Israel forces much-loved Catholic priest to leave Palestine

Father Louis Salman

Source: Radio Mawal, Social Media

Father Louis Salman, a Jordanian priest who served as parish priest in Beit Sahour, a majority Palestinian Christian town near Bethlehem and was also chaplain for the Palestinian Christian youth movement, has been forced to leave the country.

Following an unusually long and intensive security interrogation by Israeli authorities, Israel refused to renew his visa and ordered him to leave before 11 May.

In a poignant farewell, Father Louis presided over his final Mass in Beit Sahour - the 'Shepherd's Field' - on Sunday.

Father Louis is considered one of the most influential figures among Palestinian Christian youth.

According to church sources, Israel justified its decision by citing Father Louis's political views and his significant influence on Christian youth, particularly given his public statements describing Israel as an "occupying power," in addition to his national and humanitarian presence at numerous Palestinian events.

Born in 1989, Jordanian Father Louis Salman studied computer graphics and animation at Princess Sumaya University for Technology, before joining the major seminary in Beit Jala in 2014, to train to become a priest.

Father Louis' name became prominent following the killing of the young Christian Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by an Israeli soldier in May 2022. Fr Louis led a funeral service and a solemn procession for her in Jenin, prior to her burial in Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers attacked the pallbearers carrying her casket as Palestinians carried her from St Joseph Hospital through Jerusalem to the church in the Old City for her funeral.

In recent days, Beit Sahour many people came to bid farewell to their much-loved pastor. Palestinian Christian Youth held a tribute ceremony for Father Louis, attended by around 150 young men and women from various Palestinian cities. His final Mass on Sunday, was attended by a large congregation from the Bethlehem Governorate, who bid him farewell with feelings of both sorrow and pride.

The expulsion of Father Louis comes amid escalating Israeli pressure on Palestinian churches and Christian institutions, whether through restrictions on holiday celebrations, settler attacks on clergy and nuns, or encroachments on church lands. This pressure also manifests in the tightening of residency permits for priests and clergy from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt who come to serve in Palestinian churches.

Many see the decision to expel Father Louis as a message that extends beyond him personally, targeting the Palestinian Christian presence itself and attempting to curtail the national and spiritual role played by Palestinian churches in preserving identity and resilience, especially among young people.