Archbishop Hanna and the Palestinian Struggle

Spokesman for the Orthodox Church in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, Father Atallah Hanna, expressed pessimism over reaching a just settlement to the Palestinian issues.

In an interview published Saturday in the Egyptian daily newspaper of Al-Ahram, Father Hanna condemned the Israeli practices against the Palestinian people, describing them as a reflection of Tel Aviv's rejection of peace.

The clergyman warned against Israeli attempts to eliminate the identity of the occupied city of Jerusalem and isolate it from its Arab environment, calling for Arab concerted efforts to maintain the city's Arab character.