14 aug 2019
After a week of strenuous effort by the family of deceased Palestinian artist and historian Kamal Boullata, and their lawyers, Boullata's wish to return and be buried in Jerusalem was finally granted today and his body will be transported from Berlin and buried in Jerusalem, his birth place, according to a statement by Kamal Boullata's family.
"Kamal Boullata, the son of Jerusalem, will finally make it back to his homeland for burial at the Cemetery of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem at Mt. Zion next to his family and ancestors," said the statement.
Kamal was born in Jerusalem in 1942 and grew up in the Old City. His family traces their history in the Old City for over 600 years, according to the Records of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and the Arab Orthodox Mukhtar for the Old City, the late Mitri Toubbeh.
For half a century, since 1967, he was barred from Jerusalem because he happened to be out of the country, for an exhibit in Beirut in 1967 when the Israeli occupation started.
All his efforts to return to Jerusalem failed, except for a brief visit in 1984 which was memorialized in the film “Stranger at Home”. However, Jerusalem always stayed in his heart, and in his art.
"The right of every Palestinian to return to his homeland is a sacred right. It is particularly important for Jerusalemites, for whom the Holy City is part of their lives and essence.
It is sad that so many are denied this right, but it is a bitter satisfaction when someone of his stature and world-known respect is finally allowed his last wish. May he rest in peace, and may his memory be forever," said his family.
The funeral mass will take place on Monday, 19 August at 4.00 pm at the cemetery of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem at Mt. Zion.
The family will receive condolences at the Arab Orthodox Club in Beit Hanina after the ceremony and on Tuesday from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.
A prayer for Kamal’s soul will take place at St. Georgios Antiochian Orthodox Church on Thursday, August 15 at 10.30 am, Auguststraße 90, 10117 Berlin before his final rest in Jerusalem.
"Kamal Boullata, the son of Jerusalem, will finally make it back to his homeland for burial at the Cemetery of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem at Mt. Zion next to his family and ancestors," said the statement.
Kamal was born in Jerusalem in 1942 and grew up in the Old City. His family traces their history in the Old City for over 600 years, according to the Records of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem and the Arab Orthodox Mukhtar for the Old City, the late Mitri Toubbeh.
For half a century, since 1967, he was barred from Jerusalem because he happened to be out of the country, for an exhibit in Beirut in 1967 when the Israeli occupation started.
All his efforts to return to Jerusalem failed, except for a brief visit in 1984 which was memorialized in the film “Stranger at Home”. However, Jerusalem always stayed in his heart, and in his art.
"The right of every Palestinian to return to his homeland is a sacred right. It is particularly important for Jerusalemites, for whom the Holy City is part of their lives and essence.
It is sad that so many are denied this right, but it is a bitter satisfaction when someone of his stature and world-known respect is finally allowed his last wish. May he rest in peace, and may his memory be forever," said his family.
The funeral mass will take place on Monday, 19 August at 4.00 pm at the cemetery of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem at Mt. Zion.
The family will receive condolences at the Arab Orthodox Club in Beit Hanina after the ceremony and on Tuesday from 4:00 to 8:00 pm.
A prayer for Kamal’s soul will take place at St. Georgios Antiochian Orthodox Church on Thursday, August 15 at 10.30 am, Auguststraße 90, 10117 Berlin before his final rest in Jerusalem.
9 aug 2019
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The family of Kamal Boullata, who passed away in Berlin at the age of 77, has declared that it seeks to bury him in his birthplace, Jerusalem.
Boullata’s family said in a statement, posted on the Facebook page of the Lebanon-based Palestinian novelist Elias Khoury, that Kamal wished to be buried at the family grave in the Orthodox Cemetery on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. “At this moment, we are awaiting an answer from the Israeli occupation authorities regarding our right to lay Kamal to rest in his birthplace, Jerusalem. If permission is not granted by the Israeli occupation authorities, Berlin will be his resting place,” the family said. |
The Boullata family noted that if Kamal is to be buried in Berlin, the funeral will be held at St. Georgios Antiochian Orthodox Church in Berlin on Thursday August 15 at 10:30 AM.
Boullata, a Palestinian artist, historian, and writer who drew from his interests in light and transparency, conditions of creation and exile, and Byzantine and Islamic aesthetic culture, literature, and history for his geometrically abstract paintings, died at the age of 77.
He was born in Jerusalem, Palestine, and studied at the Academy of Rome and the Corcoran Museum School in Washington, DC, after being exiled from Jerusalem following the 1967 occupation.
