Holy Land: Latin Patriarchate protests at Israeli seizure of church land

Israeli army bulldozers on church land

Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem/Ma'an

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has issued the following statement, in response to a letter from the Israeli army announcing that it is confiscating land which belongs to the Church:

"The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem objects to the Israeli military authorities' decision, of which a copy was received on 27 November 2018, to the effect of the appropriation of several dunums of land belonging to the Patriarchate in the northern Jordan Valley.

"The Patriarchate is looking into the aspects of this decision in order to address it in the appropriate manner, have it contested and to stop further damage."

The Islamic Christian Council said the Israeli authorities seized 267 dunams (66 acres) of church land in the Palestinian villages of Bardala and Tayasir in the northern occupied West Bank district of Tubas and the northern Jordan Valley.

The council added Israel claimed the appropriation of the land was for "military purposes," in order to turn it into an army camp, which is a "blatant violation of humanitarian law."

A spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, said the seizure is a strategy which seeks to control the land and expand illegal Israeli settlements across the Jordan Valley.