The John-Henry Westen Show - Palestinian Insider Explains How Christians, Others Killed In Israel-Hamas War

00:00:00.000 They're being manipulated a lot of times by media.

00:00:03.240 Media did tend to portray a different view where we as Christian Palestinians don't exist.

00:00:08.540 I can tell you, Jean, you guys are the only and the first Western media to interview me on this topic.

00:00:13.940 The mainstream media is not concerned about what happened to us,

00:00:17.640 or somehow they don't want this type of story to go out, and I wonder why.

00:00:28.040 Hey, my friends.

00:00:29.020 At LifeSite, we've been trying to give you the reality of what's going on in the Holy Land.

00:00:34.420 There's a lot of disparate voices out there saying this is happening, that's happening, this is not happening.

00:00:40.560 And how do we get to the truth of the matter?

00:00:42.620 You've seen exclusive interviews with the Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem.

00:00:46.720 Two ladies were shot dead while they were moving within the compound of the church.

00:00:54.200 In fact, one old lady of 70 years wanted to go to the restroom. 1.00

00:01:00.520 She was shot by an Israeli sniper.

00:01:03.660 But I wanted to give you something of a scene of what's happening in family life.

00:01:08.160 With us today on the Donald Henry Weston Show is Khalil Sayir.

00:01:11.740 He's actually a member of a family that is in Gaza.

00:01:16.360 His sister's there right now.

00:01:17.860 His other sister was there and unfortunately was killed.

00:01:22.740 And his other family members have been killed there as well.

00:01:26.860 So we're going to find out from this Christian, from this Catholic in the Holy Land, 0.96

00:01:31.800 what's actually happening in Gaza right now.

00:01:34.520 You're going to want to stay tuned to this episode of the John Henry Weston Show.

00:01:38.940 Hey my friends, I've got an incredibly exciting announcement that's going to change the way you experience LifeSite News.

00:01:44.960 For far too long, life, faith and family content has been sort of stuck in the dark corners of the internet,

00:01:50.620 dealing with all the headaches of big tech censorship.

00:01:53.500 But you know what?

00:01:54.700 We are all about life, faith, family and freedom.

00:01:57.500 And that deserves the best viewing experience possible.

00:02:00.280 So we're bringing it right to your home.

00:02:02.860 Get ready for LSN TV, a groundbreaking app and streaming service that'll bring the best of LifeSite News direct to your fingertips

00:02:10.720 and your favorite streaming platform.

00:02:13.700 No more censorship holding us back.

00:02:16.360 And best of all, it is absolutely free.

00:02:19.900 Now, you can dive headfirst into all things LifeSite News,

00:02:24.140 whether you're on the go or cozy at home with your smart TV.

00:02:27.980 LSN TV isn't just another streaming app.

00:02:30.280 It's your ticket to unfiltered, unbiased content that lines up with your values.

00:02:36.240 With LSN TV, you'll get all of our breaking news, watch all of our shows, including Faith and Reason,

00:02:41.760 Bishop Strickland, Mother Miriam, The John Henry Weston Show and more.

00:02:45.460 Don't miss out on the hottest political updates from around the world, including the White House and Rome.

00:02:51.040 Plus, we'll take you to faith-filled events like the March for Life, beautiful Eucharistic processions,

00:02:57.480 the Trucker Protest, just to name a few.

00:03:00.280 We've made it super easy for you to join the fun.

00:03:02.720 LSN TV is up for grabs on both the Apple Store and Google Play.

00:03:07.420 So whether you're team iPhone or Android, we've got you covered.

00:03:11.760 But that's not all.

00:03:13.200 LSN TV isn't just for your phone.

00:03:15.000 You can also stream our content on popular platforms like Roku, Fire, and Samsung Smart TV.

00:03:21.480 Yep, we're everywhere you want us to be.

00:03:24.260 So embrace the LSN TV revolution, where you get real news and real truth uncensored.

00:03:30.620 Join our community of like-minded men and women who appreciate unbiased content

00:03:35.340 and unrestricted access in a whole new and immersive way.

00:03:39.200 So, ladies and gentlemen, what are you waiting for?

00:03:43.120 Share the word, get excited, and become part of the movement.

