The Jerusalem Patriarchate has accused Israeli authorities of seizing church land in Siloam

The Patriarchate of Jerusalem has expressed deep concern over the actions of the Israeli authorities on church property in Siloam, Jerusalem, calling the incident an “illegal and bad-faith seizure” and a “dangerous precedent” for the rights of the Churches in the Holy City. According to the Orthodoxia News Agency, the incident concerns a plot of land that, according to the Patriarchate, is officially registered in its name.

According to the statement, on June 15, 2026, during the operation, a representative of the Patriarchate was forcibly removed from the site, his equipment was confiscated, trees were uprooted, and the plot itself was fenced off with a gate, effectively restricting access to the property. An article by the Orthodoxia News Agency notes that this is plot No. 6 in block 29985, located next to an ancient monastery and of historical, archaeological, and religious significance.

The Patriarchate rejected as legally invalid the reference to a municipal permit for gardening work issued on April 18, 2019, and set to expire in April 2024. In its view, this document provides no basis for cutting down trees, removing the lawful caretaker, fencing off church land, or barring the Patriarchate itself from accessing its property.

The statement emphasizes that the situation in Siloam is part of a broader context of increasing pressure on the Christian presence in the Holy Land. The Patriarchate asserts that this is part of “an expanding campaign of attacks aimed at weakening the indigenous Christian presence” in the region. Separately, the statement cites 111 attacks or acts of violence against Christian clergy, nuns, believers, and communities in 2024, 35 of which targeted churches, monasteries, and religious symbols.

The Patriarchate also recalled the tragedies in Gaza: the strike on the St. Porphyrius Monastery complex on October 19, 2023, which killed 18 civilians, and the attack on the Catholic Church of the Holy Family on July 17, 2025, which resulted in the deaths of three people and the wounding of Father Gabriel Romanelli. In conclusion, the Patriarchate stated that the protection of church property is a spiritual and historical legacy, and that the Gospel call “Blessed are the peacemakers” entails respect for the law, property, holy sites, and the dignity of Jerusalem’s authentic Christian presence.

As a reminder, it was previously reported that the Donald Trump administration, in collaboration with the Israeli government, is actively working on a large-scale plan to change the status of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The plan involves stripping the Jordanian Hashemite monarchy of its historical right to administer the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and transforming the holy site into an international interfaith center.