RADICAL SETTLER GROUPS LAUNCHING MEDIA OFFENSIVE AGAINST H.B. PATRIARCH THEOPHILOS III

Last week His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III attended the second State Department Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, in Washington, DC. His Beatitude attended accompanied by a church delegation from Jerusalem representing the three Church families (Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant families). H.B. took the opportunity to raise the issue of Jaffa Gate with members of the US administration and other religious leaders in attendance.

As the Patriarchate continues its legal efforts to see the supposed sales of the Jaffa Gate properties overturned due to the corruption through which they were made, it also welcomed the efforts of all people of good will around the world that are pursuing a positive resolution to this most crucial of matters not only to the Christians of the Holy Land but to all the Christians of the world.

Supporters of Ateret Cohanim have launched a media campaign against His Beatitude Theophilos III and started making efforts to undermine the Patriarchate’s case, claiming that it is opposed to the rule of law. This is categorically untrue; the Patriarchate’s continued legal battle demonstrates its ongoing abiding by the legal process.

By contrast, Ateret Cohanim’s actions demonstrate its disregard for the rule of law, first in the bribery it promised to secure the properties, and more recently in seeking to evict the Jaffa Gate tenants despite its public claims that this was not its intent.

From Secretariat-General