BEIRUT: The Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, Mr Yassir Arafat, denounced barbarous methods used by the Israeli authorities in regard of the Arab population in the occupied territories. Addressing a meeting of the Secretariat of International Christian Conference in Support of Palestine, Mr Yassir Arafat said that since 1967 Israeli occupants destroyed 19,000 dwelling houses of the Arabs — 8,000 in the West Bank of the Jordan River and 11,000 in the Gaza area. About 17,000 Arabs are languishing in Israeli jails. Many of them died as a result of tortures and privations.

The Israeli authorities prosecute even pro­minent religious leaders. The other day the world learned about the arrest of Arch­bis­h­­op of the Greek-Catholic commune Illarion Capussi in Jerusalem. Before that they arr­e­sted Imam of Gaza Hashim al-Hazandrar. Muslim and Christian religious leaders were driven away from their houses and from their land because they actively cause suspicion of the occupation authorities. Mr Yassir Ara­fat condemned Israeli occupants for robbing mosques and churches in occupied territories of their cultural values.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2024