- Dec 6, 2009
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OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Muslim and Christian delegations have visited Thursday the sit-in tent of the four Hamas officials threatened to be exiled from their city by force, condemning the Israeli decision and expressing full support to the sit-inners.
The four Hamas officials are MPs Mohammed Abu Tair, Ahmad Atton, and Mohammed Tutah in addition to Khaled Abu Arafa, the former minister of Jerusalem affairs.
All four were kidnapped and detained in Israeli jails shortly after Hamas won the PA legislative elections in 2006 in an Israeli attempt, as many believe, to abort results of the democratic elections.
Among those who visited the lawmakers was Archimandrite William Shomly of the Latin Church who accompanied Palestinian Christian leader Archimandrite Atallah Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Shomly described the Israeli decision as racist, saying that exiling the four officials out of their city, and separating them from their families was flagrant violation of international laws and conventions, and clear breach of basic human rights.
MP Atton, for his part, thanked the delegations for the support they have demonstrated for him and his comrades, stressing that the Israeli decision targets the entire Palestinian Jerusalemites and not the four officials only.
Earlier on Thursday, Abu Arafa received a delegation from the International Church Federation comprising European supporters, and explained to them details and the political dimensions of the Israeli decision.
More delegations visit sit-in tent of Hamas lawmakers in O. Jerusalem
The four Hamas officials are MPs Mohammed Abu Tair, Ahmad Atton, and Mohammed Tutah in addition to Khaled Abu Arafa, the former minister of Jerusalem affairs.
All four were kidnapped and detained in Israeli jails shortly after Hamas won the PA legislative elections in 2006 in an Israeli attempt, as many believe, to abort results of the democratic elections.
Among those who visited the lawmakers was Archimandrite William Shomly of the Latin Church who accompanied Palestinian Christian leader Archimandrite Atallah Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Shomly described the Israeli decision as racist, saying that exiling the four officials out of their city, and separating them from their families was flagrant violation of international laws and conventions, and clear breach of basic human rights.
MP Atton, for his part, thanked the delegations for the support they have demonstrated for him and his comrades, stressing that the Israeli decision targets the entire Palestinian Jerusalemites and not the four officials only.
Earlier on Thursday, Abu Arafa received a delegation from the International Church Federation comprising European supporters, and explained to them details and the political dimensions of the Israeli decision.
More delegations visit sit-in tent of Hamas lawmakers in O. Jerusalem
