In a sharply worded letter to Israel’s Minister for the Protection of the Environment, leaders of the historic churches in Jerusalem describe Israel’s plan to extend the Jerusalem Walls National Park by an additional 68 acres as “a direct and premeditated attack on the Christians in the Holy Land, on the churches and on their ancient, internationally guaranteed rights in the Holy City.”
According to an article in Sunday’s The Times of Israel, a map of the proposed extension shared internally among municipal officials includes large swaths of the Mount of Olives and parts of the Kidron and Ben Hinnon Valleys—properties privately owned by Palestinians and Franciscan, Armenian and Greek Orthodox Churches.
Friday’s letter, addressed to Israel’s environment minister Tamar Zandberg, was written by Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, Catholic Church Custos of the Holy Land Francesco Patton, and Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem Nourhan Manougian. The patriarchs describe the Mount of Olives as “one of the holiest sites for Christianity. It hosts some of the most important shrines for Christians.” The letter continues, “In recent years, we cannot help but feel that various entities are seeking to minimize, not to say eliminate any non-Jewish characteristics of the Holy City….”
The patriarchs acknowledge that the current plan has been officially put forward by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA), which operates under the authority of the environmental protection ministry. However, they claim, “it seems that [the plan] was put forward and is being orchestrated, advanced and promoted by entities whose apparent sole purpose is to confiscate and nationalize one of the holiest sites for Christianity and alter its nature.”
Without their naming the City of David Foundation (referred to in Hebrew as Elad), the Heads of Churches are clearly referring to Elad and other settler organizations that, with the blessing of the INPA, oversee much of the development and archeological digs in the park. Elad has been widely criticized by many, including Israeli NGOs, as a highly ideological nonprofit that promotes a nationalist political agenda.
“Under the guise of protecting green spaces,” the patriarch’s letter continues, “the plan appears to serve an ideological agenda that denies the status and rights of Christians in Jerusalem.”
“Under the guise of protecting green spaces,” the patriarch’s letter continues, “the plan appears to serve an ideological agenda that denies the status and rights of Christians in Jerusalem.”
Today, four Israeli peace and human rights organizations working together to see that the plan is cancelled, issued a Joint Alert. In their comprehensive report, Bimkom, Emek Shaveh, Ir Amim and Peace Now describe the impact of the proposed plan. “Palestinian neighborhoods will be cut off from the Old City and residential development for these communities will be further limited.” The statement points to nearly 20 Christian sites that are either in or surrounded by the area designated by the expansion, resulting “in a narrow Christian enclave encircled by areas of Israeli control and dominance.”
“This plan,” the alert charges, “initiated without any dialogue with Christian stakeholders in Jerusalem, indicates an Israeli disregard and contempt for the churches and Christians worldwide.”
“Regretfully,” the patriarchs charge in their statement, “this is not the first time the INPA is playing a hostile role against the Churches and the Christian presence in the Holy Land. We are saddened to see such an important Authority being misused in this way.”
According to The Times of Israel, a spokeswoman for the INPA acknowledged that the churches don’t support the project. But she insisted that the proposed park extension won’t hurt the churches, that it “is designed to preserve the historic terrain, as national parks are meant to do.”
But the Joint Alert by Bimkom, Emek Shaveh Ir Amim and Peace Now argues that the plan’s “sole purpose (alongside other discriminatory laws and policies) is to serve a religious right-wing agenda for the Old City Basin. It is a cynical misuse of heritage and environment protections discourse as a tool for justifying settlement expansion, restricting Palestinian development, and further entrenching Israeli sovereignty.”
Daniel Seidemann, founder of Terrestrial Jerusalem, is a globally recognized legal expert on issues related to Jerusalem. In a tweet posted Saturday, he wrote, “The importance of this [planned extension] cannot be exaggerated. If I am not mistaken, this creates a rift and the most serious crisis between Israel and the major world churches in Jerusalem since 1948.”
ABC News reported this morning that, “following vociferous outcry from major churches,” the Israel Nature and Parks Authority was backing down from the plan. Longtime observers of the Palestine/Israel situation may greet this announcement with skepticism. Emek Shaveh’s Talya Ezrahi says, “We’re not holding our breath until we hear that the plan is completely withdrawn.”
