18 june 2015
The Israeli arson attack on Taghba church on Thursday is a new proof of Israeli racism, Hamas spokesman Husam Badran said.
Badran described burning Tabgha church as a criminal act that aims at obliterating and changing the historic landmarks in Palestine.
Jewish extremists at dawn Thursday set fire to one of the most famous Catholic churches in 1948 Occupied Palestine, damaging the roof and burning prayer books.
Two persons were injured and the Jewish fanatics wrote racist Torah slogans on the church’s entrance.
Hamas leader Badran said this crime is a result of continuous incitement policy adopted by Israeli figures and institutions of high political, religious and media levels. He underlined that the extremist Jewish groups enjoy legal coverage to their crimes that guarantees their escape of prosecution.
Badran asked competent authorities concerned with the Palestinian cause and heritage to expose Israel's crimes and to condemn its practices which run contrary to international norms and regulations.
Badran described burning Tabgha church as a criminal act that aims at obliterating and changing the historic landmarks in Palestine.
Jewish extremists at dawn Thursday set fire to one of the most famous Catholic churches in 1948 Occupied Palestine, damaging the roof and burning prayer books.
Two persons were injured and the Jewish fanatics wrote racist Torah slogans on the church’s entrance.
Hamas leader Badran said this crime is a result of continuous incitement policy adopted by Israeli figures and institutions of high political, religious and media levels. He underlined that the extremist Jewish groups enjoy legal coverage to their crimes that guarantees their escape of prosecution.
Badran asked competent authorities concerned with the Palestinian cause and heritage to expose Israel's crimes and to condemn its practices which run contrary to international norms and regulations.
|
Police suspect arson at Galilee church where Jesus performed miracle of multiplication of the loaves and the fishes.
Fire gutted part of the Church of Loaves and Fishes on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel on Thursday and investigators suspected arson as a possible cause, a police spokesman said. The church, which Christians believe is where Jesus performed the Miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and the Fishes, lies on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and is a traditional site of pilgrimage in the Holy Land. Two people were lightly hurt from smoke inhalation. |
A spokesman for the
fire brigade said a preliminary investigation showed the blaze broke out
in several places inside the church, evidence that it was started
deliberately.
The nationalist crimes unit of the Israeli police's West Bank settlement division is investigating the incident. Police said they initially arrested 16 youths, all religious Jewish seminary students from West Bank settlements, but released them shortly after. Their lawyer, Itamar Ben Gvir, told Army Radio the police had no evidence against the youths and that they were under suspicion simply for looking like young settlers.
Father Matthias Karl, a German monk from the church, said a souvenir shop, an office for pilgrims and a meeting room were badly damaged, and bibles and prayer books were destroyed in the fire.
"It's totally destroyed. The fire was very active," he said.
A monk and a church volunteer were hospitalized from smoke inhalation, but the prayer area of the church was unaffected by the fire, he said.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said investigators were at the site and Hebrew graffiti had been found, which led police and fire service investigators to suspect that the fire had been set deliberately.
"Firefighters arrived at the scene at around 3:30 am (12:30 am GMT) and it was put out, but extensive damage was caused to the church both inside and out and Hebrew graffiti was found, which has led to suspicions that the fire might have been caused deliberately," Rosenfeld said.
The graffiti, on a limestone wall in clear red spray paint denounced the worship of idols.
The door to the monks' living quarters has been set ablaze, and the fire then spread to another area down the hall from there. Perpetrators also attempted to start the fire where the graffiti was found.
Firefighters were able to start the blaze before it reached the main prayer hall, where the ceiling is made of wood.
Passersby said unknown perpetrators have been covering the crosses on signs directing to the church for a long period of time before the blaze.
"We still don't know what happened, we're in shock," said one of the other monks. "I woke up at around 4 am because of the noise and saw the flames. I rushed to the church because I knew two of our friends were inside."
"I still don't understand what happened here," he went on to say. "We've never had such incidents. We're a place of peace, love and openness. Everything here is always open to whoever wants to come - maybe that is the problem."
The Rabbis for Human Rights group said there have been 43 hate crime attacks against churches, mosques and monasteries in Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2009.
Dozens of arrests have been made in such cases, but there have been few indictments and convictions, with police and prosecutors acknowledging that the young age of many of the suspected perpetrators has led courts to show leniency.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely condemned Thursday's church burning and said Israel respects freedom of worship for all religions.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan also decried the suspected arson, saying "This is a cowardly and despicable act, which I fiercely condemn."
"We will not allow for someone to break the coexistence of the different religions and cultures in Israel. Any act against religious tolerance is hurting the most important value in the State of Israel, and we have zero patience for acts of this type," the minister said.
Last year, a group of mostly Jewish youth attacked the Church of the Multiplication's outdoor prayer area along the Sea of Galilee, Father Matthias said, pelting worshippers with stones, destroying a cross and throwing benches into the lake.
The Roman Catholic church is a modern church was constructed in the 1980s on the remains of a fifth-century Byzantine church in Tabgha on the shore of the Kinneret in northern Israel. It is overseen by the Benedictine Order.
