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PA Leader Abbas Incites Church Against Israel in Phone Call with the Pope
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by Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas meets with Pope Francis at the Vatican, Dec. 3, 2018. Photo: Andrew Medichini / Pool via Reuters.
Under the guise of concern for Pope Francis’ health, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas exploited a phone call with the pope to incite and inflame the Church against Israel.
In their conversation, Abbas repeated the libel that Israel “attacks” Christian and Muslim holy sites:
His Honor [Abbas] updated Pope Francis on the attacks to which the Christian and Islamic holy sites are being subjected, and especially the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.
[Official PA TV News, July 12, 2022]
Palestinian Media Watch has documented numerous such statements that refer to the presence of Jews at these places as “invasions,” “break-ins,” and “attacks.” The statements also expose the PA’s antisemitic ideologies, declaring that the presence of Jews “defiles” and “desecrates” these holy sites.
Even PA Chairman Abbas has argued that merely the presence of Israelis “desecrate[s] the sanctity of our holy sites”:
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: ”The Israeli occupation forces are committing oppression and arbitrary acts in order to erase the holy city’s identity, change its spiritual and historical characteristics, desecrate the sanctity of our holy sites — the Islamic and Christian ones, and pressure its residents, visitors, and those coming to worship there. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is being subjected to invasions every day.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV News, March 31, 2019]
PLO Palestinian National Council Chairman Rawhi Fattouh recently reiterated Abbas’ statement, when he stressed that Israeli/Jewish presence “defiles” Muslim and Christian holy sites:
PLO Palestinian National Council Chairman Rawhi Fattouh: “Jerusalem is ours, the Noble Sanctuary [i.e., the Temple Mount] is ours, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is ours, the Wailing Wall is ours. It is all ours. Therefore, we will not let the occupation defile these holy sites.” [emphasis added]
[Official PA TV, Topic of the Day, May 9 and 10, 2022]
The author is a senior analyst at Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.
