Holy Land: Thousands of Israeli settlers descend on Church property

Buses and cars that brought the settlers

Source: Fides

On Friday, 21 February 2020, thousands of Israeli settlers entered without permission and gathered on land belonging to the Latin Patriarchate in Tayasir, near Tubas in the northern West Bank, in clear violation of private property. The crowds of Israeli settlers arrived aboard dozens of buses and cars. A few days earlier, settlers had brought herds of cows to the Patriarchate lands and caused considerable damage there.

In a statement the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem expressed grave concern not only over the settlers' violations of its properties, but also at the lack of action by the Israeli authorities to put an end to such offences.

The intimidating illegal acts perpetrated by groups of settlers must also be understood in light of the recent unilateral choices made by the US Administration regarding the present and future fate of the Palestinian lands occupied by Israel. The "solution" project of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict launched by the US on January 28, defined by President Donald Trump as "the plan of the century," gave Israel permission to extend sovereignty to settler settlements scattered in the West Bank - but at the same time asked Israel to freeze the construction of new settlements for four years.

A few days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that more than 5,000 new homes for Israeli settlers will be built in key areas of East Jerusalem, in the neighbourhoods of Har Homa and Givat Hamatos. Both neighbourhoods are located in the last lands that connect the Palestinian areas of the West Bank to East Jerusalem.