Delegation from the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine has continued its official tour in Hungary, as part of a concerted effort to garner global support for the Palestinian cause. This mission involves a series of high-level meetings aimed at spotlighting the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people due to persistent Israeli violations.
The delegation, comprising key figures, includes Ambassador Amira Hanania, member of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine and its representative in Europe; Reverend Dr. Mitri Raheb, founder and president of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem; Reverend Dr. Fadi Diab, a representative of the Episcopal Church; Father Sandro Tomasevic, advisor to the Custody of the Holy Land; and Dr. Fadi Al-Husseini, the Ambassador of Palestine to Hungary, alongside diplomat Yuad Jaradat.
Among the delegation’s engagements was a meeting with Cardinal Peter Erdo, the Catholic Archbishop of Budapest, held at the Cardinal’s Palace, as well as a discussion with Bishop Zoltan Balog, a former member of the Hungarian Parliament. The delegation also participated in several high-profile diplomatic discussions, including visits to the Venezuelan and Cuban embassies in Budapest, a meeting with Mr. Lastofka Janos, Director General of Middle East and North Africa Department at Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and MP Balla Mihaly, Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Hungarian Parliament.
In these discussions, the delegation underscored that Palestinian Christians are an inseparable part of the Palestinian people and partners in the struggle for justice, freedom, and rights. They highlighted the escalating attacks on Christian clergy and churches, carried out by Israeli settlers under the protection of the Israeli military and enabled by the government’s extremist policies. The delegation drew attention to the systematic displacement of Christian families, aimed at altering the demographic landscape of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which poses a serious threat to Christian presence and the preservation of religious heritage in the region.
The delegation further stressed the urgency of enhancing international solidarity with the Palestinian people, calling for developmental assistance to be linked to a political process to halt the ongoing plunder of resources caused by Israel’s continued targeting of Palestinian infrastructure.
Additionally, the delegation visited the Palestinian pavilion at the Budapest International Book Fair, organized by the Palestinian Embassy in Hungary. They also visited the Coptic Church in Budapest, meeting with Reverend Youssef Khalil and Egypt’s Ambassador to Hungary, Mohamed Bek El-Shinawy.
The delegation participated in several religious services to further amplify the Palestinian cause. During these services, the delegation delivered speeches calling for an end to the oppression of the Palestinian people. These services included the morning mass at the Reformed Church, the evening mass at St. Stephen’s Franciscan Church, and the Sunday service led by Reverend Lorant Hegedus followed by a prayer led by Father Fadi Diab, appealing for the cessation of injustice and the establishment of peace in the Holy Land.
