In the wake of settler encroachments on lands owned by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the West Bank, the Patriarchate’s Endowment Department met April 23 with military authorities and civil administration to request immediate support.
The department confirmed that “protecting Church endowment properties is a red line. It will continue to take all legal and administrative steps needed to protect their sanctity, preserve their Church identity, defend their lawful rights, and continue supporting the local people,” an April 23 press release from the Patriarchate states.
The department held a field meeting with the authorities in the areas of Tayasir and Haman Il-Maleh, discussing “the serious effects” of the encroachments in the Tayasir area of Tubas Governorate. During the meeting, the Patriarchate denounced the settlers’ actions “as a clear violation of Church properties,” the release states.
The Patriarchate requested that the situation not only be resolved but also that the authorities guarantee future protections.
“It called for the immediate removal of all damage caused, prevention of any future intrusions into these areas, and the provision of legal protection for the Patriarchate’s lands,” the release explains. “Representatives of the relevant authorities acknowledged the seriousness of the matter and committed to the immediate removal of the encroachments, and continuing legal action against those involved.”
As an additional legal action, the department submitted a formal complaint detailing “the attacks against local residents and Patriarchate lands in several locations,” according to the release. Upon receiving the complaint, authorities started tracking down the perpetrators and “seizing heavy machinery used for land destruction and damage at the site.”
The release adds that Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, was fully informed of the updates and instructed local affected communities to receive all possible support “during these difficult circumstances.”
Zeale News has previously covered reports of settler attacks in the West Bank, where the Christian-majority town of Taybeh is located, among other communities that have been affected.
In the April 23 meeting, “the Patriarchate also confirmed its support for the people and residents of the area, and its continued commitment to helping them remain steadfast, protect their dignity, and live in safety and stability,” the release states, “in line with the Church’s humanitarian mission in service of people and land.”
Cardinal Pizzaballa has previously spoken out with concern for the conflict in the West Bank, saying in a March 15 webinar that “the situation is deteriorating constantly.”
“Almost every day there are attacks by settlers on Palestinian villages,” he said at the time. “There are now almost a thousand checkpoints; Palestinians still struggle to move about, and permits have largely been cancelled.”