In 1993, he received a Fulbright fellowship to conduct field research on Islamic art in Morocco and Spain, and in 2001, he was awarded a Ford Foundation grant to research post-Byzantine painting in Palestine.
He has authored four books on Palestinian art, including Belonging and Globalisation (2008) and Palestinian Art: From 1850 to the Present (2009), and has edited books on modern poetry and contemporary culture. From 2012 to 2013, Boullata was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin.
Boullata, a Palestinian artist, historian, and writer who drew from his interests in light and transparency, conditions of creation and exile, and Byzantine and Islamic aesthetic culture, literature, and history for his geometrically abstract paintings, died at the age of 77.
He was born in Jerusalem, Palestine, and studied at the Academy of Rome and the Corcoran Museum School in Washington, DC, after being exiled from Jerusalem following the 1967 occupation.
In 1993, he received a Fulbright fellowship to conduct field research on Islamic art in Morocco and Spain, and in 2001, he was awarded a Ford Foundation grant to research post-Byzantine painting in Palestine.
He has authored four books on Palestinian art, including Belonging and Globalisation (2008) and Palestinian Art: From 1850 to the Present (2009), and has edited books on modern poetry and contemporary culture. From 2012 to 2013, Boullata was a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Berlin.
6 aug 2019
Father Atallah Hanna has expressed his belief that the steadfastness of the Palestinian citizens in Issawiya district of Occupied Jerusalem will frustrate the occupation’s plan to displace them from their homes and kill their children’s national spirit.
Expressing his solidarity with the local residents during a visit on Monday to Issawiya, Hanna said he was confident that the occupation’s measures against this part of Jerusalem would not succeed in undermining the Palestinian people’s morale.
“The more oppression, injustice and tyranny the Palestinians go through, the more they become adherent to their rights and their attachment to this holy land,” the Archbishop of the Palestinian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem underlined.
Expressing his solidarity with the local residents during a visit on Monday to Issawiya, Hanna said he was confident that the occupation’s measures against this part of Jerusalem would not succeed in undermining the Palestinian people’s morale.
“The more oppression, injustice and tyranny the Palestinians go through, the more they become adherent to their rights and their attachment to this holy land,” the Archbishop of the Palestinian Orthodox Church in Jerusalem underlined.
5 aug 2019
The Petra hotel, one of the three properties at the center of the dispute
Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ateret Cohanim, which seeks to increase the Jewish presence in Arab areas of capital, in 2004 purchase of three Old City properties; but patriarchate says deal involved bribery, claims to have 'clear proof' of corruption
The Greek Orthodox Church on Monday filed a new lawsuit in Jerusalem District Court against the Ateret Cohanim settler organization in a bid to overturn a Supreme Court decision upholding the sale of three properties in predominantly Arab parts of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The Supreme Court ruled in June in favor of Ateret Cohanim, which seeks to increase the Jewish presence in Arab areas of the holy city. The sale included two Palestinian-run hotels — Imperial and Petra — located near the Jaffa Gate, and another building near Herod's Gate.
The ruling paved the way for the three properties to be leased for 99 years to Ateret Cohanim, which intends to evacuate the residents of the properties.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate initially denied the sale ever took place and said it involved acts of bribery and was illegitimate; however, both the Jerusalem District Court and recently the Supreme Court denied their claims and approved the legality of the sale.
But the Patriarchate claimed in a statement Monday that it had "clear proof" of corruption in the long-disputed 2004 sale. The church claims that the sales had been approved by a former official who had no authority to do so.
"The Patriarchate stresses that its properties located within the walls of Old City Jerusalem are for the service of pilgrims and visitors of the Holy City especially those on the pilgrim route to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre," the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement Monday.
"The Patriarchate will continue to exercise its right and duty of defending itself, the holy sites and the Church heritage."
According to the church, Ateret Cohanim both falsified documents and bribed the official who agreed to the sales.
"The new evidence that the Patriarchate has obtained, confirm that Ateret Cohanim and its companies forged documents and initiated court proceedings based on these forged documents, despite Ateret Cohanim’s knowledge that they were forged," the Patriarchate said Monday.
"The evidence shows that the suspicious deals of 2004 involved bribes by Ateret Cohanim, and all indications point to the bribes being paid to the then Patriarchate employee, Nicholas Papadimas."
Ynet's sister publication, Yedioth Ahronoth, also revealed that former manager of the Petra Hotel, Ted Bloomfield, had received funds for years from Ateret Cohanim in order to push for the sale to take place.
