Dr. Ramzi Khouri, member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, has issued an urgent appeal to patriarchs and heads of churches around the world, calling for immediate and decisive action to protect the Christian presence in the Holy Land in light of a dramatic escalation in Israeli violations.
In his message, Dr. Khouri warned that current Israeli policies aim to erase the Palestinian Christian presence, deny basic religious and national rights, and commit grave violations against holy sites. These actions, he said, include forced displacement, killings, and ethnic cleansing throughout Palestine, from Jerusalem and the West Bank to the besieged Gaza Strip.
The letter highlights particularly severe restrictions during this year’s Easter and Holy Saturday celebrations. On Holy Saturday, Israeli occupation authorities transformed Jerusalem into a military zone, blocking thousands of worshippers, including clergy, pilgrims, and diplomats, from accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Notably, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, the Apostolic Nuncio and Vatican ambassador to Palestine, was denied entry in what Dr. Khouri described as a humiliating and unprecedented move. This, he warned, reflects a dangerous escalation in efforts to erase the Christian character of Jerusalem and strip Christian holidays of their spiritual significance.
The committee further condemned a systematic campaign undermining religious freedom, noting that only 1,800 Palestinian Christians from the West Bank — out of more than 50,000 — were permitted entry to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre this year, in a stark contrast to the usual 10,000 celebrants that typically come during Easter. Many were denied access or subjected to harassment at increasingly harsh military checkpoints.
In addition to these restrictions, Israel has imposed exorbitant and illegal taxes on church institutions in Jerusalem, in clear violation of the historical status quo. The letter also pointed to repeated attacks on Christian places of worship and religious symbols, warning that such actions pose a direct threat to the Christian religious and cultural heritage in the city.
Dr. Khouri’s message emphasized that these violations are part of a broader, coordinated effort to displace Palestinians, undermine their rights, and obstruct the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. He also referenced the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, including the widespread destruction of infrastructure and church facilities, as well as the displacement of nearly all Christian families into church compounds.
The Higher Presidential Committee called on global church leaders to take a firm and public stand in defense of Palestinian rights. It urged the international community to pressure the Israeli government to end its violations, protect holy sites, guarantee freedom of worship, and hold Israel accountable under international law. Silence is no longer acceptable, the letter concludes; the time has come for truthful words and courageous action.