00:03:46.920 I'll catch you on LSN TV, where the best stories come to life.

00:03:51.840 So downloading the app is super easy.

00:03:54.220 All you have to do is go over to the App Store,

00:03:57.860 and then type in LSN TV and hit Search,

00:04:03.940 and then just download the app.

00:04:05.980 Once downloaded, you should be able to open it,

00:04:12.660 and then enter your own email address.

00:04:17.120 And that is all you need to do.

00:04:21.980 Khalil, thanks so much for joining us.

00:04:23.880 Thank you, Sean.

00:04:24.820 So let's begin, as we always do, with the sign of the cross.

00:04:27.560 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

00:04:31.900 Amen.

00:04:32.120 First of all, Khalil, let me say my condolences for the loss of your sister, of your dad as well.

00:04:40.300 I want you to explain that to us, if you could, first.

00:04:43.860 What happened to your family?

00:04:45.180 Sure, John.

00:04:45.840 Let me just start by saying quickly that although my mom is Catholic,

00:04:50.200 I happen to be an Orthodox, and my father is an Orthodox,

00:04:52.560 so I was born to a family that is, half of it is Catholic, and half of it is Orthodox.

00:04:58.520 As a matter of fact, we used to go to both of the parishes in Gaza.

00:05:02.120 What has happened to my family started right after this war,

00:05:05.700 although it goes back to a really longer history of being impacted by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,

00:05:11.520 and the terrible things that the Palestinians have suffered underneath the Israeli occupation,

00:05:16.420 but in particularly also the Christian community that has suffered since 1948,

00:05:20.380 since the establishment of the state of Israel,

00:05:23.280 where a lot of Christian villages were completely destroyed.

00:05:27.080 Their churches were destroyed, forced out of their homes.

00:05:29.920 But in this last episode of violence that started with the horrific October 7th attack

00:05:35.420 that claimed the lives of innocent Israeli and Jewish victims,

00:05:39.200 which was obviously carried by Hamas and Islamist armed resistance to control Gaza.

00:05:46.660 Following that, Israel has responded with tremendous violence.

00:05:50.480 But the violence that Israel has chosen to respond with 0.83

00:05:52.800 that did not discriminate between companions or non-companids.

00:05:56.080 It did not discriminate between even Christian or Muslim.

00:05:59.140 All civilians seemed to be under fire,

00:06:01.420 and they were under direct fire and under indirect fire,

00:06:04.700 and I will explain what's the difference between both.

00:06:06.500 And the direct fire, like what happened at St. Perfidus Church on October 19th,

00:06:11.940 when the St. Perfidus Church, one of the oldest churches in the world,

00:06:15.160 was built in the 3rd century, where my family had been worshipping for years,

00:06:18.920 was targeted.

00:06:19.720 The Orthodox Church went in an Israeli airstrike

00:06:21.920 that claimed the life of about 8 to 19 Christian members there.

00:06:26.660 Majority of whom were children.

00:06:28.280 My friend Ramis lost the three of his kids in this bombing of the church.

00:06:32.300 This made the death only at this church, John,

00:06:36.680 was about 2% of the entire Christian population in Gaza.

00:06:40.000 Again, we are a very small population that have been shrinking for years.

00:06:44.260 But that's the broader context what happened.

00:06:46.160 That's the direct killing that the Israeli forces have carried against Christians

00:06:49.720 by targeting churches.

00:06:51.180 Also at the Catholic Church in Gaza, where my family was sheltering,

00:06:54.260 Holy Family Catholic Church.

00:06:55.620 Two women were killed by Israeli snipers on December 19th.

00:07:00.360 And when people tried to save them, young Christian Catholics 1.00

00:07:04.480 that risked their lives, tried to carry the bodies of these women who were shot,

00:07:07.980 they were shot in the lakes.

00:07:09.460 Seven of those scampy men, seven of those young men were shot in the lakes.

00:07:13.160 This is in the same area, by the way, that Israel killed its own Jewish hostages

00:07:17.240 that were running in the street, seeking help,

00:07:20.940 carrying white flagels that were also shot at the same matter.

00:07:24.500 Why?

