Israel's bids to convert religion of Palestinian children condemned

Chief of the Islamic court of Appeals in the occupied Palestinian territories, Ahmad al-Natour, accused the Israeli authorities of converting the religion of Palestinian children into other religions outside and inside Israel.

The Israeli daily Haaretz quoted Natour as saying in a letter addressed to the legal advisor of the Israeli government two weeks ago that such practices do not encroach upon children alone but the feelings of all Arabs.

"I am still stunned by the information that has come to my attention regarding the transfer of Muslim and Christian Arab children abroad for adoption, along with the change of their religion and identity," Natour wrote. He also said that he suspects that the children are sometimes adopted inside Israel and their religion changed, according to Haaretz.

Palestinian daily al-Arab said on Sunday that the Israeli Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is delivering Palestinian children to certain European states in return for huge sums of money.

The Israeli ministry confirmed the report that Arab-Israeli children are sometimes sent abroad for adoption, saying the children are sent abroad only after other attempts to find homes for them have failed, Haaretz said. Israeli law does not allow adoptions between ethnic groups, the report said.