Jordan has expressed its strong opposition to the confiscation of land belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem.
Amman characterized Israel’s move Israel as a violation of international humanitarian law, while asserting that it is an action intended to alter the historical and legal status of the city.
“We reject any illegal and provocative action”
In a statement, the spokesperson for the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Fuad al-Majali, reiterated his country’s firm stance against unilateral moves in Jerusalem.
“My country categorically rejects any unilateral, illegal, and provocative action aimed at altering the existing historical and legal status of Jerusalem and its holy sites,” he stated emphatically.
He emphasized that Israel “has no sovereignty over occupied Jerusalem or over the city’s Islamic and Christian holy sites,” while reiterating Jordan’s position in favor of the creation of an independent Palestinian state as a prerequisite for a just and comprehensive peace settlement in the region.
What happened on the Patriarchate’s property
According to available information, the Israeli authorities proceeded on Monday to seize the disputed land in Silwan.
During the operation, the representative of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem was removed from the site, and equipment found there was confiscated. At the same time, it is reported that trees were uprooted and a fence was erected around the area, a move that sparked fresh controversy regarding the status of church properties in East Jerusalem.