00:07:24.880 Because there were a very clear policy. 0.99

00:07:26.460 Shoot whoever you see in the street. 0.94

00:07:27.860 That was a very clear policy that the Israeli media has reported in. 0.99

00:07:31.460 And they were critical of when they killed Jewish hostages themselves.

00:07:35.400 Two days after this, my father at the church, a few days before Christmas, he gets sick.

00:07:40.780 We don't know exactly what's happening to him because all hospitals in Gaza city

00:07:44.520 were destroyed by the Israeli army.

00:07:46.700 Ambulances are not allowed to treat people, including in the church,

00:07:49.660 the Israeli tanks surrounding where my father is.

00:07:52.700 And the majority of the Christians, and particularly the Catholics, are at that church.

00:07:57.480 And upbalances weren't allowed.

00:07:59.700 Rescue weren't allowed there.

00:08:01.440 And all of a sudden, I hear from the father at the church that my father has passed away

00:08:05.980 because he wasn't able to receive medical attention.

00:08:08.860 He was not able to receive any type of care.

00:08:12.980 But the story doesn't stop there.

00:08:15.120 It goes even worse.

00:08:16.180 Because after months of trying to get my family out of Gaza, we decided to take the risk and 0.96

00:08:22.000 to take the really dangerous trip between the north and the south of Gaza.

00:08:25.800 We decided to do it when others have done it, when others have walked, and we feel that

00:08:30.560 it was relatively safe.

00:08:32.600 But what's so called the safe road between the north of Gaza and the south of Gaza is a

00:08:37.020 very dangerous area.

00:08:38.160 It's a similar area to how world-centric kitchen aid workers were killed there by Israeli missiles.

00:08:44.040 But they decided to walk.

00:08:45.580 They went through the checkpoint.

00:08:46.640 It seems that it was okay.

00:08:48.500 But that day was a very hot day.

00:08:50.500 It was a very sunny day.

00:08:52.460 And they didn't open the checkpoint until noon because they were celebrating Passover or

00:08:56.280 Pesach, as the Jewish brothers and sisters call it.

00:09:00.180 And it seems like a combination of fear from the tags that was surrounding my 18-year-old

00:09:04.880 sister and the shooting that was happening, etc.

00:09:08.260 She just collapsed.

00:09:09.200 We don't know if it's from the sun.

00:09:10.460 We don't know if it's from the fear.

00:09:12.040 There's confusion for what happened.

00:09:14.320 And she just collapsed.

00:09:15.280 Totally healthy girl, young girl.

00:09:17.600 My sister, 18 years old, collapses in this corridor.

00:09:20.840 My mom, who's 55, shouts and asks people to help her. 0.91

00:09:24.760 But no one would stop to help her because if anyone stops and tries to carry someone there,

00:09:28.920 he will be shot and killed by the Israeli army that was surrounding that area.

00:09:32.620 She calls the ambulance and says, the ambulance says, we cannot get in.

00:09:35.880 We cannot save your daughter.

00:09:37.000 But only one of my Muslim friends, Mohammed, his name, and I want to mention his name because

00:09:42.120 he's a hero for me.

00:09:43.720 He answers my mom.

00:09:45.380 And despite that the Israelis would shoot anyone who would get in that area, he rest his life 1.00

00:09:49.280 with another two Muslim men and got them under Israeli shooting while shooting at them.

00:09:54.380 And my mom has passed out.

00:09:57.180 But my sister, he thought she passed out too.

00:10:02.300 But it turns out that she passed away.

00:10:04.660 And when they took me to the hospital, my mom was in a caravan for 48 hours.

00:10:09.540 And my sister, 18 years old sister, had already passed out.

00:10:12.620 But it gets even worse.

00:10:14.260 Because the separation and they moved to the south where there is no Christians or churches,

00:10:18.800 my sister wasn't even able to get a dignified burial or have a prayer over her body and her soul.

00:10:26.540 And she was buried in the south in a property that is owned by one of the Christian communities

00:10:31.160 in Gaza, but without even a priest being there or anyone from the south.

00:10:34.940 Is this now typical of what's going on to the Christian community in Gaza?

00:10:41.260 Is it sort of an exception for your family?

00:10:44.380 It was targeted somehow?

00:10:45.720 Or is this general?