Supreme Court ruled in favor of Ateret Cohanim, which seeks to increase the Jewish presence in Arab areas of capital, in 2004 purchase of three Old City properties; but patriarchate says deal involved bribery, claims to have 'clear proof' of corruption
The Greek Orthodox Church on Monday filed a new lawsuit in Jerusalem District Court against the Ateret Cohanim settler organization in a bid to overturn a Supreme Court decision upholding the sale of three properties in predominantly Arab parts of the Old City of Jerusalem.
The Supreme Court ruled in June in favor of Ateret Cohanim, which seeks to increase the Jewish presence in Arab areas of the holy city. The sale included two Palestinian-run hotels — Imperial and Petra — located near the Jaffa Gate, and another building near Herod's Gate.
The ruling paved the way for the three properties to be leased for 99 years to Ateret Cohanim, which intends to evacuate the residents of the properties.
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate initially denied the sale ever took place and said it involved acts of bribery and was illegitimate; however, both the Jerusalem District Court and recently the Supreme Court denied their claims and approved the legality of the sale.
But the Patriarchate claimed in a statement Monday that it had "clear proof" of corruption in the long-disputed 2004 sale. The church claims that the sales had been approved by a former official who had no authority to do so.
"The Patriarchate stresses that its properties located within the walls of Old City Jerusalem are for the service of pilgrims and visitors of the Holy City especially those on the pilgrim route to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre," the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement Monday.
"The Patriarchate will continue to exercise its right and duty of defending itself, the holy sites and the Church heritage."
According to the church, Ateret Cohanim both falsified documents and bribed the official who agreed to the sales.
"The new evidence that the Patriarchate has obtained, confirm that Ateret Cohanim and its companies forged documents and initiated court proceedings based on these forged documents, despite Ateret Cohanim’s knowledge that they were forged," the Patriarchate said Monday.
"The evidence shows that the suspicious deals of 2004 involved bribes by Ateret Cohanim, and all indications point to the bribes being paid to the then Patriarchate employee, Nicholas Papadimas."
Ynet's sister publication, Yedioth Ahronoth, also revealed that former manager of the Petra Hotel, Ted Bloomfield, had received funds for years from Ateret Cohanim in order to push for the sale to take place.
Father Atallah Hanna has warned against the so-called “Christians United for Israel” in America, calling it an organization that “plays a suspicious political role in opposing justice and supporting the Israeli occupation, its policies and practices against the Palestinian people.”
Hanna, Archbishop of the Palestinian Orthodox Church in Occupied Jerusalem, affirmed that this American organization receives support from the current US administration and some groups that falsely claim to belong to Christianity.
The Archbishop said that “this group has nothing at all to do with Christian values and its members are Zionists who interpret the holy Bible as they wish.”
“The organization calls itself ‘Christians United for Israel’ and we, in turn, say to them that the Christians are united in defending Palestine and Jerusalem, advocating causes of justice, supporting the oppressed people and rejecting all manifestations and forms of racism,” he added.
Hanna, Archbishop of the Palestinian Orthodox Church in Occupied Jerusalem, affirmed that this American organization receives support from the current US administration and some groups that falsely claim to belong to Christianity.
The Archbishop said that “this group has nothing at all to do with Christian values and its members are Zionists who interpret the holy Bible as they wish.”
“The organization calls itself ‘Christians United for Israel’ and we, in turn, say to them that the Christians are united in defending Palestine and Jerusalem, advocating causes of justice, supporting the oppressed people and rejecting all manifestations and forms of racism,” he added.
4 july 2019
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) removed, at the request of the state of Palestine, Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity from UNESCO’s list of endangered world heritage sites following restorations.
The church was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2012 and placed on its endangered list the same year, due to its poor condition as a result of water leakage from the roof, threatening the structural integrity of the building.
The committee reached the decision to remove it from the endangered list during a meeting in Baku, which began on June 30 and continues until July 10, it said in a statement, PNN reports.
The restoration was carried out with donations received from all over the world towards the program.
Palestinian minister of tourism, Rula Maaya stressed the importance of this achievement, pointing out that Palestine succeeded in record time in registering three Palestinian sites on the World Heritage List within five years of gaining its full membership at UNESCO, in addition to the inscription of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls at the request of Jordan on the World Heritage List in 1981 and on the List of World Heritage in Danger In 1982 and remains until today.
Maaya said that these registrations are an important method to preserve the Palestinian heritage from the Judaization policies of the Israeli occupation authorities.
