattern of unprecedented discrimination against Palestinians in general and Christians in particular. Moreover, the cancellation of the Abraham's House event reminds us of 2018, when the joint actions of the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Catholic leaders of the Holy Sepulchre were forced to shut the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At the time, in a rare and desperate initiative to keep Christian life alive in the Holy Land, the church leaders stated they decided to close the church doors in response to "the systematic campaign against the Churches and the Christian community in the Holy Land." Before this, the Churches and the Christians in the Holy Land have been subject to many other trials, including the confiscation of church lands, destruction of church properties, denial of religious freedom, discriminatory actions against Christian schools, and attempts to remove the tax-exempt status of the Churches.

The canceled event at Abraham's House was purely cultural, supported and sponsored by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and the Austrian Development Cooperation. The claim by Israeli officials that the event was "funded and sponsored" by the Palestinian Authority and did not have the required written permission, does not hold muster. We cannot, therefore, understand the rationale of such a harsh and unjustifiable decision. Since the beginning, the aim of this House was and is to create a peaceful and constructive milieu in the neighbouring context.

In Jerusalem, we see more aggressive and repressive attitudes from the Israeli local authorities towards all considered Palestinian, especially as the majority of the Christians living in the Holy Land are also Palestinian. All Palestinians, be they Christian or Muslim, do not currently have protected rights of religious expression in the Holy City. For the sake of the shared Holy City of Jerusalem, Israeli authorities must extend religious protection to all religious groups, including Christians, Muslims, and Jews alike. Without privileging the religion of one group over another.

It has consistently been the view of the Holy See - and we agree - that Jerusalem should be opened to everyone equally. Jerusalem should be an inclusive and not exclusive City, be welcoming and not rejecting, as it is holy to the three monotheistic faiths and of extreme importance to both Israelis and Palestinians alike.

Rev Dr Mae Elise Cannon, ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), serves as the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP). Sir Jeff Abood is the coordinator of CMEP's Catholic Advisory Group and a Knight in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

LINKS

Abraham's House - www.secours-catholique.org/the-abrahams-house-in-jerusalem

Catholic Ordinaries condemn Israeli decision to cancel event at Abraham's House in Jerusalem www.lpj.org/posts/catholic-ordinaries-condemn-israeli-decision-to-cancel-event-at-abraham-s-house-in-jerusalem.html