00:10:46.920 I don't think there is necessarily an attack on Christians in Gaza, Israelis.

00:10:50.860 That's not the case.

00:10:52.060 But I think there is an attack on general all civilians, Muslims and Christians.

00:10:56.160 And the Christians happen to be there thus they are being attacked.

00:10:58.980 When you destroy all hospitals, Jean, in Gaza, including Christian hospitals, by the way, 0.99

00:11:03.820 including the first hospital in Gaza, which is an Anglican hospital that was established

00:11:09.200 in Gaza, including the Caritas Clinic, which is a Catholic clinic that was run in Gaza,

00:11:14.300 one would wonder, who are you trying to target when you destroy all this health infrastructure?

00:11:20.200 So that's the indirect killing of everyone, including the Christians. 0.99

00:11:23.400 There were never any attempts to save the Christians. 1.00

00:11:27.240 When you targeted the church, and Israel is very precise, it's one of the most precise 0.99

00:11:31.040 app in the world, and in that region for sure.

00:11:33.800 And when you target the church, and when you kill people there, there's a very, very clear 0.89

00:11:37.680 intention to target everyone who is still there, including the Christians. 0.83

00:11:42.400 But when we say, like, how long have this been happening?

00:11:46.800 It's not only in Gaza, Jean.

00:11:48.580 Things have been happening also in the West Bank.

00:11:50.400 I mean, the famous story of the Christian Catholic, actually, journalist Sharina Ba'okla,

00:11:55.000 who was killed about two years ago by an Israeli fire engineer, as she was reporting,

00:12:01.060 and other numerous cases of Christians who were killed during this conflict.

00:12:04.720 But it's not only killing.

00:12:05.860 It's the confiscation of lands.

00:12:07.440 It's the imposition of regime permits that does not allow Christians to go and pray in

00:12:12.740 that holy sites, such as Bethlehem, if they're from Gaza, and those who are in the West Bank,

00:12:19.960 are not allowed to go to Jerusalem to pray at the church of the Holy Spirit.

00:12:23.420 There's all sorts of layers to this conflict and the imposition of this occupation that

00:12:28.220 have made the life of the Christians in general, and the Palestinians in particular, very, very 0.86

00:12:33.300 difficult.

00:12:34.400 Let's rewind for a second.

00:12:36.160 Just about the layout of the land.

00:12:39.340 Most people in the West, we know the holy sites that we hear of from the Bible, but

00:12:45.300 we don't know where they are in relation to where the conflict is happening now and what

00:12:51.340 zones are what zones and what's permitted.

00:12:53.640 Can you lay out some of that for us in terms of the Christian holy sites that we know of

00:12:59.040 and explain where they are today and what that means in terms of occupation?

00:13:03.860 It's really, really difficult to explain it because Israel have created all sorts of flyers 1.00

00:13:09.000 and all sorts of segregated areas that are really very confusing to understand.

00:13:13.760 Historically, it was that the entire land of what's known as the Holy Land was controlled

00:13:19.540 by Israel since 1948, except what's so-called the West Bank, which happened to be historically

00:13:27.160 what's called Judea and Samaria, and that includes Jerusalem, that includes the first place

00:13:32.360 of Jesus, Bethlehem, and the Gaza Strip, the area which in the Bible, known as the land

00:13:38.180 of the Philistines in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, it's mentioned when the

00:13:43.640 Ethiopian prince was traveling and then Philippus meets him and he goes, it says that he was

00:13:48.180 traveling through Gaza and there that he was baptized.

00:13:51.600 And that was sort of a non-story in the Christian tradition.

00:13:55.240 So that's how it used to be.

00:13:57.440 In 1967 war, when Israel conquered the West Bank and Gaza, it all became under their control.

00:14:02.620 However, after the Oslo agreements in the 90s, it became more that the Palestinians have some

00:14:07.500 sort of self-autonomy, which the Palestinian authority control.

00:14:11.780 However, they're surrounded by Israeli settlers and surrounded by settlements that they built 0.97

00:14:16.660 in Palestinian land, including Christian land, like in Bethlehem.

00:14:20.000 And they surrounded and they made some sort of model next that it's hard for you to get in and

00:14:24.860 out.

