Minister Shahin Meets Archbishop of Accra

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Shahin, met with Bishop John Bonaventura, Archbishop of Accra, to discuss the enduring suffering of the Palestinian people under the Israeli occupation.

Minister Shahin highlighted that Israel systematically targets the Christian presence in Palestine by imposing severe restrictions on Christians and blocking their access to Jerusalem, preventing them from practicing their religious rituals. She also condemned repeated attacks by settlers on churches and Christian cemeteries, including vandalism and arson.

The Minister further underscored the hardships faced by Christians in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing genocidal war, including the targeting of St. Porphyrius Church, the oldest church in Gaza and one of the oldest in the world.

Minister Shahin called on the Church to continue playing an active role in defending justice and rights, and in amplifying the Palestinian voice, stressing that peace cannot be achieved without justice for the Palestinian people.

In response, Bishop John Bonaventura affirmed that Palestine remains present in the prayers and supplications of the Church. He expressed hope for an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and emphasized the importance of achieving justice as a pathway to lasting peace.