Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who attended Monday the Armenian Christmas celebrations in the Church of the Nativity in Betlhéhem, conveyed his best wishes “to our brothers in Palestine Armenians in Armenia and around the world.”
He also said at the reception: “We Palestinians have been through similar experiences with the Armenians; we were repressed, terrorized and banished. As the Armenian people emigrated from their country to ours and other places, we live the same struggle; we emigrated in 1948 in Syria and refugees migrate to the sea, in exile and in places known only to God.
We share many similarities, and here we are truly a nation. We worship the same God and the same homeland from which we take great care. We are all on the same level, we and you and everyone. Therefore, when some people say it is imperative to get rid of Christians and especially Armenians, we tell them to eat their heart, because Armenians still remain in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem. Christians will always be the salt of the earth and will remain on their land and in their country. Whoever wants to leave they should do so in his place. “He stressed.
Abbas also said he had sent an official invitation to President Sargsyan to visit Palestine.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016,
Jean Eckian © armenews.com