00:14:25.080 For example, if you're in Bethlehem and you're a Christian, you can walk to Jerusalem, like you

00:14:29.680 could walk like Israel, it's an hour walk and you can go to the church of Holy Sabbath

00:14:33.020 church.

00:14:34.080 And according to the Israeli occupation, you have to go through a checkpoint and you need

00:14:38.320 to have a specific permit that is very hard to get that permit.

00:14:41.780 And majority of times their permits are denied.

00:14:44.600 But if you're in Gaza, God forbid, as a Christian, it's almost impossible to get to the

00:14:49.000 West Bank unless it's on Easter or Christmas and they give you a specific permit.

00:14:53.040 But they make sure to separate the families and not to give all the families, which makes

00:14:56.480 it extra difficult for them to go there.

00:14:59.480 And it created all sort of separation between families.

00:15:02.340 That's stunning.

00:15:03.140 That's a piece that never gets explained.

00:15:06.180 It's very complicated to explain, obviously, but thank you for that.

00:15:09.120 So this has been going on since 1948.

00:15:12.460 Explain to us from a Palestinian perspective.

00:15:14.520 Now, you are a Christian, but you're a Palestinian.

00:15:16.460 So you have that background as well.

00:15:20.760 What happened?

00:15:21.560 How did this start?

00:15:22.900 And why?

00:15:23.740 I know we're talking about history and it should be known history, but you know what?

00:15:26.580 For the most part, it's not.

00:15:27.920 What is the Palestinian perspective on what happened in the beginning?

00:15:31.360 How did all this start?

00:15:32.320 And what did it do to the communities that were there?

00:15:35.900 When it comes to history, there is a lot of disagreements between scholars and what happened

00:15:39.920 exactly and whether which side was right or wrong, right?

00:15:46.000 But what I could tell you from a historical point of view, as Christians will believe also,

00:15:50.040 in fact, I will believe that there are such a thing as objective truth.

00:15:53.180 And even in history, if you look really into objective truth, you can find it.

00:15:56.540 And what I could tell you as an objective truth was that on 1948, on the creation of the state

00:16:02.860 of Israel, more than 700,000 Palestinians were pushed out.

00:16:06.700 Among those were the majority of the Christian community that lived historically in that area,

00:16:13.120 where they were pushed out just like Muslims. 1.00

00:16:15.580 Now, the Israelis would say, well, they just left by themselves, would say, okay, let's assume 1.00

00:16:20.200 that's the case.

00:16:21.380 Why are they wearing a light back by the Israelis? 0.61

00:16:23.860 That's a question that they cannot answer.

00:16:25.520 They would say, well, they just like, we had to just ban them from returning because we

00:16:30.900 had to make the Jewish state a Jewish state.

00:16:33.400 And if we're allowed Christians to come back or even Muslims to come back, it's no longer 1.00

00:16:37.120 a Jewish majority.

00:16:38.220 And I would respond, regardless of that, that's still an unjust and unfair to people.

00:16:44.080 People like my grandparents, who lived from my mother's side, lived in Akko, in the north

00:16:48.860 of what's today Israel.

00:16:50.780 And like from my father's side, who lived in Ashkaban, what's known as Ashkaban, that used

00:16:55.140 to be called Mashtub, lost not only their ability to go back to their home, but their

00:17:01.220 private property was confiscated.

00:17:03.600 It was confiscated completely.

00:17:05.360 But not only that, some churches actually were damaged in 48.

00:17:09.400 And then other things happened in 67, when Israel occupied what's known as the Golan Heights.

00:17:14.760 The Golan Heights used to have flourishing Syrian Christian community, and they did not allow 1.00

00:17:20.520 the Christians nor the Muslims to stay in the Golan Heights. 0.89

00:17:23.500 They pushed them into Syria and they kept only the Druze community, a small religious community

00:17:28.460 that had some sort of pact with the Israeli regime.

00:17:32.180 What do Palestinians see today as the solution to this?

00:17:37.980 I mean, where do we go from here?

00:17:39.560 Because right now, at least from some of the reports, we're seeing a lot of the north being

00:17:46.100 bombed almost to oblivion, it looks like.

00:17:48.380 You know, there's so much rubble, it's ridiculous.

