The Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine raised alarm over the repeated attempts of the Israeli occupation authorities to seize the properties of the Armenian Patriarchate in occupied Jerusalem. The most recent incident was the forcible evacuation of the “Cow Park” property, situated within the premises of the Armenian Patriarchate yesterday, accompanied by the brutal assault of the Israeli police against clergy and Armenian residents who were defending their property.
In a statement released by its Head and Member of the PLO Executive Committee, Dr. Ramzi Khouri, the Committee condemned these persistent attempts to appropriate the properties of the Armenian Patriarchate. The “Cow’s Garden” property, situated within the premises of the Armenian Patriarchate, has been subject to multiple attacks by Israeli occupation forces and extreme settler groups.
These actions are seen as part of the broader colonial agenda, adopted, supported, funded and implemented by the extreme racist Israeli government aimed at Judaizing Jerusalem and altering the cultural, historical and religious component of the city, the statement added.
The Committee unequivocally denounced these heinous crimes, which constitute a blatant violation of international law and represent a grave encroachment upon the sanctity of religious sites. Despite these challenges, the Committee praised the resilience demonstrated by the Armenian community in safeguarding its historical and cultural heritage.
Moreover, the Committee highlighted the escalating assaults on Churches and their properties in occupied Jerusalem, coinciding with continued incursion into the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound by Israeli occupation forces and settlers, coupled with the restriction of access on worshippers during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Such actions reflect a troubling ideological alignment between the government and its settler factions, acting as the executive arm of its aggressive Judaization policies, aimed at erasing the Palestinian Muslim and Christian identity of Jerusalem.
The committee reiterated that these crimes against Holy Sites and properties occur amidst the ongoing genocide and starvation inflicted upon the Palestinian people in Gaza, as well as the continuous crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces and settlers in the cities, villages, and refugee camps of the occupied West Bank.
The committee called for urgent international action from all churches worldwide and relevant legal and human rights institutions to intervene and put an end to the occupation’s violations. The Committee demanded an end to Israel’s forcible takeover and persecution of Church properties and institutions to advance its colonial expansionist schemes. The committee warns of the dire consequences of these practices on the preservation of the Christian presence in the holy city and stresses the need for immediate action to uphold justice and protect the rights of all communities in Jerusalem.
