Jordan condemns settler aggression on Christian property in Jerusalem

The Jordanian Foreign Ministry on Friday condemned the “continuous aggression” of Israeli settler groups on the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, Quds Press reported.

This came following the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision that a Jewish settler group, Ateret Cohanim, legally purchased an East Jerusalem property from the Greek Orthodox Church, ending a nearly two-decade battle over the Old City property.

In a decision released late Wednesday, Israel’s Supreme Court dismissed the church’s appeal, noting that the “harsh allegations” of misconduct by the parties involved in the original sale were “not proven to be true” in earlier proceedings.

Jordan warned of the consequences of this decision in relation to the property of the Orthodox Church and the Christian existence in occupied Jerusalem.

At the same time, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry stressed that it does not recognise the jurisdiction of the Israeli courts over the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

“Jordan rejects all the measures aimed at changing the identity of East Jerusalem, including the Old City, as well as the change of status quo related to the Islamic and Christian endowments and properties,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Haitham Abu Al-Foul asserted.

He stressed that his country stands on the side of the occupied city’s residents against the “continuous aggression of the Israeli Jewish settlers.”

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