00:17:50.320 What's the plan for right now?

00:17:51.840 I mean, with so much being destroyed?

00:17:54.060 The Israelis have no plan. 1.00

00:17:55.440 The Israelis seem to be interested in the annihilation of the Palestinian people.

00:18:00.400 It doesn't mean that they will kill anyone, sorry, it doesn't mean that they will kill

00:18:03.600 everyone, but it means that we'll create the conditions that is necessary for people

00:18:08.220 to leave.

00:18:09.040 I mean, think of it with me, John.

00:18:10.340 If you live in Gaza and you're a Christian or a Muslim, for that matter, and all the mosques

00:18:14.600 were destroyed, all the hospitals are destroyed, the schools are destroyed, and even churches

00:18:18.440 for that matter, why would you stay in Gaza?

00:18:21.620 There's no reason left, and they're surrounding you, and they're not allowing food, and they're

00:18:25.840 not allowing medicine, etc.

00:18:26.980 The natural thing to do is, the instinct of life is to follow life.

00:18:31.220 We believe that the life of the human is the most precious, those people want to leave.

00:18:35.680 The problem, though, that we're afraid that if we leave Gaza, that the same thing that

00:18:40.280 happened in 1948 would happen again, that we will not be allowed back into our homes,

00:18:44.720 that our homes will be confiscated, maybe, or destroyed, etc.

00:18:47.940 And this has been already happening.

00:18:49.320 80%, 80, 8-0% of the Christians in Gaza have lost their hand already.

00:18:54.600 That's an unprecedented number.

00:18:57.120 So that's the future.

00:18:57.820 There is no plan.

00:18:58.800 And the other issue is, also on the Palestinian side, the Palestinians are divided.

00:19:02.400 You've got Hamas, who tend to be more radical, and they are more Islamist.

00:19:05.440 And we, as Christians, do not believe in Islamism. 0.73

00:19:07.840 We reject it.

00:19:08.700 We don't think it's helpful.

00:19:09.860 Also, we don't believe in violent speed that targets Iranians.

00:19:13.080 We think it's unethical and immoral.

00:19:14.740 And on the other side, you've got the Palestinian Authority, which and the Palestinian Liberation

00:19:19.500 Organization would tend to have a support of different factions, but it's shrinking,

00:19:26.440 though, to its commitment to peaceful means.

00:19:28.500 Because when you have a Palestinian party that is committed for the last 20 years to peaceful 1.00

00:19:32.960 means, and Israel is not working with them or meeting with them, the Palestinians look 1.00

00:19:37.020 at it, and they see that the peaceful means are not working.

00:19:39.580 And they unfortunately turn toward an unpeaceful means.

00:19:44.240 That's something that, for us as Christians, although we understand why our Muslims brothers 1.00

00:19:49.360 and sisters would feel the needs for violence, we still reject it, and we think that it's

00:19:54.140 unethical.

00:19:55.080 But we understand that there is also a difference between fighting combatants' people and then

00:20:00.860 fighting civilians.

00:20:01.900 That is remarkable.

00:20:03.020 About the lack of food and water.

00:20:05.660 Now, this was cut off.

00:20:06.820 I think earlier reports said it was cut off, but very few people know the extent of it.

00:20:11.940 Are there people actually suffering from this right now?

00:20:15.080 What are the conditions actually like?

00:20:16.920 Absolutely.

00:20:17.560 I mean, at the very beginning of the war, it was very clear that the head of the Israeli 0.77

00:20:23.020 army said it very clear, we'll cut the water, we'll cut the electricity, we'll cut the food.

00:20:27.660 We will, they will get nothing unless we get our hostages back.

00:20:32.140 And he said, we're not fighting humans, we're fighting human animals.

00:20:34.780 That's how he described the Palestinians, the most dehumanizing language that you could

00:20:38.500 ever hear.

00:20:39.500 I was shocked that this is someone who claims to be an alliance of the West.

00:20:45.200 And he's saying this language, and that's a language that was used by different people,

00:20:49.100 including the Israeli president and others.

00:20:50.800 And they were actually cutting off food.

