Deport Church of Nativity fighters, Greek Orthodox bishop suggests
By Haim Shapiro
JERUSALEM (April 10) - To solve the impasse over the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, a senior Christian leader has suggested Israel deport - not detain or try - the Palestinian gunmen taking refuge in the historic church.
Bishop Aristorchus, the representative of the Greek Orthodox Church, submitted the proposal at a meeting of Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Roman Catholic leaders with Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Melchior and Deputy Defense Minister Dalia Rabin Pelesoff. He suggested the fighters give up their weapons and Israel not imprison them or put them on trial, but allow them to leave the country instead.
A Christian source said yesterday that Armenian clergy and civilians took refuge in the monasteries surrounding the Church of the Nativity, which marks the birthplace of Jesus, when the fighting broke out. The door connecting the church with the Armenian monastery is closed.
There are also our monks in the Greek Orthodox monastery adjoining the basilica, but the Palestinian fighters have occupied some of the rooms there.
There are about 35 Franciscan monks in the their monastery, which adjoins St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Parish Church, adjacent to the basilica. Apparently some of the Palestinian fighters are living in this monastery as well, and have received humanitarian aid from the monks.
Christian leaders have said the sanctity of the ancient church must be respected by both Israelis and Palestinians, that there must be a peaceful and bloodless solution to the problem, and that the Christians non-combatants are unwilling to abandon the church.