Member of the PLO Executive Committee and Head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, Dr. Ramzi Khouri, has received a letter from Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, President of the Holy Assembly of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, reaffirming the Church’s solidarity with and support for the Palestinian people amid the grave circumstances facing the Holy Land.
In its message, the Serbian Orthodox Church expressed deep concern over the deteriorating conditions facing Christians and other inhabitants of the Holy Land, as well as the suffering, persecution, and discrimination to which they are subjected. The Church stressed that the suffering of innocent people, regardless of their faith or background, is incompatible with human dignity.
The letter underscored the importance of protecting the Christian presence in the Holy Land, emphasizing that Christians have maintained a continuous presence in the region for more than two thousand years and form an integral part of its history and living heritage.
The Serbian Orthodox Church warned that any attempt to exclude or marginalize a religious or ethnic community risks undermining the social and religious fabric of the Holy Land. It stressed the need to uphold human dignity, international law, and religious rights, while expressing its solidarity with the Palestinian people in the face of their suffering.
The Church further affirmed that it will continue to raise the protection of the Christian presence and the pursuit of peace in the Middle East in its meetings with political leaders and representatives of international institutions. It also pledged to support efforts to open pathways for dialogue and peace and to advance a just resolution to the outstanding issues confronting the region.
