A senior bishop in the Church of England has said that he was “intimidated” by Israeli militias during a visit to the West Bank this year.
The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York, said he was stopped at checkpoints and that militias told him he could not visit Palestinian families in the occupied territory. The territory has witnessed record levels of settler violence against Palestinians this year and the expansion of settlements.
Earlier this week, Israel's security cabinet approved 19 more settlements in the West Bank, bringing the number granted permission in the past three years to 69.
The archbishop described how YMCA charity representatives in Bethlehem, who work with “persecuted Palestinian communities” in the West Bank, gave him an olive wood nativity scene carving. The piece showed a “large grey wall” blocking the three kings from getting to the stable to see Mary, Joseph and Jesus.
“It was sobering for me to see this wall for real on my visit to the Holy Land, and we were stopped at various checkpoints and intimidated by Israeli militias who told us that we could
Continue Reading on The National UAE
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.