Its Byzantine mosaic floor draws thousands of visitors of all faiths each year, Father Matthias said.
Church located on Christian holy site set on fire in Galilee
Unknown arsonists set on fire the Church of the Multiplication, where Christians believe that Jesus multiplied loaves and fishes, and wrote graffiti in Hebrew on the walls that read, "False idols will be smashed" and "Pagans".
The fire was set at about 3 am in the early hours of Thursday morning, severely damaging church offices and storage rooms. The entire church was saturated with smoke damage.
The Church of the Multiplication is believed by Christians to be the site of Jesus’s miracle of multiplying two fish and five loaves to feed 5,000 people.
Several church volunteers suffered from smoke inhalation while trying to extinguish the fire before the firefighters arrived on the scene. The fire was put out several hours after it began.
The church, which is run by the Catholic Benedictine Order, is best known for its fifth-century mosaics, including one depicting two fish flanking a basket of loaves.
Christian churches have been targeted by right-wing Israeli Jewish attacks hundreds of times in recent years.
In May 2014, the Romanian Orthodox Church on Hahoma Hashlishit Street in Jerusalem was defaced in a suspected hate attack. That incident saw the words "price tag", "Jesus is garbage" and "King David for the Jews" spray-painted on the site’s walls.
Two weeks earlier, ahead of a visit to the country by Pope Francis, suspected Jewish extremists daubed hate graffiti on Vatican-owned offices in Jerusalem.
The Hebrew-language graffiti, reading “Death to Arabs and Christians and those who hate Israel,” was sprayed on the walls of the offices of the Assembly of Bishops at the Notre Dame center, a complex just outside the Old City, the Roman Catholic Church said.
Dmitry Diliani, a member of the Fateh revolutionary council, as well as the Secretary-General of the national Christian Assembly in Palestine, issued a statement that the attack on the church represents a practical application of the stances taken by the Israeli government, which funds fanatic groups.
He noted that some of the leaders of those fanatic groups hold political positions in spite of their incitement. By refusing to list those groups as terrorist organizations, Diliani argued, the Israeli Knesset is effectively providing them with legal protection, and is not taking seriously the ongoing, multiple attacks by right-wing Israelis against Christian and Muslim holy sites.
Knesset Member Dr. Basil Khattas was quoted as saying, "Those terrorist groups attack both Christian and Muslim holy sites with impunity. The Israeli government must open a serious investigation into this and other incidents of violence against holy sites."
Israeli authorities say they are investigating to see if the fire was an accident or was intentional. But Christians who live in the area say that the Israeli police are not taking the investigation seriously - adding that this was obviously an anti-Christian hate crime, given the graffiti that was written on the site of the fire.
No arrests have been made in connection with the arson.
The nationalist crimes unit of the Israeli police's West Bank settlement division is investigating the incident. Police said they initially arrested 16 youths, all religious Jewish seminary students from West Bank settlements, but released them shortly after. Their lawyer, Itamar Ben Gvir, told Army Radio the police had no evidence against the youths and that they were under suspicion simply for looking like young settlers.
Father Matthias Karl, a German monk from the church, said a souvenir shop, an office for pilgrims and a meeting room were badly damaged, and bibles and prayer books were destroyed in the fire.
"It's totally destroyed. The fire was very active," he said.
A monk and a church volunteer were hospitalized from smoke inhalation, but the prayer area of the church was unaffected by the fire, he said.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said investigators were at the site and Hebrew graffiti had been found, which led police and fire service investigators to suspect that the fire had been set deliberately.
"Firefighters arrived at the scene at around 3:30 am (12:30 am GMT) and it was put out, but extensive damage was caused to the church both inside and out and Hebrew graffiti was found, which has led to suspicions that the fire might have been caused deliberately," Rosenfeld said.
The graffiti, on a limestone wall in clear red spray paint denounced the worship of idols.
The door to the monks' living quarters has been set ablaze, and the fire then spread to another area down the hall from there. Perpetrators also attempted to start the fire where the graffiti was found.
Firefighters were able to start the blaze before it reached the main prayer hall, where the ceiling is made of wood.
Passersby said unknown perpetrators have been covering the crosses on signs directing to the church for a long period of time before the blaze.
"We still don't know what happened, we're in shock," said one of the other monks. "I woke up at around 4 am because of the noise and saw the flames. I rushed to the church because I knew two of our friends were inside."
"I still don't understand what happened here," he went on to say. "We've never had such incidents. We're a place of peace, love and openness. Everything here is always open to whoever wants to come - maybe that is the problem."
The Rabbis for Human Rights group said there have been 43 hate crime attacks against churches, mosques and monasteries in Israel, the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2009.
Dozens of arrests have been made in such cases, but there have been few indictments and convictions, with police and prosecutors acknowledging that the young age of many of the suspected perpetrators has led courts to show leniency.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely condemned Thursday's church burning and said Israel respects freedom of worship for all religions.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan also decried the suspected arson, saying "This is a cowardly and despicable act, which I fiercely condemn."
