CWN - Three Palestinian Christian mayors, including the mayor of Bethlehem, met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State on February 11 and spoke about the harmful effects of the planned extension of the Israeli West Bank barrier through the Cremisan Valley, according to a report published by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
The wall’s extension, said Bethlehem’s mayor, would affect two monasteries, a Catholic school, and 58 Christian families.
The extension “is only intended to separate Christian families from their land and then confiscate and enlarge the area available for new illegal Israeli settlements,” said Vera Baboun.
“There will be no future for Christians: the population density will rise to unsustainable levels, and many will eventually choose the path of the exodus, which has already reduced the Christian presence in the Holy Land,” she added.
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