The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine strongly condemns the attack on land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in the town of Silwan in occupied Jerusalem. The assault involved the expulsion of the Patriarchate’s representative from the site, the confiscation of his equipment, the uprooting of trees, and the enclosure of the property with fences and gates. The Committee considers these actions a flagrant violation of international law, private property rights, and the historical and religious status of the Churches in the Holy Land.
The Committee stressed that the incident in Silwan is part of a broader and systematic policy of confiscating Palestinian land across the occupied Palestinian territory, including privately owned property, public land, religious endowments (waqf), and Church-owned property. It emphasized that such practices constitute a clear breach of international law and relevant international resolutions, undermine the principles of justice and the protection of property rights, and seek to alter the geographic and demographic character of the Palestinian land while erasing its historical identity.
The Committee further noted that the gravity of this latest attack lies in the fact that it targeted Church land legally registered in the name of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. This demonstrates that policies of land appropriation spare neither religious nor historical properties and expose the falsehood of claims regarding respect for freedom of worship and the preservation of the Christian presence in Jerusalem. Such actions also threaten the spiritual, cultural, and historical heritage represented by the Churches in the Holy City.
The Committee underscored that this attack comes amid an alarming escalation in assaults on both Christian and Muslim holy sites. While Church-owned land in Jerusalem is being seized, settlers have also set fire to two mosques north of Ramallah in yet another act targeting places of worship. These incidents reflect a dangerous escalation in attacks against religious sites and underscore the urgent need for international action.
The Committee warned that the continued targeting of Palestinian land and of Muslim and Christian holy sites, coupled with the absence of meaningful international accountability, only encourages further violations and undermines efforts to safeguard the religious and cultural heritage of Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs calls upon Churches around the world, the United Nations, international organizations, and human rights institutions to take immediate and concrete measures to protect Church property and Muslim and Christian holy sites, to halt the escalating attacks against them, and to hold those responsible accountable in accordance with international law. Such action is essential to protecting the religious and human heritage of the occupied Palestinian territory.
