Michel speaks about “the importance of being faithful towards oneself – otherwise we cannot exist.
Michel talks about doing God’s will according to the fact that we are all both God’s and each others' equals – and should not therefore search for honour but listen to our consciences and take responsibility.
The Roman Catholic Patriarch in the Holy Land, MichelSabah, led a procession with many gathered at the Manger Square late Tuesday night, before conducting midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity.
At Midnight Mass, Sabah called for freedom for Palestinians and said peace can only be achieved if and when Israel withdraws its occupation troops from the Palestinian territory.
Sabah also addressed President Arafat, who was banned from attending, wishing he were there with the crowds and praying that God would grant him “the wisdom and the power under this siege to continue your mission toward peace and justice”.
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-24)
The chair had a sign on it reading “Yasser Arafat, President of Palestine” and was meant as a silent protest against Israel’s decision to prevent the PLO leader from attending the event.
A more vocal protest was made later by the Patriarch MichelSabah, the Vatican’s representative in Bethlehem, during his remarks at the mass.
Sabah called the Israeli decision “political” and called on Arafat to “display steadfastness for the sake of Palestinian honor and independence.”
www.israelnn.com /news.php3?id=15198 (114 words)
Seeking a Palestinian Mahtma Ghandhi(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-24)
HALF A DOZEN PALESTINIAN BISHOPS including the venerable Latin Patriarch MichelSabah, have just led the crowd in a multilingual, ecumenical pray-in, olive branches in hand, and the balloons are released, rapidly floating up from the Bethlehem checkpoint in the general direction of Gilo.
In order to at least reach the checkpoint and pray there, for the symbolic value, Patriarch Sabah had given the army his word that the crowd would then disperse quietly and not attempt to walk on.
A year ago, he says, he convinced Latin Patriarch Sabah to go to Gaza and make a plea for the Palestinian leader to change to "a pacific intifada." Arafat reacted "favorably," Father Raed says - though he obviously hasn't made any such strategic change yet.
Last week, for example, Catholic World News wrote at length about medicine and food being kept from the people in the barricaded cities and about the damage to the water and telephone lines, which were defined as a "collective punishment." The church news agencies, however, generally include responses from Israeli spokespeople.
One of the harshest critics of Israel is the Latin Patriarch in Israel, Monsignor MichelSabah, who wrote a Pastoral Letter about "the bloody events...
following the provocation of religious sensibilities at the Haram al-Sharif [referring to Ariel Sharon's late September visit to the Temple Mount]." Sabah's letter declared that, "The young people and older ones sacrificing their lives are not doing so in order to attack someone.
Help us." A few kilometres away on the same day, another Palestinian was voicing his own dissatisfaction with the policies of the hawkish government of Ariel Sharon.
During a visit to Zabada, near Jenin on the West Bank, the Latin Patriarch, MichelSabah, the highest Catholic prelate in the Holy Land, took the unprecedented step of urging Jews in Israel to elect a new government that believes in peace and would work toward attaining it.
These two episodes indicate, as recent polls have shown, Sharon is at the end of his line, barking like a mad dog after his failure to make good on his promise before his election early last year to bring "peace and security" to the Israeli people.
For the Israelis, turning over land to Italians is far more palatable than turning it over to nationalistic Palestinian bishops, such as MichelSabah, the first Palestinian Latin patriarch in Jerusalem.
The Israeli government interpreted this statement as an indictment; the Archbishop, however, maintains that Rome is merely seeking a diplomatic channel through which to influence negotiations.
Church leaders from the Middle East including Latin Patriarch MichelSabah, have made many far more incendiary comments regarding Israeli occupation.
Christmas in Palestine?(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-24)
With Arafat or without Arafat, whether there’s a closure and curfew on the city, the Latin Patriarch of JerusalemMichelSabah will show up at 12:00 noon at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem.
When Sabah reaches Bethlehem, the order of the convoy will change.
From the lead care, his car will move to the rear, and the from car will be carrying the deputy mayor of Bethlehem, followed by the mayors of Beit Jala and Beit Sahur as other dignitaries.
The occupation forces continue their reinforced siege of the Church of the Nativity and neighboring churches and have demanded that the fighters who took refuge in them surrender.
In another development, the head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, Patriarch MichelSabah has said that the armed Palestinians were given sanctuary in the Church of the Nativity after giving up their weapons.
About 200 Palestinian citizens and religious scholars have taken refuge in the church.
Naveh's accusations caused a tumult amongst Arab MK's who termed him a racist and an inciter against Arafat and the Palestinian Authority.
After examination of the facts, Ma'ariv found that only the urgent intervention by the Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem, MichelSabah, convinced Arafat to command his forces to prevent Moslem gangs from harassing and tormenting the Christian community, after their apathetic attitude towards these Moslem criminals.
Patriarch Sabah informed Arafat that if the attacks on Christians did not stop, he would remove his office from East Jerusalem to Beit Sahur in solidarity with the Christians.
[No title](Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-24)
My views are based on my own eye and ear witness observations in Israel, the West Bank and OT, my consultations with Christian Church leaders there, e.g.
His Beatitude MichelSabah, and my knowledge of International and Comparative Human Rights Law.
Daly's remarks are correct as a matter of fact and appropriate in light of contemporary international human rights legal standards binding upon Israel, standards which were largely (and ironically) a reaction to the Holocaust.
