LONDON, March 30, 2004, (WAFA)- The Palestinian General Delegate to the United Kingdom and the Holy See, Afif Safieh, called today on the Pope John Paul II to intervene to remove the Israeli obstacles in the face of Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land and to end the Israeli siege imposed on President Arafat in Ramallah.... In his letter delivered Tuesday to the Pope, Safieh focused on the necessity of Pope's intervention to end the Israeli obstacles in the face of the Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land.... "Nuns and brothers in the Holy Land have not had their visas, their residency permits, their working permits renewed by the Israeli authorities," Safieh said.... "Besides their (nuns) unimpeded presence is highly needed to care for the Christian Holy sites and to run and manage hundreds of convents, schools, orphanages, hospitals and a university." Safieh added.... The Palestine Delegate stressed that the negative Israeli attitude goes contrary to the Status-quo observed in the Holy Land since Ottoman times.... In his letter, Safieh expressed his hope that the Pope will intervene to end the Israeli siege imposed on President Yasser Arafat in Ramallah.... "Besides the humiliation it constitutes to the entire Palestinian people to see their democratically elected President so besieged, this Israeli policy has deprived the Palestinian National Movement of the person who has been its locomotion for so many years," Safieh said.