Palestinians express anger at Israeli court’s decision on sale of Jerusalem church land to settler group
Amman: Israel’s top court has ruled that a Jewish settler group legally purchased property from the Greek Orthodox Church in East Jerusalem. With this decision, an ongoing dispute over buildings in the old city has come to an end for almost two decades.
The Eret Kohanim organization, which wants to “Jewish” Israel-affiliated East Jerusalem, bought three buildings from the church in a controversial secret deal in 2004. The sale sparked fury among the Palestinians and led to the sacking of Patriarch Irinos I.
The church filed charges against Atret Kohanim, claiming the buildings were acquired illegally.
In a ruling issued late Wednesday, Israel’s Supreme Court dismissed the allegations, saying “harsh allegations” of misconduct on the part of those involved in the sale were “not proven to be true” in earlier proceedings.
The Church blasted that decision as “unreasonable” and lacking “any logical legal basis” and went on to denounce Atret Kohnim as a “radical organization” that had denounced “Christians” at a hugely important site. devious and illegal means” were used to acquire immovable property. Jerusalem.
The High Presidential Council of Churches in Palestine described the decision as the Israeli legalization of “theft” of church property.
The court’s decision means that the proposed takeover of the Imperial Hotel by Israeli settlers is now potentially eased.
Maher Hanna, a Palestinian lawyer for the family that runs the hotel, told Arab News that the decision means his client is now “the last line of defense” to defend the Palestinian presence in the area.
“My client, Mohamed Abu Waleed Djani, has a long-term protected tenancy contract with the patriarch and applicable law prohibits the eviction of tenants,” Hannah said, adding that she was confident her tenant would be able to stay. Hotel “if the Israeli government respects existing laws.”
The head of the Palestinian Presidential Church Commission, Ramzi Khoury, called the court’s decision a “racist and extremist judgment” against Palestinians in Jerusalem. Khouri believes that the purpose of the court’s decision is to make it easier for Palestinian Jerusalemites to be deported from their city.
“The court is not acting in a legal or ethical manner, but is acting as an enforcer of the Israeli government’s decision and (it) is under pressure from groups such as Atret Kohanim,” he said. “The Israeli High Court is politicized in favor of a racist policy aimed at stealing Muslim and Christian holy places.”
Reverend Munther Isaac, pastor of the Beit Sahour Lutheran Church, told Arab News that the Israeli government is “defending these extremists and has created a discriminatory law and regulation system that protects and supports these radical Jewish groups.”
Nazareth-based lawyer Botrus Mansour told Arab News that all branches of the right-wing Israeli government, including the Supreme Court, are attempting to control key locations in Arab Jerusalem.
Mansour said the international community is currently “distracted” by other issues and that the Israeli government is taking advantage of this to increase its anti-Palestinian activities. He said the only positive thing to come out of Israel’s recent aggression, including its attacks on al-Aqsa and the killing of al-Jazeera reporter Shereen Abu Aqleh, is that it has shown the world that Palestinians are fighting for their rights. and increased solidarity with Palestinians around the world.
The church has pledged to use “all influence and means” at its disposal to prevent the forced eviction of the hotel’s tenants.
The patriarchy said it would “continue to support the Palestinian tenants in these Christian properties by their persistence,” adding that it is “unbreakable” in its fight to “curb the racist policy and agenda of the extremist right in Israel”. , which aims to erase the multi-identity of the city of Jerusalem and impose a new reality within it.”
The Palestinians have long maintained that the proposed takeover of the strategically located hotel, along with the forced “eviction” of Palestinian families from the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah and Sylvan, is politically motivated and does away with the ethnic Palestinians of Jerusalem. It comes as part of Israel’s efforts to purge it.
Since the annexation of Jerusalem by Israel in June 1967, organizations including Elad and Atret Kohanim, supported by the Israeli state, judiciary and security services, have sought to gain control of Palestinian property in Jerusalem as part of their efforts to ensure a Jewish majority. work done. city. It is alleged that the plan included the construction of new colonial tourist destinations such as the City of David.
In March, Theophilus III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, decried the proposed takeover of the settlers as a “threat to Christian existence” and warned that the settler group was “hijacking” Jerusalem using violent coercion. .
“This issue is not about individual properties, but about the whole character of Jerusalem, including the Christian Quarter,” he said.