Jerusalem, June 18, 2026
Photo: jerusalem-patriarchate.info
Israeli forces carried out a raid on Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem land in the Silwan neighborhood of Jerusalem on Monday, June 15, forcibly removing the Patriarchate’s representative, confiscating his equipment, uprooting trees, and enclosing the property with fencing and gates.
The seized land is registered in the Patriarchate’s name under official records, lying adjacent to an ancient monastery, containing historical, archaeological, and religious features. The Patriarchate described the operation as an unlawful and illegitimate seizure of established Church property and said it sets a dangerous precedent for Church rights in Jerusalem.
Israeli authorities relied on a municipal gardening order issued on April 18, 2019, whose term expired in April 2024. The Patriarchate said the expired order provides no lawful basis for uprooting trees, removing the caretaker, sealing off the land, or denying the Patriarchate access to its own property.
The Patriarchate placed the Silwan incident within a broader pattern of attacks on the Christian presence in the Holy Land. It said 111 attacks or acts of violence against Christian clergy, nuns, worshippers, and church communities were recorded in 2024, including 35 targeting churches, monasteries, and religious symbols.
The statement also recalled the Israeli army’s strike on the compound of St. Porphyrius Church in Gaza on October 19, 2023, which killed 18 civilians, and a strike on Holy Family Church on July 17, 2025, which killed three civilians and injured Fr. Gabriel Romanelli.
The Patriarchate said protecting Church property is a spiritual and historical trust, and cited the Gospel passage “Blessed are the peacemakers,” calling for respect for law, property, holy places, and the dignity of Jerusalem’s Christian presence.
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