"We will not allow for someone to break the coexistence of the different religions and cultures in Israel. Any act against religious tolerance is hurting the most important value in the State of Israel, and we have zero patience for acts of this type," the minister said.
Last year, a group of mostly Jewish youth attacked the Church of the Multiplication's outdoor prayer area along the Sea of Galilee, Father Matthias said, pelting worshippers with stones, destroying a cross and throwing benches into the lake.
The Roman Catholic church is a modern church was constructed in the 1980s on the remains of a fifth-century Byzantine church in Tabgha on the shore of the Kinneret in northern Israel. It is overseen by the Benedictine Order.
Its Byzantine mosaic floor draws thousands of visitors of all faiths each year, Father Matthias said.
Church located on Christian holy site set on fire in Galilee
Unknown arsonists set on fire the Church of the Multiplication, where Christians believe that Jesus multiplied loaves and fishes, and wrote graffiti in Hebrew on the walls that read, "False idols will be smashed" and "Pagans".
The fire was set at about 3 am in the early hours of Thursday morning, severely damaging church offices and storage rooms. The entire church was saturated with smoke damage.
The Church of the Multiplication is believed by Christians to be the site of Jesus’s miracle of multiplying two fish and five loaves to feed 5,000 people.
Several church volunteers suffered from smoke inhalation while trying to extinguish the fire before the firefighters arrived on the scene. The fire was put out several hours after it began.
The church, which is run by the Catholic Benedictine Order, is best known for its fifth-century mosaics, including one depicting two fish flanking a basket of loaves.
Christian churches have been targeted by right-wing Israeli Jewish attacks hundreds of times in recent years.
In May 2014, the Romanian Orthodox Church on Hahoma Hashlishit Street in Jerusalem was defaced in a suspected hate attack. That incident saw the words "price tag", "Jesus is garbage" and "King David for the Jews" spray-painted on the site’s walls.
Two weeks earlier, ahead of a visit to the country by Pope Francis, suspected Jewish extremists daubed hate graffiti on Vatican-owned offices in Jerusalem.
The Hebrew-language graffiti, reading “Death to Arabs and Christians and those who hate Israel,” was sprayed on the walls of the offices of the Assembly of Bishops at the Notre Dame center, a complex just outside the Old City, the Roman Catholic Church said.
Dmitry Diliani, a member of the Fateh revolutionary council, as well as the Secretary-General of the national Christian Assembly in Palestine, issued a statement that the attack on the church represents a practical application of the stances taken by the Israeli government, which funds fanatic groups.
He noted that some of the leaders of those fanatic groups hold political positions in spite of their incitement. By refusing to list those groups as terrorist organizations, Diliani argued, the Israeli Knesset is effectively providing them with legal protection, and is not taking seriously the ongoing, multiple attacks by right-wing Israelis against Christian and Muslim holy sites.
Knesset Member Dr. Basil Khattas was quoted as saying, "Those terrorist groups attack both Christian and Muslim holy sites with impunity. The Israeli government must open a serious investigation into this and other incidents of violence against holy sites."
Israeli authorities say they are investigating to see if the fire was an accident or was intentional. But Christians who live in the area say that the Israeli police are not taking the investigation seriously - adding that this was obviously an anti-Christian hate crime, given the graffiti that was written on the site of the fire.
No arrests have been made in connection with the arson.
1 june 2015
Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret, 1896
A group of extremist Jewish settlers disrupted Christian celebrations of Last Supper in Zion Mount southwest of Occupied Jerusalem.
Media sources revealed that dozens of Haredim fanatic Jews got gathered since the morning hours in the vicinity of Last Supper, blocked Christian access to the location and barred them from performing Christian prayers within the Pentecost holiday celebrated by orthodox Christians for two days.
According to Israeli Police’s statement, the fanatic Jewish settlers were forcibly separated in order to allow Christians to practice their prayer.
The Last Supper’s room is a part of King David's Tomb which consists of several buildings of Islamic historical features. It has been controlled by Israel since 1948 when it occupied Palestine and turned it into a synagogue.
Extremist Jews Ban Christian Prayer in Jerusalem
Israeli Jews banned, on Monday, Christian prayer at holy site of Jesus’ Last Supper, calling it “pagan ceremony.”
Witnesses said that clashes erupted between the Israeli Jews and Christians –Palestinian and Israelis– when the Christians wanted to perform their prayer.
The extremists said the Christian worshippers were desecrating their holy site and violating the Jews’ right to pray there, but Vatican representatives denied the claims and referred to the incident as “grave.”
According to witnesses from the area of Mount Zion, where is sacred place is located, such incident is always repeated when extremist Jews undermine Christian prayers in the area.
On Sunday last week, dozens of Jews also attempted to block Christian prayer there for the holiday of Pentecost and were forcibly removed.
“Jews come to pray at Zion, at a holy site, a very internal and intimate place,” extremist Jewish Professor Hillel Weiss told Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth on Sunday. “The priests arrive there to forcibly impose their pagan ceremony, in a place which is sacred to the Jews.”
Weiss argued: “This is an intolerable situation. So it was our full right to ward off the invaders. The Vatican is playing with fire.”
