In Israel this week, the heads of the major Christian denominations in the country-- Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Latin Catholic, and Ethiopian Orthodox-- signed a joint statement (
full text) protesting two recent actions by the Israeli government, calling them "a systematic attempt to undermine the integrity of the Holy City of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and to weaken the Christian presence." As explained by the
Jerusalem Post:
The first is a Jerusalem District Court ruling from last month saying that the purchase of three major compounds adjacent to Jaffa Gate in the Old City were carried out legally, and as a result, were transferred from the Greek-Orthodox church to the rightwing NGO Ateret Kohanim Yeshiva....
The second issue is a bill proposed by the Kulanu MK Rachel Azaria which is signed by 39 other MKs across the political spectrum, that seeks to nationalize lands owned by churches in west Jerusalem and sold to private entrepreneurs....
Churches leased the disputed properties in west Jerusalem to the Jewish National Fund, mainly in the 1950s, parts of which ... [were then] sold to residents living there. In the next 20-50 years the lease periods will end, and the churches have reportedly sold parcels of the land to private entrepreneurs – a deal that ... creates future uncertainty....
The bill proposes to compensate all sides that would be harmed from the nationalizing of land.
