Hamas hails Christian protests against Patriarch Theophilos III

Hamas movement praised the Palestinian Christian community’s “honorable” stand against the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, on Saturday during his visit to Bethlehem to participate in Christmas celebrations.

Hamas stressed that the protests launched against the Patriarch, who has been recently known for being involved in church property sales to Israel, send a message that Christians and Muslims are united in the face of the Israeli occupation and traitors like him.

The Movement called in a statement on Sunday on the Palestinian judiciary to speed up legal proceedings against Patriarch Theophilos and asked the Orthodox Church to remove him from office.

Dozens of Palestinians on Saturday blocked Patriarch Theophilos III’s visit to the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem to mark the Eastern Orthodox Christmas Eve.

The angry demonstrators threw eggs and shoes at the Patriarch’s convoy in protest his approval of suspicious sales of church property to Israel.