The Mount Zion compound near Jerusalem’s Old City includes, according to religious beliefs, the tomb of King David on the first floor and the room of Jesus’ Last Supper on the second floor.
Israeli newspaper said that David’s Tomb is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Holy Sites and the Last Supper site is under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry. Today Christians are allowed to visit the room, but can only pray in it on two specific days a year.
See also: Israeli Settlers Burn Church in Jerusalem
Settlers Burn Greek Orthodox Church Land In Jerusalem
Israeli Fanatics Burn Section Of A Jerusalem Church
Israeli Threatens To Kill Arab Christians Unless They Leave The Country
A group of extremist Jewish settlers disrupted Christian celebrations of Last Supper in Zion Mount southwest of Occupied Jerusalem.
Media sources revealed that dozens of Haredim fanatic Jews got gathered since the morning hours in the vicinity of Last Supper, blocked Christian access to the location and barred them from performing Christian prayers within the Pentecost holiday celebrated by orthodox Christians for two days.
According to Israeli Police’s statement, the fanatic Jewish settlers were forcibly separated in order to allow Christians to practice their prayer.
The Last Supper’s room is a part of King David's Tomb which consists of several buildings of Islamic historical features. It has been controlled by Israel since 1948 when it occupied Palestine and turned it into a synagogue.
Extremist Jews Ban Christian Prayer in Jerusalem
Israeli Jews banned, on Monday, Christian prayer at holy site of Jesus’ Last Supper, calling it “pagan ceremony.”
Witnesses said that clashes erupted between the Israeli Jews and Christians –Palestinian and Israelis– when the Christians wanted to perform their prayer.
The extremists said the Christian worshippers were desecrating their holy site and violating the Jews’ right to pray there, but Vatican representatives denied the claims and referred to the incident as “grave.”
According to witnesses from the area of Mount Zion, where is sacred place is located, such incident is always repeated when extremist Jews undermine Christian prayers in the area.
On Sunday last week, dozens of Jews also attempted to block Christian prayer there for the holiday of Pentecost and were forcibly removed.
“Jews come to pray at Zion, at a holy site, a very internal and intimate place,” extremist Jewish Professor Hillel Weiss told Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth on Sunday. “The priests arrive there to forcibly impose their pagan ceremony, in a place which is sacred to the Jews.”
Weiss argued: “This is an intolerable situation. So it was our full right to ward off the invaders. The Vatican is playing with fire.”
The Mount Zion compound near Jerusalem’s Old City includes, according to religious beliefs, the tomb of King David on the first floor and the room of Jesus’ Last Supper on the second floor.
Israeli newspaper said that David’s Tomb is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Holy Sites and the Last Supper site is under the jurisdiction of the Interior Ministry. Today Christians are allowed to visit the room, but can only pray in it on two specific days a year.
See also: Israeli Settlers Burn Church in Jerusalem
Settlers Burn Greek Orthodox Church Land In Jerusalem
Israeli Fanatics Burn Section Of A Jerusalem Church
Israeli Threatens To Kill Arab Christians Unless They Leave The Country
30 may 2015
Israeli soldiers attacked, Saturday, scores of Palestinian and international peace activists protesting in front of the Al-Baraka home, near the main Jerusalem-Hebron Road, north of the southern West bank city of Hebron, and kidnapped one Palestinian.
The soldiers kidnapped Yousef Abu Mariya, 45, of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, after attacking him, and took him to an unknown destination.
The protesters marched carrying Palestinian flags and chanting against the ongoing illegal Israeli settlement activities that aim at controlling more Palestinian property and farmlands.
Soldiers attacked the protesters as they marched demanding the removal of extremist Israeli settlers who controlled on old church property, that was constructed as a free tuberculosis treatment center, known as Beit al-Baraka (House of Blessing) more than 70 years ago on 35 Dunams; it shut down in 1983.
Coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements Rateb Jabour said the soldiers attacked the protesters, and tried to prevent them from reaching the site, but they managed to advance.
He added that the protest came to express rejection to Israel’s illegal policies and violations against the Palestinians in different parts of occupied Palestine, especially in areas close to illegal Israeli colonies, built on Palestinian property and lands.
It is worth mentioning that a Swedish lawyer, who represents Beit al-Baraka, denied Israeli allegations that the settlers have purchased the property and the lands around it.
The lawyer said the recent maintenance and construction work in the place is part of the owners’ decision to turn the property into a hotel and park, not a settlement. The settler named the property Bet Bracha.
More than a week ago, Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, right-wing settler, Aryeh King, has allegedly purchased a compound of an abandoned church, three years ago, and started working on it to create a new outpost.
The new settlement is meant to house at least 20 families in the already refurbished eight buildings, including a large commons structure.
Ha'aretz said that the settlers have been conducting massive reconstruction for the last several months, and built a fence around the compound, challenging an order by the Civil Administration Office in the Occupied West Bank, as no permit was issued for the fence.
Related:
Settlers Secretly Establishing New Outpost On Church Compound
The soldiers kidnapped Yousef Abu Mariya, 45, of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, after attacking him, and took him to an unknown destination.
