Padre Jorge (41) is the father of the Iglesia Catolica Apostolica Ortodoxa Antioquena in San Pedro Sula. ‘My grandparents came in 1923 from Beit Sahour, Palestine to Puerto Cortez in Honduras. It was my uncle who started to bring more and more family members, a few started hardware stores here. My parents were born in Honduras, but they did go back to Palestine in 1936 and came back in 1961 to Honduras. I am the father of the Orthodox church here in San Pedro Sula. In 1993 we created a school here to preserve the Arab language; many youngsters only can speak Spanish. I was baptized in Palestine in 1972.’ It was as early as the late 1800’s that the first Palestinians arrived in Honduras. It was the time of the Ottoman empire and many Christian Palestinians felt the pressure that they had to convert to Islam and enlist in the Turkish army. Many took the boat with destination ‘the Americas’ and honduras turned out to be the final destination. When the state of Israel was created in 1948 many followed. With many more in 1967 (six day war, occupation of Gaza, Westbank and the Golan heights) and during and after the two Intifadah’s. Nowadays its estimated that there are around 200,000 people of Palestinian decent in Honduras, making it probably the biggest Palestinian community in the Western hemisphere. They have been very successful on both an economic and a political level. Almost all are Christians and from the Bethlehem area.

Carmen (89) and Victoria Selman (91) in their Arab restaurant. They were born in Betlehem, Palestine. ‘I came with my mother and my sister Carmen to Honduras in 1935. Our father was already here, he had a store where he was selling crockery and linen. I went back to Palestine in 1947. We went back in 1975 after we sold our land in Ramallah, there is still a family house in Betlehem. I still feel Palestinian. A few years ago I went back for a visit, at Tel Aviv airport all my bags were searched and I was questioned, I felt so humiliated; I was just visiting my own country. With my sister I have an Arab restaurant here in Teguchicalpa.’ It was as early as the late 1800’s that the first Palestinians arrived in Honduras. It was the time of the Ottoman empire and many Christian Palestinians felt the pressure that they had to convert to Islam and enlist in the Turkish army. Many took the boat with destination ‘the Americas’ and honduras turned out to be the final destination. When the state of Israel was created in 1948 many followed. With many more in 1967 (six day war, occupation of Gaza, Westbank and the Golan heights) and during and after the two Intifadah’s. Nowadays its estimated that there are around 200,000 people of Palestinian decent in Honduras, making it probably the biggest Palestinian community in the Western hemisphere. They have been very successful on both an economic and a political level. Almost all are Christians and from the Bethlehem area.