Bethlehem mayor critical of Netanyahu Christian comments
817 views · Published 21 October 2018 · 3:32 · Indexed 8 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(16 Oct 2018) LEADIN: The mayor of Bethlehem has spoken out against Benjamin Netanyahu's comments on Christians. The Israeli Prime Minister said the religious minority is persecuted in areas under the control of the Palestinian Authority. But Anton Salman says Netanyahu is using Christians to "justify his oppressive practices". STORYLINE: The mayor of Bethlehem looks out over the Israeli settlement Har Homa. As a Christian, Anton Salman has paid close attention to the Israeli Prime Minister's comments on followers of the religion. Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at a media summit on Sunday and said Israel treats Christians better than any other country in the Middle East. But Salman does not agree. "Netanyahu tried to provoke the Christian world in his remarks," the mayor says. "He called himself a friend of the Christians. But the reality of the situation is different." According to municipality figures, there are around 25,000 Christians in the Bethlehem governorate. Netanyahu has blamed that falling number on Muslim oppression of the minority. But Salman insists that Christians and Muslims are united in the West Bank. "We sent him a message not to manipulate the religious element to justify his oppressive practices and polices in the occupied territories," he says. "The Christian Palestinians are part of the Palestinian people, therefore we won't be or accept to be outside this framework. On the contrary, we affirm the importance of our role and our existence in the plight of the Palestinian people." Bethlehem has been under control of the Palestinian self-rule government, the Palestinian Authority, since interim peace accords were signed with Israel in the 1990s. The Palestinian Christian population has declined in recent decades due to emigration spurred by ongoing conflict and better opportunities abroad. During his speech at the Christian Media Summit in Jerusalem on Sunday, Netanyahu said that Bethlehem's Christian population had declined because of pressure and persecution in the region. "Israel is the one country that protects the human rights of all," he told the meeting. "We don't just protect Christian religious sites, we protect Christian people. Christians should enjoy all the freedom to worship as they please in the Middle East." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/34bd54587006c361f4046321a7c534e5