The protesters marched carrying Palestinian flags and chanting against the ongoing illegal Israeli settlement activities that aim at controlling more Palestinian property and farmlands.
Soldiers attacked the protesters as they marched demanding the removal of extremist Israeli settlers who controlled on old church property, that was constructed as a free tuberculosis treatment center, known as Beit al-Baraka (House of Blessing) more than 70 years ago on 35 Dunams; it shut down in 1983.
Coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements Rateb Jabour said the soldiers attacked the protesters, and tried to prevent them from reaching the site, but they managed to advance.
He added that the protest came to express rejection to Israel’s illegal policies and violations against the Palestinians in different parts of occupied Palestine, especially in areas close to illegal Israeli colonies, built on Palestinian property and lands.
It is worth mentioning that a Swedish lawyer, who represents Beit al-Baraka, denied Israeli allegations that the settlers have purchased the property and the lands around it.
The lawyer said the recent maintenance and construction work in the place is part of the owners’ decision to turn the property into a hotel and park, not a settlement. The settler named the property Bet Bracha.
More than a week ago, Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, right-wing settler, Aryeh King, has allegedly purchased a compound of an abandoned church, three years ago, and started working on it to create a new outpost.
The new settlement is meant to house at least 20 families in the already refurbished eight buildings, including a large commons structure.
Ha'aretz said that the settlers have been conducting massive reconstruction for the last several months, and built a fence around the compound, challenging an order by the Civil Administration Office in the Occupied West Bank, as no permit was issued for the fence.
Related:
Settlers Secretly Establishing New Outpost On Church Compound
29 may 2015
A Swedish company established in 2007 was used to cover up the sale and transfer of a West Bank church compound to settlers funded by American millionaire Irving Moskowitz, Israeli media reports.
Spotlight has been held on the church compound, located nearby the Palestinian refugee camp al-'Arroub, between Bethlehem and Hebron, for the last week, due to contradicting allegations regarding the compound's ownership.
According to Ma'an News Agency, Pastor Keith Coleman, head of the church that originally owned the compound since the 1940's, told Haaretz that the compound was sold to a Swedish company called Scandinavian Seamen Holy Land Enterprises in March 2008.
While Coleman believed group was a church group based in Haifa planning to renew the use of the church, Haaretz reported that, "The Swedish group was established in Stockholm in 2007, and seems to have been used as a cover for transferring the ownership of the compound to the settlers. The group does not seem to have any offices."
After buying the property, the Swedish group registered the purchase with the Israeli Civil Administration in 2012 and received necessary approval, the report said.
Following registration with the Civil Administration, the Swedish company announced its dissolution. The group had no offices or assets except for this church compound at the time, Haaretz said.
Ownership was then passed to the nonprofit organization American Friends of the Everest Foundation. The American organization operates from occupied East Jerusalem. and its sole contributor is American millionaire Irving Moskowitz.
Haaretz reports that the Everest Foundation owns several properties in occupied East Jerusalem totaling a value of $12 million.
The report added that Moskowitz is also the main funder behind the activities of Israeli right-wing activist Aryeh King, founder and director of Israel Land Fund, an organization that buys Palestinian property and homes for resale to Jews with the aim of 'Judaizing' occupied East Jerusalem as well as Palestinian neighborhoods in Israel.
The report came after last week Arie Suchovolsky, an lawyer who told Ma'an he represented a Swedish church that owned the compound, rejected claims that the church had been sold, saying that "the church is the owner of the compound, and we are refurbishing it to be a hostel to serve Jews, Muslims and Christians who pass by."
Actual renovations being carried out to prepare the church compound for transformation into a new West Bank outpost comes to the dismay of local Palestinians.
The church lies in a sensitive location, which when settled, will see Israeli settlements stretch all the way from the Gush Etzion settler bloc south of Jerusalem to the cluster of settlements around Hebron.
Spotlight has been held on the church compound, located nearby the Palestinian refugee camp al-'Arroub, between Bethlehem and Hebron, for the last week, due to contradicting allegations regarding the compound's ownership.
According to Ma'an News Agency, Pastor Keith Coleman, head of the church that originally owned the compound since the 1940's, told Haaretz that the compound was sold to a Swedish company called Scandinavian Seamen Holy Land Enterprises in March 2008.
While Coleman believed group was a church group based in Haifa planning to renew the use of the church, Haaretz reported that, "The Swedish group was established in Stockholm in 2007, and seems to have been used as a cover for transferring the ownership of the compound to the settlers. The group does not seem to have any offices."
After buying the property, the Swedish group registered the purchase with the Israeli Civil Administration in 2012 and received necessary approval, the report said.
Following registration with the Civil Administration, the Swedish company announced its dissolution. The group had no offices or assets except for this church compound at the time, Haaretz said.
Ownership was then passed to the nonprofit organization American Friends of the Everest Foundation. The American organization operates from occupied East Jerusalem. and its sole contributor is American millionaire Irving Moskowitz.
Haaretz reports that the Everest Foundation owns several properties in occupied East Jerusalem totaling a value of $12 million.
