The Head of the Sebastia Diocese of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem Archbishop Atallah Hanna, accused Israel of attempting to poison him to death on Tuesday reports Quds Network. The accusation came after Hanna inhaled tear gas that was thrown inside his church. It should be noted that the tear gas could have just as likely come from Muslims in Bethlehem. This is confirmed by his statements to Jordanian media saying that: “I cannot be certain that Israel is behind this incident, but indications show that it is behind it,” he claimed.
“What happened could be an assassination attempt, or an attempt to keep me sick throughout life … The repercussions of the toxic substance are dangerous, especially on the nervous system,” the station reported Hanna saying.
“We celebrate the birth of #Christ as one family and our enemies want us to be fragmented”, #Archbishop Atallah Hanna said. #Palestine https://t.co/o0VoKKSNsr
— Quds News Network (@Qudsn_en) December 23, 2019
In a Christmas message, ‘Palestinian’ Archbishop Atallah Hanna sent a holiday message blasting Israel’s non-existent presence in Bethlehem saying: “”The Occupation treats us as if we are visitors and foreigners in our own city. This is the embodiment of Apartheid policies and practices against our people in Jerusalem specifically and in Palestine generally.”
He also hints at joining a potential violent Jihad against Israel in Jerusalem adding: “We will remain in Jerusalem defending our religious sites and endowments. We reject the policies of the Occupation. We will not surrender.” Hanna continued explaining: “Our religions sites will remain ours. Jerusalem will remain ours. We reject the crimes of the Occupation. We reject America’s unjust decisions.”