Patriarchs and Heads of Local Churches in al-Quds issued a statement today to clarify the intentions behind the recent meeting they held with Israeli occupation President Isaac Herzog after the Pastoral Council of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Ramallah released a statement of condemnation and denunciation amid widespread public anger among the Christian communities of Palestine and the Arab world.

In their statement, the local church leaders claimed that the gathering was not a mere exchange of greetings during this "Holiday Season". Instead, the church leaders aimed to convey the "global ecclesiastical stance," urging an immediate end to the "bloodshed in Gaza" and addressing concerns about "the challenges faced by civilians, particularly the restrictive measures in the West Bank, notably around Bethlehem during the holiday season."

Notably, the statement failed to mention that the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip has led to the martyrdom of over 20,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and over 505 Palestinians in the West Bank, with the detention of thousands throughout daily incursions.

PATRIARCHS AND CHURCH LEADERS STATEMENT REGARDING MEETING WITH HERZOG#jerusalemPatriarchatehttps://t.co/iIPf978OEz pic.twitter.com/9wduLVhrPR

— Jerusalem Patriarchate (@JPatriarchate) December 23, 2023

The leaders of the churches highlighted that they had "promptly issued a statement upon the conclusion of the meeting with President Herzog to outline its objectives and proceedings," adding that "However, certain Israeli media outlets, driven by political motivations, chose to focus on marginal aspects of the meeting, neglecting the core of the meeting and the unified statement released by the Church Leaders on the matter."

This distorted Israeli narrative was "unfortunately" adopted by some social media influencers "leading to a complete misrepresentation of the meeting and its goals."

The Church Leaders reiterated their message, which they voiced since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza: "an immediate and permanent humanitarian ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and the safeguarding of institutions providing services to them."

In emphasizing the centrality of their position, the Church Leaders stated, "This stance was at the core of the meeting, and anything discussed outside this framework aims to tarnish the image of the Christians and the Churches, serving political agendas that the churches abstain from engaging in or addressing."

The leaders highlighted their commitment to maintaining a focus on humanitarian concerns and their deliberate avoidance of involvement in political agendas.

Read more: The Future of Arab Christians: One path, one destiny

Clarification dubbed unsatisfactory

Despite the allegedly clarifying statement that was released by the local church leaders the Pastoral Council of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Ramallah was still unsatisfied. As a result, a demonstration took place in Ramallah and the Archimandrite Abdullah Yulio was at the forefront of the protest.

In a brief statement to Quds News Network in Arabic, Father Yulio emphasized, "the most important thing is that no one must doubt that we are an integral part of this people, and of this nation [Umma]." The Melkite father carried the image of Archbishop Hilarion Capucci, renowned as the Defender of al-Quds, who was arrested by the Israeli occupation for smuggling weapons to the Palestinian Resistance and sheltering its fighters in his church.

Father Julio said, "Capucci was, and will remain, a symbol for us [Palestinian Christians] and for al-Quds." That said, the Ramallah clergy underscores a clear position vis-a-vis the occupation of Palestine identifying and differentiating the oppressor from the oppressed calling the occupation by its name, and standing up for the liberation of Palestine as did Capucci before him.

تغطية صحفية: "مسيرة في رام الله؛ تنديداً بزيارة رؤساء كنائس وبطاركة لرئيس الاحـــتـلال". pic.twitter.com/7PSGPjbmrH

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 23, 2023

Read more: Palestinian Patriarch in open letter: 'Gaza deserves liberation'