Greek Orthodox spokesman denies supporting bombers Byline: KHALED ABU TOAMEH Date: Monday, January 13, 2003 Publication: Daily Page: 02 Section: News
Greek Orthodox Church official Archimandrite Atallah Hanna on Sunday vehemently denied a report on the official Hamas Web site according to which he had expressed support for suicide attacks. The quotes were also reported by the Hamas affiliated news agency Quds Press.
'I strongly reject terrorist bombings that target innocent people, regardless of their nationality and religion,' Hanna told The Jerusalem Post.
'The statements attributed to me are fabricated and untrue. The purpose is to harm the church and its humane and moral stance.'
He said he is an advocate of a just peace that guarantees security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians.
'I believe this can be achieved when the occupation is removed and Palestinians obtain their freedom and dignity and, at the same time, Israelis live in security,' he said.
'I reject bombing operations and express my condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.'
He said he has never supported 'armed resistance against the Israeli occupation.'
The remarks attributed to Hanna caused uproar in the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, which was flooded with angry phone calls from all over the world.
According to the report, which was also published in the Palestinian daily Al-Hayat al-Jadeedah, Hanna is said to have told a meeting in Haifa that he supported suicide attacks and considered the perpetrators to be 'heroes.'
But Hanna said Sunday that he hasn't been to Haifa for some time and that the entire report was a fabrication.
Greek Orthodox Church spokesman says suicide bombers are 'heroes' Byline: KHALED ABU TOAMEH Date: Sunday, January 12, 2003 Publication: Daily Page: 03 Section: NewsPalestinian suicide bombers are heroes of the people, which is very proud of them, a prominent Greek Orthodox Church official is reported to have said at a closed-door meeting in Haifa.
Archimandrite Atallah Hanna, an Israeli Arab serving as the official spokesman of the Greek Church in the Holy Land, was quoted by the Hamas Web site as making the remarks during a meeting in Haifa with 'an official and popular delegation.'
According to the report, Hanna also called for the liberation of Palestine 'from the [Mediterranean] sea to the [Jordan] river.'
Praising suicide attacks against Israel, Hanna is quoted as saying: 'These martyrdom freedom fighters are the heroes of the people and we are proud of them. We categorically reject suspicious attempts to cast suspicion on their deeds. They are not suicidal, as some are claiming. Nor are they terrorists, as others are claiming. They are resisting the occupation.'
Hanna is also reported to have said, 'We support the martyrdom [suicide] operations without any reservations, regardless of what skeptics and opponents of this form of resistance are saying.'
Hanna, according to the same report, also urged Palestinian and Arab Christians 'to join the resistance against the Israeli occupation in all forms and methods. The Christians are part of the Palestinian people and this nation.'
He also called for joint Islamic-Christian action to thwart the planned war against Iraq. He said that, had it not been for Israeli travel restrictions imposed on him, he would have led a delegation of Christians to Baghdad to act as 'human shields' in defense of Iraq when the war breaks out.
Archimandrite Hanna is a controversial figure in the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem. He has repeatedly embarrassed Church leaders by making statements in support of suicide bombings and by visiting Lebanon and Syria.
Hanna, a resident of the Galilee, was dismissed from his job earlier this year by Greek Orthodox Patriarch Irineos 1 because of his anti-Israeli views.
The patriarch also accused Hanna of acting independently and in contravention of Church regulations by visiting Lebanon and Syria and meeting with Hizbullah secretary-general Hasan Nasrallah.
On the instructions of Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein, the Jerusalem police two months ago summoned Hanna for questioning. He was accused, among other things, of incitement and visiting countries that don't have diplomatic relations with Israel. He was released on bail and police confiscated his passport to prevent him from leaving the country.
Hanna has also played a major role in organizing protests and demonstrations in eastern Jerusalem. His high-profile activities have angered not only his superiors at the Greek Orthodox Church but also Israeli officials, who accuse him of exploiting his religious status to incite against the state.