The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has filed a lawsuit and called for international intervention following the seizure of its property in occupied East Jerusalem, denouncing the act as an unlawful land grab and a threat to Christian presence.
This incident highlights ongoing tensions over land ownership and religious rights in Jerusalem, potentially escalating diplomatic friction and raising concerns about the future of Christian presence in the Holy Land.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has denounced the "unlawful and illegitimate" seizure of its property in occupied East Jerusalem. In a statement on Wednesday, the Patriarchate expressed grave concern over an Israeli raid and land grab targeting its Church property in Silwan, which occurred on Monday.
During the operation, the Patriarchate's representative was forcibly removed, equipment was confiscated, trees were uprooted, and the property was enclosed with fencing and gates. The Patriarchate asserts that the disputed land, adjacent to the Monastery of St Onuphrius, is registered under its ownership and warns that this seizure sets a dangerous precedent for Church rights in Jerusalem.
The statement described the incident as part of a broader policy aimed at seizing Palestinian land, including private property, public land, religious endowments, and church-owned assets. It characterized the seizure as an "unlawful and illegitimate seizure of established Church property in the heart of Jerusalem" and part of "a wider pattern of escalating assaults aimed at weakening the indigenous Christian presence in the Holy Land."
For decades, Silwan and other Palestinian neighborhoods surrounding Jerusalem’s Old City have been targets for Israeli settlement expansion since Israel's occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967. Israeli authorities have accelerated demolition and seizure of Palestinian properties in the neighborhood since October 2023.
The Patriarchate also raised concerns over repeated attacks on Christian worshippers, communities, religious symbols, and church properties across Palestine, citing the Israeli army’s strike on Saint Porphyrius Church on October 19, 2023, which killed 18 civilians, and a strike on Holy Family Church on July 17, 2025, which killed 3 civilians and injured Father Gabriel Romanelli.
The Patriarchate has initiated a lawsuit to recover access to the seized property and called on the international community to intervene immediately with responsible authorities to stop endangering Church properties in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the Holy Land, stating that "Religious freedom begins with respect for law, property, holy places, and the dignity of Jerusalem’s authentic Christian presence."