The church was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2012 and placed on its endangered list the same year, due to its poor condition as a result of water leakage from the roof, threatening the structural integrity of the building.
The committee reached the decision to remove it from the endangered list during a meeting in Baku, which began on June 30 and continues until July 10, it said in a statement, PNN reports.
The restoration was carried out with donations received from all over the world towards the program.
Palestinian minister of tourism, Rula Maaya stressed the importance of this achievement, pointing out that Palestine succeeded in record time in registering three Palestinian sites on the World Heritage List within five years of gaining its full membership at UNESCO, in addition to the inscription of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls at the request of Jordan on the World Heritage List in 1981 and on the List of World Heritage in Danger In 1982 and remains until today.
Maaya said that these registrations are an important method to preserve the Palestinian heritage from the Judaization policies of the Israeli occupation authorities.
25 june 2019
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During a press conference that was held at the Nativity Church, in the presence of representatives from the three main churches that hold custodial rights to the Nativity Church, Minister Ziad Al Bandak, Head of the Presidential Committee for the Restoration of the Nativity Church, stated that the restoration works that commenced in September 2013, are still underway, and almost 85% of planned works are completed.
Al Bandak announced that, during the restoration works on the octagonal-shaped baptismal font that is located in the church’s southern wing, an additional circular baptismal font was found concealed inside the current font which, according to preliminary investigations and analysis, is made from the same stone used for the church pillars. Al Bandak stressed that archaeological studies and investigations are still ongoing to gain further knowledge about the church history and its valuable |
archaeological features, and that the baptismal font will be restored by experts based on international standards. The Presidential Committee issued a call for experts from the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, in addition to international experts, to participate in the archaeological study and analysis of the discovered font.
Al Bandak added that this important discovery would grant experts further knowledge about the church’s history, its importance across the various historical periods, and the significant role it leadership, headed by His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas, to complete the necessary restoration works in accordance with the highest quality and standards.
Coordinating and cooperating with the three churches, in order to preserve the church’s religious, cultural and historic significance for the whole world is ongoing, and the responsibility of the State of Palestine to safeguard it for future generations is unshaken. These efforts are conducted within the framework of efforts conducted by the Palestinian leadership to promote Christian presence in Palestine and the Holy Land.
Under the auspices of the State of Palestine, an international celebration for the completion of the restoration works was scheduled to be held this October. However, to grant the wish of the three custodial churches – the Greek Orthodox Church, the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Armenian Patriarchate – to restore the Grotto, which is the most sacred and most significant part of the Nativity Church, the celebrations will be held in May 2020, PNN reports.
Al Bandak added that this important discovery would grant experts further knowledge about the church’s history, its importance across the various historical periods, and the significant role it leadership, headed by His Excellency President Mahmoud Abbas, to complete the necessary restoration works in accordance with the highest quality and standards.
Coordinating and cooperating with the three churches, in order to preserve the church’s religious, cultural and historic significance for the whole world is ongoing, and the responsibility of the State of Palestine to safeguard it for future generations is unshaken. These efforts are conducted within the framework of efforts conducted by the Palestinian leadership to promote Christian presence in Palestine and the Holy Land.
Under the auspices of the State of Palestine, an international celebration for the completion of the restoration works was scheduled to be held this October. However, to grant the wish of the three custodial churches – the Greek Orthodox Church, the Custody of the Holy Land, and the Armenian Patriarchate – to restore the Grotto, which is the most sacred and most significant part of the Nativity Church, the celebrations will be held in May 2020, PNN reports.
14 june 2019
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem released a statement on Wednesday, saying the Israeli court’s decisions allowing seizure of church property, by Israeli settler groups, are unfair.
The property is located in the Jaffa Gate area of the Old City of Jerusalem, in the Southern West Bank.
The Israeli Supreme Court, on June 10, rejected the petition to stop the sale of the church property to Ateret Cohanim, a right-wing settler organization.
The Patriarchate declared that the court’s decision will be further challenged, stating: “Our legal teams, in cooperation with experts in international law, are studying all the possibilities available to annul the deal to seize the properties at Jaffa Gate.”
The statement continued, asserting that the Patriarchate will continue to meet with international heads of state and religious leaders, to stress that the seizure “will have negative effects on the Christian presence in the Holy City.”
The statement concluded: “The existence of a vibrant Christian community in Jerusalem is essential to maintaining a historically diverse society and to achieve peace in this city,” and that it will continue to support the current tenants, who are considered as protected by law, to serve as a safeguarding from a takeover by illegal Israeli settlers.
