The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine strongly condemned the Israeli police decision to once again ban the Christian celebration of the Feast of Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, for the second year in a row. The Committee described the move as a grave violation of freedom of worship and a systematic assault on the rights of Christians to practice their religious rituals in the Holy Land.
In a statement issued by Dr. Ramzi Khouri, member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, the Committee stressed that the Feast of Transfiguration is one of the most sacred occasions in Palestine, traditionally celebrated on Mount Tabor. Khouri affirmed that the Israeli police’s so-called justifications for the ban are nothing but pretexts to restrict Christian worship and tighten control over holy sites, a continuation of Israel’s deliberate policy of suffocating churches and eroding Christian presence in Palestine.
The Committee warned that the ongoing prohibition of Christian worship not only violates fundamental human rights but poses a direct and existential threat to the Christian community in the land of its origin. It urgently called on the international community and human rights organizations to intervene, hold Israel accountable, and ensure that Christians can freely practice their faith in the Holy Land.
The Feast of Transfiguration commemorates the revelation of the glory of Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor before His disciples Peter, James, and John. For Christians, it is a profound message of hope that the light of Christ overcomes the darkness of oppression and strengthens the faithful in perseverance and steadfastness.
