Catholic bishops visit wall separating Palestinian lands; turned away by troops

January 12, 2016

An international delegation of Catholic bishops, on a visit to the Holy Land, was turned away from the site where a controversial wall is being built across Palestinian territory. 

The Holy Land Coordination, a group of bishops from America, Europe, and South Africa, traveled to the Cremisan Valley, where a section of the "security wall" dividing Israeli from Palestinian communities is being built near the village of Beit Jalla. The wall in the Cremisan Valley has been the topic of a lingering controversy, with the Israeli supreme court first ruling that the wall could not be built as planned, then approving a construction plan with only minor modifications.

The disputed wall blocks dozens of Palestinian families from their own agricultural lands, effectively confiscating farms. One of the visiting prelates, Bishop Oscar Cantu of Las Cruces, New Mexico, reported that the Palestinians in the area "have lost hope." 

 

---

For all current news, visit our News home page.

---

 
Further information:

• U.S. bishop says Palestinians in Cremisan Valley 'have lost hope' (CNS)
• Israeli authorities stop bishops from visiting separation wall in disputed area (Catholic Herald)
• Jerusalem: patriarchate decries construction of security wall through Christian lands (CWN, 8/21)