07/09/2020 Israel (International Christian Concern) – This past Tuesday, 13 church leaders in Jerusalem produced a joint statement against the Israeli court’s decision regarding the Greek Orthodox Church’s properties. The statement called the decision part of an undertaking “to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem.”

The Greek Orthodox are advocating that the courts cancel the sale of three Old City properties to the settler organization Ateret Cohanim on the basis that the sales were corrupt. At the end of June, Israel’s court rejected the Greek Orthodox Church’s position.

Several leaders joined to support the Greek Church in their latest statement. This included Armenian Patriarch Nourhan Manougian, Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of the Holy Land Pierbattista Pizzabella, and Father Francesco Patton. Their statement asks that the Israeli government would respect the cultural and religious significance of this Christian site.

The statement continues to explain that the Holy Sites in Jerusalem are the center of pilgrimages for millions of Christians each year, and thus they should be protected. These Christian leaders urge the Jerusalem District Court to reconsider its decision.

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