The report added that Moskowitz is also the main funder behind the activities of Israeli right-wing activist Aryeh King, founder and director of Israel Land Fund, an organization that buys Palestinian property and homes for resale to Jews with the aim of 'Judaizing' occupied East Jerusalem as well as Palestinian neighborhoods in Israel.
The report came after last week Arie Suchovolsky, an lawyer who told Ma'an he represented a Swedish church that owned the compound, rejected claims that the church had been sold, saying that "the church is the owner of the compound, and we are refurbishing it to be a hostel to serve Jews, Muslims and Christians who pass by."
Actual renovations being carried out to prepare the church compound for transformation into a new West Bank outpost comes to the dismay of local Palestinians.
The church lies in a sensitive location, which when settled, will see Israeli settlements stretch all the way from the Gush Etzion settler bloc south of Jerusalem to the cluster of settlements around Hebron.
26 may 2015
Office of Christian Schools in occupied Palestine
On Wednesday, the 27th of May 2015, at 11:00 AM, an unprecedented demonstration will be held in the plaza in front of the Lev Ram building in Jerusalem (Ministry of Education headquarters) by the Christian Schools in Israel protesting on the discriminatory policy of the Ministry of Education towards their schools.
Participants in the demonstration will include clergymen (Bishops, Priests, Nuns, and Pastors) in addition to parents of children in Christian schools throughout the country.
The Christian schools in Israel consist of more than 30,000 students, almost equally divided between Christians and non-Christians. Most of these schools were Palestinian, and began operating years before the establishment of Israel. They were built and developed through donations from abroad. They provided and still providing the general Arab community with quality education that has resulted in the high achievements of the Christian schools. This high quality education is displayed, among other things, in the number of Christian schools listed at the top of the Ministry of Education's published categories. While achieving high academic results, they also teach their students Christian doctrine and instruct them according to the Christian values of loving others, forgiveness and tolerance.
These schools belong to the "recognized but not public" classification of schools in the Ministry of Education and receive partial funding from the Ministry. The rest of their funding comes from fees that are collected from the parents.
For years, the Ministry of Education has been consistently cutting the budget of Christian schools (45% in the last 10 years). This has forced the Christian schools to raise the service fees that are collected from the parents to a level that has become a heavy burden on the parents, especially for parents from the Arab sector where the average family income is well known to be lower than the national average.
Last year the Ministry of Education issued new regulations that even limited the ability of Christian schools to collect fees from the parents. The combination of these two things, substantial budget cuts and limiting allowable fees, is actually viewed as a death penalty for these schools.
A committee appointed by the Office of Christian Schools in Israel held negotiations for 8 months with the Ministry of Education where the Ministry proposed that the Christian schools become public schools. This proposal was seen by the owners of the schools (churches, monasteries, etc.) as the end of the Christian, value-based educational enterprise and even a critical blow to the Christian minority in the Holy Land. In light of that, the Christian schools decided to end these negotiations.
The owners of these schools from around the world (The Vatican, Germany, England, France, Scotland, USA and others) are aware of this crisis and are watching with growing concern.
The protestors in the demonstration will be demanding that the Ministry of Education fully fund the Christian schools, just like other educational networks, and thus lift the burden from the shoulders of the parents and cancel the need for them to pay the service fees to the Christian schools.
For any further information - contact Father Abed Elmasih Fahim, head of the Christian Schools' office at 050-5376481.
On Wednesday, the 27th of May 2015, at 11:00 AM, an unprecedented demonstration will be held in the plaza in front of the Lev Ram building in Jerusalem (Ministry of Education headquarters) by the Christian Schools in Israel protesting on the discriminatory policy of the Ministry of Education towards their schools.
Participants in the demonstration will include clergymen (Bishops, Priests, Nuns, and Pastors) in addition to parents of children in Christian schools throughout the country.
The Christian schools in Israel consist of more than 30,000 students, almost equally divided between Christians and non-Christians. Most of these schools were Palestinian, and began operating years before the establishment of Israel. They were built and developed through donations from abroad. They provided and still providing the general Arab community with quality education that has resulted in the high achievements of the Christian schools. This high quality education is displayed, among other things, in the number of Christian schools listed at the top of the Ministry of Education's published categories. While achieving high academic results, they also teach their students Christian doctrine and instruct them according to the Christian values of loving others, forgiveness and tolerance.
These schools belong to the "recognized but not public" classification of schools in the Ministry of Education and receive partial funding from the Ministry. The rest of their funding comes from fees that are collected from the parents.
For years, the Ministry of Education has been consistently cutting the budget of Christian schools (45% in the last 10 years). This has forced the Christian schools to raise the service fees that are collected from the parents to a level that has become a heavy burden on the parents, especially for parents from the Arab sector where the average family income is well known to be lower than the national average.
Last year the Ministry of Education issued new regulations that even limited the ability of Christian schools to collect fees from the parents. The combination of these two things, substantial budget cuts and limiting allowable fees, is actually viewed as a death penalty for these schools.
