By Helleniscope’s Editorial Team
Our main photo (above) and the drone video (below) of the Holy Monastery of St. Gerasimos of the Jordan in the occupied West Bank (Israel) reveal a breathtaking compound—golden domes rising above lush cultivated groves, encircled by fortified walls and surrounded by the stark beauty of the Judean desert.
St. Gerasimos—also known as Deir Hajla—was founded in the 5th century by the ascetic monk St. Gerasimos, who lived during the reign of Emperor Anastasius I. It lies about 3.5 km west of the Jordan River and 6 km north of the Dead Sea, and is a spiritual and historical beacon of the Greek Orthodox Church. The monastery has served for centuries as a place of pilgrimage, monastic discipline, and cultural preservation, drawing tens of thousands of faithful and tourists annually.
What Happened Recently
In recent weeks, Israeli settlers have illegally encroached upon the monastery’s lands, establishing new settlement outposts in its vicinity. These outposts are typically the first stage in a well-documented pattern: securing a foothold on land, fencing it off, expanding the built structures, and ultimately absorbing it into the broader settlement network. Reports indicate that settlers have blocked monastery access roads, disrupted the irrigation of its cultivated groves, and marked areas for “security perimeters” that cut into church farmland.
Such tactics are not isolated; they form part of a wider settlement strategy aimed at seizing any productive land in the West Bank that does not already belong to Jewish settlers or state-controlled bodies.
Why This Matters
In the Middle East, and especially in Israel, where cultivable land is scarce and the political vision of “Greater Israel” remains embedded in nationalist discourse, productive or symbolically significant property is rarely left in non-Zionist hands. When such land belongs to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, history shows that it becomes a prime target for acquisition—by purchase, coercion, or outright encroachment.
The Long History of Patriarchate Land Grab By the Zionists
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem is the second-largest private landowner in Israel. Over the decades, vast swathes of its holdings in Jerusalem and the West Bank have been transferred to Israeli state bodies or settler organizations. On the surface, many of these transactions were framed as voluntary sales. In reality, documented accounts reveal blackmail, political pressure, and legal manipulation.
In 2005, Patriarch Irenaios was deposed after revelations of land sales in East Jerusalem to settler group Ateret Cohanim—a deal the Holy Synod deemed unauthorized (Wikipedia, The Guardian).
In 2022, the Israeli Supreme Court upheld Ateret Cohanim’s acquisition of key Christian Quarter properties at Jaffa Gate, despite accusations of corruption and improper conduct (Haaretz).
Large parcels in Talbiya and other prime neighborhoods were sold for sums far below market value, raising suspicions of duress rather than economic necessity (Middle East Eye, WRMEA).
Corruption Within the Jerusalem Patriarchate
The Jerusalem Patriarchate has faced repeated corruption scandals involving its senior leadership, often tied to controversial land deals. The most infamous case occurred in 2005, when then-Patriarch Irenaios was deposed after it was revealed that prime Patriarchate properties at Jaffa Gate were secretly leased for 99 years to the settler organization Ateret Cohanim. The transaction—facilitated through intermediaries—was widely condemned by Palestinian Christians and other Orthodox faithful as a betrayal, with accusations that the Patriarch had been influenced by bribes and political pressure. Subsequent court documents and media investigations showed irregularities in the decision-making process and a lack of transparency in the Patriarchate’s property management.
Similar concerns have persisted under later Patriarchs. Critics allege that land has been sold or leased for far below market value, with decisions made behind closed doors by a small circle of high-ranking clergy, often without consultation with the broader church community. In 2017, protests erupted in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth after revelations that the Patriarchate had sold over 500 dunams (123 acres) of land in West Jerusalem to anonymous companies linked to Israeli interests. Demonstrators accused the leadership of acting in their own political and financial interests rather than safeguarding the church’s historic holdings for the Orthodox faithful.
Pressure Tactics Against Church Leadership
Israeli governments have, at times, withheld official recognition of Patriarchs, frozen church accounts, and restricted visas for Greek clergy—allegedly conditioning relief on cooperation with land transfers (Wikipedia). This systemic pressure has made resisting sales extremely difficult.
Today, we are witnessing an even bolder phase: land is being seized or settled openly, often without the legal fig leaves once used to mask the process.
Greece’s Role
The Greek state has officially expressed concern over such seizures and continues to support the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Given that hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visit Orthodox holy sites annually, there has never been an economic justification for selling core properties. The forced transfers—whether through coercive legal means or outright land grabs—are not acts of mutual consent but part of a long-standing pattern of dispossession.
Conclusion
The aerial and drone images of St. Gerasimos are more than just beautiful visuals—they are documentation of what stands to be lost. If unchecked, these seizures will not only strip the Patriarchate of vital lands but will also erode the Christian presence in the Holy Land. This is not just a property dispute—it is a Zionist crime against cultural, historical, and spiritual heritage.
August 9, 2025, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
Omg! This is horrendous. What does the Greek government plan to do about this? Orthodox Christianity will never be destroyed no matter how hard they try to steal land, churches, and monasteries.
This makes me both angry and sad!