Ministry of Foreign Affairs Condemns Israeli Seizure of Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Land in Jerusalem as Grave Assault on Church Property

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates strongly condemns the seizure by Israeli occupation authorities of land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Silwan, occupied Jerusalem, on 15 June 2026. The seizure was accompanied by the expulsion of the Patriarchate’s representative, confiscation of equipment, uprooting of trees, and the enclosure of the property with fences and gates.

The Ministry considers this a flagrant violation of the sanctity of church property and a direct assault on the Palestinian people’s religious and historical heritage, as well as on Jerusalem’s universal religious significance.

The Ministry stresses that the land, officially registered under the Patriarchate’s ownership and adjacent to a historic monastery containing religious and archaeological landmarks, enjoys full protection under international law, particularly international humanitarian law, which prohibits the confiscation or seizure of private and religious property in occupied territories.

The Ministry warns that this act is part of a systematic Israeli policy aimed at seizing church properties and altering the historical, religious, and demographic character of occupied Jerusalem, including targeting its indigenous Christian presence, an integral component of the city’s identity and a testament to the Palestinian people’s enduring heritage.

The Ministry reiterates that these illegal and unilateral measures create no legal rights for the occupying power and cannot alter the legal and historical status of occupied East Jerusalem.

The Ministry holds Israel fully responsible for this grave violation and calls for an immediate halt to all measures targeting church property, the restoration of the status quo, and unhindered access to Christian holy sites. It further urges the international community to take urgent action to protect Christian and Muslim holy sites in occupied Jerusalem and hold Israel accountable for its ongoing violations.