Israeli President Isaac Herzog surrounded by the heads of the Churches of the Holy Land on Dec. 21. (Credit: X/@Isaac_Herzog)
BEIRUT — The Maronite Patriarchal Vicar of Haifa and Jerusalem, Archbishop Moussa al-Hage, once again faced criticism from Hezbollah party members and supporters for his annual meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
The issue arose from his participation on Dec. 21 in a New Year's ceremony hosted by Herzog, alongside the heads of the churches of Jerusalem. This year the event took place amid Israel's bombardments of southern Lebanon and its relentless campaign against Gaza, which has killed over 20,000 people since Oct. 7.
The representative of the Maronite Patriarchate of Lebanon and Antioch in Jerusalem is often vehemently criticized within Hezbollah circles, as reported by al-Modon. "The image provoked me because there cannot be a religious figure worshiping God, believing in justice and right, aligning themselves with Israel, tyranny, and colonialism," stated Sadek Naboulsi, a religious sheikh close to Hezbollah, who accused anyone meeting an Israeli of "treason."
Former Lebanese Forces MP Fares Souaid, close to the Maronite Church and the camp opposing Hezbollah reminded Sheikh Naboulsi that "the clergy is free," and "visiting the jailer does not imply sympathizing with him."
"If you truly want to defeat Israel as you claim, work on broadening your friendships instead of attacking priests," he emphasized on X network. Similarly, the Lebanon Archive account on X recalled the routine nature of the prelate's visit to the Israeli president, within the framework that all the heads of the churches of Jerusalem participate. Lebanon Archive published photos of the same event in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021, while noting that in 2021, another Lebanese religious dignitary, Bishop Camille Semaan, also participated in the meeting.
In July 2022, Moussa al-Hage was briefly detained at the Ras Naqoura border crossing by General Security upon returning from Israel, which he visits once a month. According to the armistice agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon in 1949, the archbishop is authorized to cross the border freely.
However, what he carries back with him into Lebanon has often raised concerns. In the July 2022 incident, the religious figure was in possession of $460,000 in cash and around twenty suitcases of medicine destined for a humanitarian mission. His passport was confiscated, along with everything he was carrying, including the money. The situation, which had escalated between Bkerke and General Security (closely associated with Hezbollah), required interventions from former President Michel Aoun who was in office at the time, as well as Saudi Arabia.
Hamas' reaction
Today, the matter has gained international attention. All heads of the churches in Jerusalem were criticized by Palestinians, notably for their participation in the New Year's ceremony with the Israeli president, while a war raged in Gaza where nearly 21,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Ministry of Health.
"We were shocked by the photo of Christian dignitaries from the occupied Palestinian territories meeting the president of the Zionist entity on the occasion of Christmas ... especially since none of them spoke about the ordeals endured by our people due to the ethnic cleansing being committed by the army of the Zionist entity," Hamas wrote in a statement on Saturday.
The patriarchs and heads of churches defended themselves, stating that the meeting was not intended "for exchanging greetings" but to convey to the Israeli president "the universal position of the Church calling for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza."
The occasion of this traditional ceremony on Thursday, in which the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III, and the Custodian of the Holy Land, Francesco Patton, participated, was announced on the same day by the Israeli presidency, which posted photos on its website.
According to al-Ahed, a news site with ties to Hezbollah, the collective of Representatives of Released Prisoners and Detainees has submitted a request to the judiciary to open an investigation against Archbishops al-Hage and Semaan, accusing them of "having contact with the Zionist [Israeli] enemy."
Hezbollah has not yet officially commented on the matter.
