President Arafat's Christmas Address To The Palestinian People

FROM THIS HOLY LAND, THE LAND OF PALESTINE.

FROM THE LAND OF THE HOLY SEPLUCHER AND THE NATIVITY, THE TWINS OF THE AQSA AND THE DOME OF THE ROCK.

I speak to you, Palestinians, wherever you are, whatever your loyalty and belief, you are one united people, the people of the giants. Christians from all over the earth who are looking at the Nativity City, Bethlehem, which is under the terror of the occupation, battle tanks, siege and oppression, I say to you: Merry Christmas and happy New Year,

“Glory to God in the skies, peace on earth and happiness to the people”.

I talk to you with my heart full of sadness, because the aggressive & oppressive tanks, concrete blocks and guns have prevented me from being with you in your annual celebrations on this glorious occasion, which I have never missed since my return to this beloved homeland.

The birthplace of Jesus is besieged from all directions and the city of Jerusalem, the first Qibla, the third holiest mosque from where Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven is also besieged more than ever.

Yes, they are preventing a believer of God, peace and the three monotheist religions to guide his people’s Christmas celebrations, why not since they permitted themselves to steal the smile from the faces of the children and prevented every Palestinian to pray or even reach Bethlehem on this holy night. Didn’t we celebrate Eid AL Fitr few days ago surrounded by battle tanks and funerals?

Despite all of this, I tell my people who are blessed by God to guard the holiest places of Christianity and Islam - and I tell religious people in our country and the world, his Holiness the Pope and H.B. the Patriarch of Jerusalem - that the criminal act of stealing my right to participate in Christmas celebrations and the crime of preventing our Christian brothers from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem to practice their religious rituals in these holy places won’t affect our determination on the option of a just peace, the peace of the brave, not the peace of tanks, warplanes, bombardments, killings, destruction and siege.

From my place, I tell all believers in the whole world that who forcibly prevents believers from praying must not be allowed to continue occupying, besieging and Judiazing our holy places. There is neither security nor peace for any worshipper who is under the threat of tanks, shameful disrespect for freedom of worship and human dignity.

On this Christmas occasion, we remember Jesus calls for tolerance, love and peace between peoples and we reiterate our adherence to those values. We are a people who want the peace of the brave on the land of peace, the Holy Land of Palestine for our and their children.

The world who witnessed what happened should know what kind of terrorism the believers in the Holy Land face and what kind of danger threatens the freedom of worship. The world should reiterate the need to put an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of the independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital, which will guarantee the freedom of worship for all.

“WE WILL HELP OUR MESSENGERS AND THOSE WHO BELIEVE, IN THIS WORLD’S LIFE AND ON THE DAY, WHEN THE WITNESSES WILL STAND FORTH”

“GLORY TO GOD IN THE SKIES, PEACE ON EARTH AND HAPPINESS TO THE PEOPLE”