For the first time, a delegation from the Palestinian Christian Initiative -Kairos Palestine - conducted a two-day solidarity visit to the Gaza Strip on March 6 and 7, 2018. The delegation was headed by HB Patriarch Michel Sabbah and included Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb and Father Dr. Jamal Khader.
Since launching its Kairos document in 2009, the Palestinian Christian Initiative has been appealing to the international community to observe a moment of truth towards the Palestinian people who face injustice, displacement, suffering, and racial discrimination. The Initiative has urged the international community to exert pressure on the occupation authorities to stop its daily violations against our people’s rights, especially those in the Gaza Strip who have been subjected to an unjust and inhumane siege for more than ten years.
The delegation visited several institutions and met with social, intellectual and cultural leaders. The first meeting was with the Alqistas Forum for Dialogue & Concord to discuss forms of cooperation. The meeting was attended by Christian and Muslim figures interested in the Kairos Palestine document. Forum director Dr. Jameel Salameh welcomed the attendees and Patriarch Sabbah addressed the audience on behalf of the Kairos board; he explained the concepts of the Kairos document and the activities of the Palestinian Christian Initiative. At the end of the meeting, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, Hasan al-Saifi, stressed the importance of promoting cooperation between the two parties. Attendees also expressed their interest in disseminating the Kairos document further.
The delegation was then received by Gaza Governor Ibrahim Abul Naja at the Latin Church, where an ecumenical mass was attended by many leading figures.
The following day, the delegation visited the Arab Ahli Hospital and were shown the services that are provided under very difficult conditions. The delegation also visited the homes of several bereaved families who lost their children by the Israeli military to express the Initiative’s solidarity with them. Before concluding, the delegation visited the Rosary School and saw the educational activities provided by the church.