So when it was the Palestinians, their lands, their historical buildings, Mosques, and homes being demolished, bulldozed, and lands stolen, the Evangelicals, and Christians in America, said and did nothing. Now it looks like the Christians are getting the same discriminatory treatment from these arrogant zionists, so what are the Christian Congresspeople, who keep voting to send billions of dollars, and deadly weapons to the occupier, going to say about that? Didn’t they realize that enabling Israel’s crimes, will one day come back to haunt them?
“…indicates an Israeli disregard and contempt for the churches and Christians worldwide.”
And the roots of that contempt are here:
“As mob of Jewish supremacists unleash ‘pogrom’ against Palestinians in Jerusalem– AIPAC crows about 331 Congress members standing by Israel”
https://mondoweiss.net/2021/04/as-mob-of-jewish-supremacists-unleash-pogrom-against-palestinians-in-jerusalem-aipac-crows-about-331-congress-members-standing-by-israel/
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RGB Media – Responsive Email Template (972mag.com)
TheLandline: “Is Israel giving the far right the escalation it seeks?” Feb. 20/22 by Oren Ziv. 972 Magazine, Feb. 20/22
“Last week, +972 Magazine teamed up with The Intercept and Local Call for a deeply-reported story on how Israeli forces killed three young Palestinian men — members of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades — in broad daylight in Nablus on Feb. 8. While authorities claimed the Border Police officers responsible for the deaths were only returning fire as they attempted to arrest the three, eyewitness testimonies and a video released days after the killings leave no room for doubt: the officers were on an assassination mission.
“The atmosphere in Nablus remained fraught the day after the assault, with many residents too shocked and afraid to speak. Since the Second Intifada, Israel has almost completely ceased conducting targeted assassinations in the West Bank, and there was growing concern among Palestinians that the army might be bringing back the policy. Family members of two of the slain Palestinians even said that in the months leading up to the assassination, they had received repeated, threatening phones calls from the Shin Bet demanding they turn in their children or siblings — ‘or else.’
“As we were carrying out our investigation, the army killed another two Palestinians. On Sunday, soldiers fatally shot Muhammad Akram Ali Taher in the northern West Bank, during a punitive home demolition; the house belonged to a Palestinian suspected of involvement in the murder of a settler in the extremist Homesh outpost. The following Wednesday, soldiers shot and killed Nihad Amin al-Barghouti in the village of Nabi Saleh.
“Does the assassination in Nablus truly signal an attempt by Israel to light a powder keg in the West Bank? Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, believes it does. ‘It was an act of provocation meant to convey a message to Palestinian leaders that ‘we are the boss,’ she said. ‘They talk about reducing the conflict, but they are expanding it.'” (cont’d)
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“Meanwhile, far-right Member of Knesset Itamar Ben-Gvir was, for the second time, busy building a makeshift ‘parliamentary office’ — which effectively functioned as a settler outpost — in Sheikh Jarrah, this time in front of the home of the Salem family. The Salems, who have faced repeated violence by settlers over the past month, are facing imminent expulsion from the neighborhood. On his arrival, Ben-Gvir was flanked by dozens of police officers who set their sights on the Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah, rather than on Ben-Gvir and the settlers.
“Both Ben-Gvir and the Palestinians remember that the last time he came to the neighborhood to make trouble, it ended in war and violence across Israel-Palestine — in Jerusalem, Gaza, Ramle, Lydd, and beyond.
“The assassination in Nablus was signed off by the Israeli government. In Sheikh Jarrah, the violence is being carried out by a Kahanist ‘extremist.’ Neither have yet brought about a redo of the events of May 2021. But if there is something we can learn from last May, it is that even sporadic incidents can lead to a surge of violence. And it is very possible that there are those in Israel — whether they are Prime Minister Naftali Bennett or MK Itamar Ben-Gvir — who are interested in just that.
“Last week, the violence spread from Nablus to Sheikh Jarrah to Jerusalem’s Old City, where right-wing extremists held a small march and attacked Palestinian onlookers. As settler provocations inch closer to the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque, there is a greater chance the Palestinian public — whether in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, or inside Israel — will take to the streets, just as it did last year.”
Update:
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-jerusalem-church-leaders-slam-plan-to-expand-national-park-abutting-old-city-1.10624127