A committee appointed by the Office of Christian Schools in Israel held negotiations for 8 months with the Ministry of Education where the Ministry proposed that the Christian schools become public schools. This proposal was seen by the owners of the schools (churches, monasteries, etc.) as the end of the Christian, value-based educational enterprise and even a critical blow to the Christian minority in the Holy Land. In light of that, the Christian schools decided to end these negotiations.
The owners of these schools from around the world (The Vatican, Germany, England, France, Scotland, USA and others) are aware of this crisis and are watching with growing concern.
The protestors in the demonstration will be demanding that the Ministry of Education fully fund the Christian schools, just like other educational networks, and thus lift the burden from the shoulders of the parents and cancel the need for them to pay the service fees to the Christian schools.
For any further information - contact Father Abed Elmasih Fahim, head of the Christian Schools' office at 050-5376481.
23 may 2015
A Swedish-owned church compound between Bethlehem and Hebron has not been sold to settlers contrary to media reports on Friday, the church's lawyer told Ma'an on Saturday.
Israeli news source Haaretz reported Friday that right-wing Israeli Aryeh King had purchased the abandoned church compound from the church's owners three years ago in order to build a settlement outpost.
However, local sources refuted the report, saying that such a sale had not been made and that the current owners are in fact carrying out refurbishments to turn the compound into a hostel.
"The church owns the compound, and is fixing up the existing building to serve as a hostel for Christians, Muslims, and Jews who are passing through," the church's Swedish lawyer Ari Souko told Ma'an.
The lawyer also reportedly told Muhammad Ayyad Awad, a spokesman of a local popular committee in nearby village Beit Ummar, that the church "has not been sold to settlers," and that the Haaretz report was "far from the truth.
"Awad told Ma'an that the compound had been built decades after the owners bought 35 dunams (9 acres) of land from Beit Ummar resident Abd al-Latif Jabir Ikhlayyil. The building then served as a hospital offering free medical treatment to local residents. The hospital continued to operate until the early 1980s but closed due to financial difficulties.
Since then the building has been deserted, Awad said. While Haaretz reported Friday that Aryeh King had recently started to refurbish it ahead of establishing a new settlement outpost in the area, Souko told Ma'an that such refurbishments were being carried out and funded by the church for the planned hostel.
Although the church remains in Swedish hands, the Haaretz report reflects a current trend in Israeli settlement practices, particularly in occupied East Jerusalem. Aryeh King is founder and director of Israel Land Fund, an organization that buys Palestinian property and homes for resale to Jews with the aim of 'Judaizing' occupied East Jerusalem as well as Palestinian neighborhoods in Israel.
The church lies in a sensitive location, which if settled, would see Israeli settlements stretch all the way from the Gush Etzion settler bloc south of Jerusalem to the cluster of settlements around Hebron.
Currently Karmei Tzur is the only large settlement between the two. Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem face ongoing threat of being pushed out by groups such as Israel Land Fund.
While Israeli government policies make it nearly impossible for Palestinian residents to obtain building permits, Jewish residents frequently take over Palestinian buildings with the protection of Israeli security.
Israeli news source Haaretz reported Friday that right-wing Israeli Aryeh King had purchased the abandoned church compound from the church's owners three years ago in order to build a settlement outpost.
However, local sources refuted the report, saying that such a sale had not been made and that the current owners are in fact carrying out refurbishments to turn the compound into a hostel.
"The church owns the compound, and is fixing up the existing building to serve as a hostel for Christians, Muslims, and Jews who are passing through," the church's Swedish lawyer Ari Souko told Ma'an.
The lawyer also reportedly told Muhammad Ayyad Awad, a spokesman of a local popular committee in nearby village Beit Ummar, that the church "has not been sold to settlers," and that the Haaretz report was "far from the truth.
"Awad told Ma'an that the compound had been built decades after the owners bought 35 dunams (9 acres) of land from Beit Ummar resident Abd al-Latif Jabir Ikhlayyil. The building then served as a hospital offering free medical treatment to local residents. The hospital continued to operate until the early 1980s but closed due to financial difficulties.
Since then the building has been deserted, Awad said. While Haaretz reported Friday that Aryeh King had recently started to refurbish it ahead of establishing a new settlement outpost in the area, Souko told Ma'an that such refurbishments were being carried out and funded by the church for the planned hostel.
Although the church remains in Swedish hands, the Haaretz report reflects a current trend in Israeli settlement practices, particularly in occupied East Jerusalem. Aryeh King is founder and director of Israel Land Fund, an organization that buys Palestinian property and homes for resale to Jews with the aim of 'Judaizing' occupied East Jerusalem as well as Palestinian neighborhoods in Israel.
The church lies in a sensitive location, which if settled, would see Israeli settlements stretch all the way from the Gush Etzion settler bloc south of Jerusalem to the cluster of settlements around Hebron.
Currently Karmei Tzur is the only large settlement between the two. Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem face ongoing threat of being pushed out by groups such as Israel Land Fund.
While Israeli government policies make it nearly impossible for Palestinian residents to obtain building permits, Jewish residents frequently take over Palestinian buildings with the protection of Israeli security.
