Palestinian Christian and Muslim religious leaders protest in Bethlehem against Macron

Dozens of Christian and Muslim religious leaders staged a sit-in on Wednesday evening, in the yard of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, in protest against the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron.

The participants raised banners condemning the French President’s statements. The protesters called for the respect of religions and the rejection of racism and extremism, and chanted slogans in which they called on President Macron to apologize for his comments on Islam.

The participants emphasized Christian-Islamic brotherhood in Palestine, warning of the repercussions of offending the Islamic religion. The protesters considered that Macron’s statements fall within the framework of spreading a culture of hatred between peoples and religions.

President Macron said on October 21 that France would not “abandon the caricatures”, which sparked a wave of anger in the Islamic world and launched boycott campaigns in some countries for French products and goods.