Holy Land bishops: save Cremisan Valley from Israeli security wall
December 10, 2014
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land appealed to the international community to take action to prevent Israel from extending its Israeli West Bank barrier into the largely Christian Cremisan Valley.
An Israeli court has upheld the government’s decision to confiscate the majority of the land owned by a Salesian convent, as well as the property of 58 families.
“The wall is intended by Israel, not to achieve security for its pre-June 1967 borders, but to protect the settlements illegally constructed on previously confiscated land in the early 70s,” the bishops said in their December 5 statement.
The bishops added that “the wall alienates the most basic rights and freedom of the Christian community of Beit Jala,” a largely Christian town of 12,000 located near Bethlehem.
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Further information:
- ACOHL on the Cremisan Case: “The Best Time to Take Action is Now, Before It Is Too Late” (Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
- Israeli court upholds seizure of convent land for security wall (CWN, 4/29/13)
- USCCB, CRS: Israeli security wall threatens convents, Catholic school (CWN, 2/11/13)
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