Dr. Ramzi Khouri, Member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, has sent a letter to His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, expressing deep concern over the controversial document “Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition,” published in collaboration between the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
In his letter, Dr. Khouri strongly criticizes the document’s conflation of anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, calling it a “dangerous distortion” that not only erases Palestinian suffering but also suppresses legitimate criticism of Israeli policies and human rights violations. He asserts that opposition to Zionism is a political stance against Israel’s “settler-colonial project and crimes against Palestinians,” not an expression of anti-Jewish hatred.
Dr. Khouri warns that the document ignores ongoing Israeli human rights abuses, including the “genocide in Gaza” and “ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.” He condemns its failure to acknowledge the plight of Palestinian Christians, whose historic communities are being driven to extinction under Israeli occupation.
“Jerusalem, sacred to Christians, is under brutal occupation. Israel’s colonial policies aim to erase its Palestinian identity, targeting both Muslim and Christian holy sites,” Dr. Khouri states. He cites recent threats against the Armenian Patriarchate as an example of Israel’s encroachment on Christian institutions.
The letter also challenges the document’s claim that accusations of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and settler colonialism are “false,” pointing to extensive documentation by Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights organizations that affirm these realities. Dr. Khouri argues that equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism is a “morally reprehensible” tactic used to silence criticism of Israel’s violations of international law.
He further highlights Pope Francis’ condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, where the Pope has decried the “cruelty” inflicted on Palestinian civilians.
Calling for the withdrawal of the USCCB’s endorsement of the document, Dr. Khouri underscores that “the Church cannot preach love while ignoring genocide. It cannot champion human rights while legitimizing oppression.”
The letter serves as a passionate plea for churches worldwide to uphold their moral responsibility to stand with the oppressed and to ensure that definitions of anti-Semitism are not weaponized to silence Palestinian voices. Dr. Khouri urges the Church to align itself with justice and truth rather than narratives that excuse oppression and human suffering.
The letter included attachments with statements by the heads of churches in Jerusalem, along with the Kairos Palestine letter to the USCCB.
The letter was delivered through the Embassy of the State of Palestine to the Holy See.