00:20:53.040 It reached a point that there were no food whatsoever in the North, that during Lent,

00:20:57.620 John, when people were fasting, Catholics were fasting in Gaza, they were able to only eat 0.55

00:21:03.580 what Gant's, like, was thrown or whatever the Jordanians were throwing to them from the 0.99

00:21:11.000 skies, because there were no foods.

00:21:12.820 And until now in the North, for example, there was no food whatsoever.

00:21:15.260 And imagine going through Lent, where you're supposed to fast from all sort of animal-related

00:21:19.420 products, and you're literally not eating vegetables or not having access to it.

00:21:24.180 It was that case in the North of Gaza specifically for so long.

00:21:28.260 Things have changed slightly, but not dramatically.

00:21:32.160 Yet after the horrendous crime of killing Ward Central Kitchen aid members, because then President

00:21:40.260 Biden decided that he will push Israel for the first time. 0.93

00:21:42.880 He said, well, it cannot continue like this.

00:21:45.180 You have to start allowing aid after they killed Canadian citizens, American citizens, and

00:21:49.360 Australians as well.

00:21:51.560 And then we start seeing more aid to the North, which shows you again that they could

00:21:56.120 do it, but they refused to do it for so long.

00:21:58.900 They have accepted the idea that civilians have to pay the price of the crimes that Hamas 0.97

00:22:05.780 has committed in October 7, and that is immoral, and that is very unbiblical as Christians 0.88

00:22:11.160 and very unethical from our point.

00:22:12.920 What is your hope for Palestine?

00:22:15.980 What's your hope for help from the West?

00:22:19.240 What can we do?

00:22:20.780 I hope for peace, John.

00:22:22.080 I really do hope for peace.

00:22:23.520 I want to grow up in a Palestine that does not get bombed by Israel at any time, and nor

00:22:30.700 do Palestinians have to go and attack by Israelis, soldiers or civilians.

00:22:34.980 But at the same time, it cannot be peace that means the lack of violence.

00:22:39.540 It does not mean that we don't have to have sea fighting.

00:22:42.680 I believe in peace that does not have cheekbones, where me, as a Palestinian Christian, would

00:22:47.600 be stopped at cheekbones and stripped or beaten up just for being a Palestinian. 0.54

00:22:51.720 It happened to me more than 15 times as I was living in the West Bank after I moved from

00:22:55.320 Gaza.

00:22:55.980 That's the meaning of peace.

00:22:57.140 I believe in peace when Muslims and Christians and Jews are equal under the law and not treated

00:23:03.800 differently, and that there is discrimination against Muslims or that there is discrimination

00:23:07.920 and ostracized that, what peace means to me.

00:23:10.360 And to achieve that, we believe there are two ways.

00:23:12.400 There is one way, which is to give the Palestinians their own state and 18% of their historical 0.95

00:23:17.620 land, which is the West Bank in Gaza.

00:23:19.460 That's a compromise.

00:23:20.520 That's not something we're asking for pity from Israel to give us.

00:23:23.780 That's our historical land.

00:23:25.400 We're just demanding it back.

00:23:27.360 And if you don't want to do that, that's fine.

00:23:29.840 Just enax the entire land legally and give all Palestinians equal citizenship under the 1.00

00:23:34.340 law.

00:23:34.600 Give them Israeli citizenship.

00:23:36.100 Let them vote.

00:23:36.700 That's something that also Israel refuses to do, because guess what?

00:23:40.880 It changes, quote unquote, the demography and the Jewish state ceases to be a Jewish state.

00:23:46.960 But these are the two options.

00:23:48.380 And one of these options will lead us to peace.

00:23:50.300 And Israel has to pick. 0.80

00:23:51.820 And I say Israel, not because I'm blaming Israel more than the Palestinians. 0.97

00:23:54.660 We also have to pick.

00:23:55.800 But I say Israel because they have the power. 0.77

00:23:57.600 If they want to end this tomorrow, they have the power and the backing of the West to do it.

00:24:01.120 And if they want to repartuate violence, they have the power and the means to do it.

00:24:05.460 And they are ought to do it.

00:24:07.720 But here's the thing, John.

00:24:09.180 Essentially, Israel is a clipped state for the U.S. 0.79

00:24:12.440 No matter how we're trying to say to ourselves, Israel is powerful, Israel can do it by itself,

00:24:16.520 etc.

