The United States denied a visa to Father Issa Talji, a Palestinian priest in the congregation of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Talji was scheduled to speak alongside American clerics at an event organized by Orthodox Christians in support of Palestine near the US Capitol on Monday. He called on Congress to hold both the settlers and the IDF responsible, and to limit the supply of American weapons to Israel.
His sister, Hani Talji, the first captain of the Palestinian women's national soccer team, won entry and will now play in his place. "Our government denied him a visa for security reasons." A priest from Bethlehem who is treated as a threat. This should concern all of us," said Leila Mokiber, a volunteer with Orthodox Christians for Palestine.