22 may 2015
Fanatic Israeli settlers have taken control of 40 dunams (10 acres) belonging to a Christian church, between the Gush Etzion settlement bloc and the al-'Arroub refugee camp, north of the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The settlers have started establishing a new outpost on the confiscated land referred to as Bet Bracha.
According to a report by Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, right-wing settler, Aryeh King, has purchased a compound of an abandoned church, and started working on it to create a new outpost.
The report added that King "purchased the buildings from church owners three years ago."
The new settlement is meant to house at least 20 families in the already refurbished eight buildings, including a large commons structure.
Ha'aretz said that the settlers have been conducting massive reconstruction for the last several months.
The settlers also built a fence around the compound, challenging an order by the Civil Administration Office in the Occupied West Bank, as no permit was issued for the fence.
In addition, Ha'aretz stated that King does not need to obtain a permit for refurbishing the buildings, as they were built in the 1940s, close to settlement route #60.
The importance of the new outpost is that it paves the way for further settlement expansion, especially since there are more than 500 dunams (around 125 acres) of Palestinian lands illegally confiscated by Israel in 2005, used to expand kibbutz Migdal Oz.
Israel is also planning to build a settlers' road bypassing the al-'Arroub refugee camp.
In 2008, the Israeli Civil Administration Office in the Occupied West Bank mapped the entire area, but did not have a plan in place for it at the time.
According to Ha'aretz, the church was turned into a hostel twenty years ago, but the project failed, and the buildings were left abandoned.
An American missionary, identified as Thomas Lambie, constructed the buildings after coming to Palestine in 1947. Lambie constructed a tuberculosis hospital on the site, and was buried on the property after his death in 1954.
The new outpost would also facilitate future expansion after becoming part of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, allowing it to extend toward the Hebron hills, particularly since Israel claims to have "state lands" in the area.
It is worth mentioning that Ha'aretz quoted an unnamed source from the Gush Etzion Regional Council stating that the church property does not belong to the settlement, as it is owned by a Swedish church.
Meanwhile, Dror Etkes of the Israeli Peace Now Movement, Shalom Achshav, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has the opportunity to declare clearly whether he supports, or opposes, the two-state solution.
Etkes added that the new outpost is located on an important route linking Bethlehem and Hebron. The route has further obstructed efforts to achieve a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Israel uses the claim of "state lands" in the occupied West Bank to justify the construction and expansion of its illegal colonial settlements, isolating entire Palestinian communities, and preventing Palestinians from accessing what is left of their lands and orchards.
However, most of the settlements in the West Bank are built on privately owned Palestinian lands, and the Israeli "state lands" claim violates International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention regarding the transfer of a civilian population of the occupying power into lands it occupies.
According to a report by Israeli newspaper, Ha'aretz, right-wing settler, Aryeh King, has purchased a compound of an abandoned church, and started working on it to create a new outpost.
The report added that King "purchased the buildings from church owners three years ago."
The new settlement is meant to house at least 20 families in the already refurbished eight buildings, including a large commons structure.
Ha'aretz said that the settlers have been conducting massive reconstruction for the last several months.
The settlers also built a fence around the compound, challenging an order by the Civil Administration Office in the Occupied West Bank, as no permit was issued for the fence.
In addition, Ha'aretz stated that King does not need to obtain a permit for refurbishing the buildings, as they were built in the 1940s, close to settlement route #60.
The importance of the new outpost is that it paves the way for further settlement expansion, especially since there are more than 500 dunams (around 125 acres) of Palestinian lands illegally confiscated by Israel in 2005, used to expand kibbutz Migdal Oz.
Israel is also planning to build a settlers' road bypassing the al-'Arroub refugee camp.
In 2008, the Israeli Civil Administration Office in the Occupied West Bank mapped the entire area, but did not have a plan in place for it at the time.
According to Ha'aretz, the church was turned into a hostel twenty years ago, but the project failed, and the buildings were left abandoned.
An American missionary, identified as Thomas Lambie, constructed the buildings after coming to Palestine in 1947. Lambie constructed a tuberculosis hospital on the site, and was buried on the property after his death in 1954.
The new outpost would also facilitate future expansion after becoming part of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, allowing it to extend toward the Hebron hills, particularly since Israel claims to have "state lands" in the area.
It is worth mentioning that Ha'aretz quoted an unnamed source from the Gush Etzion Regional Council stating that the church property does not belong to the settlement, as it is owned by a Swedish church.
Meanwhile, Dror Etkes of the Israeli Peace Now Movement, Shalom Achshav, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has the opportunity to declare clearly whether he supports, or opposes, the two-state solution.
Etkes added that the new outpost is located on an important route linking Bethlehem and Hebron. The route has further obstructed efforts to achieve a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Israel uses the claim of "state lands" in the occupied West Bank to justify the construction and expansion of its illegal colonial settlements, isolating entire Palestinian communities, and preventing Palestinians from accessing what is left of their lands and orchards.
However, most of the settlements in the West Bank are built on privately owned Palestinian lands, and the Israeli "state lands" claim violates International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention regarding the transfer of a civilian population of the occupying power into lands it occupies.