00:24:16.940 Israel cannot do it by itself, cannot continue doing this by itself if it did not have the 0.97

00:24:22.240 backing of the West, particularly the U.S.

00:24:24.260 And it breaks my heart to see the U.S. support this genocidal attack in Gaza, someone who

00:24:31.780 lives in the U.S., who loves his American friends, who loves this country.

00:24:36.360 Truly, this is the only country in the world, and I'm not a citizen of the U.S. yet, that

00:24:40.500 gives me freedom, that gives me equality.

00:24:42.720 But although I'm not a citizen in this country, when I walk on the street, I don't feel attacked

00:24:46.560 for being who I am.

00:24:47.900 When in my own country, I was being attacked for being Christian, and I was being attacked

00:24:52.280 for also being Palestinians by the Israeli Jews who lived there, and the army.

00:24:56.880 So I really do love this country deeply.

00:24:58.940 It breaks my heart to see the U.S. supporting that.

00:25:01.500 But you know what breaks my heart more?

00:25:02.760 Now, when I see self-proclaimed Christians supporting that, self-proclaimed Christians 0.73

00:25:09.200 who are supposed to care for me, somehow believe that a secular state, or not secular or not

00:25:15.820 secular, a state, a temporal state, is somehow part of God's divine plan, and that it's sort

00:25:22.700 of the hand of God on this earth.

00:25:24.460 And this state itself, since 1948, destroyed churches, pushed out churches, and pushed out

00:25:30.440 Christians, and somehow they believe that this is the act of God, why would God push Christians

00:25:35.780 out of the Holy Land?

00:25:37.740 This is our land, this is the Holy Land, why would God push out our people?

00:25:42.840 But I know one thing, I don't really blame those Christians much, because I feel they are 0.99

00:25:47.640 being manipulated, they are being manipulated by bad shepherds, obviously, pastors, and what

00:25:53.580 you call theologians, that they really don't have the understanding of the tradition of

00:25:58.340 the church, and how the church saw things historically, and they are being manipulated a lot of times

00:26:03.540 by media.

00:26:04.880 Media did tend to portray a different view, where we as Christian Palestinians don't exist.

00:26:10.180 I can tell you, Jean, you guys are the only and the first Western media to interview me

00:26:14.460 on this topic, on what happened to my sister.

00:26:17.940 And my tweet on the story got more than 3 million viewers.

00:26:21.060 So, everyone, every mainstream media have seen my story, and understand what happened

00:26:26.680 to me as a Palestinian Christian.

00:26:28.440 But somehow, the mainstream media is not concerned about what happened to us, or somehow they don't

00:26:35.340 want this type of story to go out.

00:26:37.220 And I wonder why.

00:26:38.380 I truly wonder why.

00:26:39.820 Right now, we've got a life funder going for Jason Jones, his organization Vulnerable People

00:26:44.720 Project, and he's trying to help Christians and Palestinians leave the Gaza Strip, where 0.99

00:26:50.420 they're being threatened with their lives.

00:26:53.180 And so, if you go to the link in this video, you'll be able to see that and help Jason enact

00:26:58.380 that.

00:26:58.840 Khalil, thank you so much for joining us.

00:27:01.120 God bless you.

00:27:01.700 God bless your family.

00:27:02.480 We will pray for the repose of the soul of your deceased relatives, and pray for your

00:27:06.540 relatives who are still there.

00:27:08.300 Thank you, Jean.

00:27:08.840 I appreciate you having me on the show.

00:27:10.460 And God bless all of you.

00:27:11.440 So, let's all together pray for peace in the Holy Land, for Khalil, for his family, and

00:27:16.620 for all of our brothers and sisters who are there suffering at this time.

00:27:21.280 God bless you.

00:27:41.440 Check the links in the description to read more and connect with us on social media so

00:27:45.320 that you can stay up to date with all the latest life, family, faith, and freedom news.

00:27:49.700 Thanks for watching, and may God bless you.

The John-Henry Westen Show - May 16, 2024

Palestinian Insider Explains How Christians, Others Killed In Israel-Hamas War

Episode Stats

Summary

Transcript