The property is located in the Jaffa Gate area of the Old City of Jerusalem, in the Southern West Bank.
The Israeli Supreme Court, on June 10, rejected the petition to stop the sale of the church property to Ateret Cohanim, a right-wing settler organization.
The Patriarchate declared that the court’s decision will be further challenged, stating: “Our legal teams, in cooperation with experts in international law, are studying all the possibilities available to annul the deal to seize the properties at Jaffa Gate.”
The statement continued, asserting that the Patriarchate will continue to meet with international heads of state and religious leaders, to stress that the seizure “will have negative effects on the Christian presence in the Holy City.”
The statement concluded: “The existence of a vibrant Christian community in Jerusalem is essential to maintaining a historically diverse society and to achieve peace in this city,” and that it will continue to support the current tenants, who are considered as protected by law, to serve as a safeguarding from a takeover by illegal Israeli settlers.
11 june 2019
The Israeli high court of justice has rejected the appeal filed by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and sanctioned the sale of three real estate assets in the Old City of Occupied Jerusalem to the pro-settler Ateret Cohanim group.
The rejection of the appeal on Monday ended a 14-year-long legal battle surrounding the sale of the assets, which has agitated the Greek Church in Jerusalem.
Ateret Cohanim is a right-wing organization that strives to acquire Palestinian property in the Old City for Jewish settlement. With Monday’s decision, the group can dramatically strengthen its hold on the Old City’s Christian Quarter.
The story began in 2005 when Maariv newspaper published a report about the sale of the three buildings, including the Petra and Imperial hotels overlooking the Jaffa Gate plaza at the entrance to the Old City.
The Maariv story rattled the Greek Church and prompted it to oust Patriarch Irenaeus, who considers the ousting illegal and insists to this day that he is the patriarch.
The new patriarch, Theophilus III, rejected the transaction and claimed that it involved corruption and bribery, and lacked church authorization. The patriarchate said that Irenaeus did not receive the approval of the Synod Council to carry out the transaction. It also affirmed that their finance director, Nikolas Papadimos, had received money from Ateret Cohanim to advance the deal and had committed acts of theft and corruption involving patriarchate funds.
The patriarchate also argued that the price paid for the buildings by Ateret Cohanim is significantly lower than their market value.
A year ago, the Israeli district court rejected these claims and approved the transaction, but criticized Ateret Cohanim for failing to bring the organization’s chairman, Matityahu Dan, to testify.
After the defeat in the district court, the patriarchate appealed to the high court. Last week the patriarchate’s lawyers reiterated the claims of bribery, corruption and lack of authorization, but the court on Monday rejected the appeal and approved the transfer of the buildings to Ateret Cohanim.
However, the court confirmed the patriarchate’s claims that Papadimos had received $35,000 from Ateret Cohanim, and criticized Dan’s failure to testify.
The rejection of the appeal on Monday ended a 14-year-long legal battle surrounding the sale of the assets, which has agitated the Greek Church in Jerusalem.
Ateret Cohanim is a right-wing organization that strives to acquire Palestinian property in the Old City for Jewish settlement. With Monday’s decision, the group can dramatically strengthen its hold on the Old City’s Christian Quarter.
The story began in 2005 when Maariv newspaper published a report about the sale of the three buildings, including the Petra and Imperial hotels overlooking the Jaffa Gate plaza at the entrance to the Old City.
The Maariv story rattled the Greek Church and prompted it to oust Patriarch Irenaeus, who considers the ousting illegal and insists to this day that he is the patriarch.
The new patriarch, Theophilus III, rejected the transaction and claimed that it involved corruption and bribery, and lacked church authorization. The patriarchate said that Irenaeus did not receive the approval of the Synod Council to carry out the transaction. It also affirmed that their finance director, Nikolas Papadimos, had received money from Ateret Cohanim to advance the deal and had committed acts of theft and corruption involving patriarchate funds.
The patriarchate also argued that the price paid for the buildings by Ateret Cohanim is significantly lower than their market value.
A year ago, the Israeli district court rejected these claims and approved the transaction, but criticized Ateret Cohanim for failing to bring the organization’s chairman, Matityahu Dan, to testify.
After the defeat in the district court, the patriarchate appealed to the high court. Last week the patriarchate’s lawyers reiterated the claims of bribery, corruption and lack of authorization, but the court on Monday rejected the appeal and approved the transfer of the buildings to Ateret Cohanim.
However, the court confirmed the patriarchate’s claims that Papadimos had received $35,000 from Ateret Cohanim, and criticized Dan’s failure to testify.
