Israeli security forces raided a church-owned plot in Jerusalem and fenced off the area, depriving the clergy of access to the property.
The Jerusalem Patriarchate protested the seizure of church property in the Silwan area, which took place on June 15, 2026, reports the press service of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. During the operation, police used force against a Church representative, confiscated his equipment, and cut down trees on the plot.
The seized land, officially registered in the name of the Patriarchate, is located next to an ancient monastery and has high archaeological and religious value. The occupiers fenced off the private area and blocked the gate, depriving the clergy of access to the property.
The Patriarchate emphasized that the authorities justified the raid with a municipal “greening” order from 2019, whose validity had already expired in April 2024. Consequently, the security forces had no legal grounds to expel the lawful caretaker and block access to the church land.
The Jerusalem Church noted that protecting church property is a historic duty and a guarantee of preserving the Christian presence in Jerusalem.
As the UOJ reported, Patriarch Theophilos discussed the protection of Jerusalem with Erdoğan.
The Israeli Messiah is taking note of the Israeli actions.
Since Jerusalem from “The Holy Land,” the source of Christianity is no longer hospitable to the heirs of Christology and likewise in Turkey – St. Sophia – today is under siege. It may be time to dis-engage and seek
refuge elsewhere from the enemies of Hellenic Religious Culture which defined Byzantium’s Socio/Political
Civilization for over one thousand years, with mixed feelings, today we are a perplexed product from the historical period from the Middle East. My Fellow Hellenes and Phil-Hellenes Time To RESET!! The Hellenic
Language and its spiritual dynamic power will never die!
Forgive me but What do you mean by seeking refuge elsewhere?This issue is not about seeking refuge. It’s about protecting and preserving the ancient holy sites where Jesus walked and taught, the sites embellished by the generosity and piety of Saints Helen and Constantin, the sites of Christian pilgrimage of millions of Christians all over the globe. These sites cannot be moved but if the people who guard and protect them leave, the holy sites will be destroyed by the extremist and fanatical Jewish Zionists, who even during times of peace, have tried to bowl over churches and monasteries. These people have no regard or respect for any other culture or beliefs other than their own, like the Turks who destroyed the Parthenon, just because it was Greek. Helleniscope is right to raise awareness of Israeli lawlessness so that more people and nations stand up to them and oppose their ethnocentric violence against peaceful others. That is what we all need to do; not run away to seek refuge elsewhere.
By the way, Helleniscope, is there any way to make the godless Greek government protest against this arbitrary Zionist church-bashing?
Irene – those who govern Greece are not only godless but are also traitors… And they have become a puppet of the Israeli government. A couple of years ago in the infamous wiretapping scandal it was revealed that Mitsotakis was using Israeli software (“predator”), operated by Israeli intelligence agents, to monitor his political enemies and also his friends… need I say anything more?
No wonder the Israeli Government feels justified in persecuting the Orthodox Churches and Monasteries in the Holy Land. Christians are truly “not of this world,” for there is nothing and no one in THIS world to defend us. This is why we must first arm ourselves with the full armour of God, and then join forces at the grass roots level to support our churches, monasteries and one another, all over the globe.