In an Israeli attempt to fight the Christian presence on the Palestinian territories and deny Christians their rights and status in Jerusalem, the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority sought to implement a settlement project by expanding the Jerusalem Walls Park on church lands, located near the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.

The move was seen as an attempt to encroach on east Jerusalem by expanding Jewish residential and archaeological projects at the expense of Muslim and Christian sites and sanctities in the city. The plan was widely condemned by church heads who sought to garner international support to oppose Israeli plans, since they were seen as a deliberate attack on the Christians of Jerusalem.

According to a report published by the Times of Israel website on Feb. 20, the Jerusalem Walls Park was opened in the 1970s. When Israeli authorities were initially demarcating the project, they avoided including a large part of the Mount of Olives, where there are more than 12 Christian historic holy sites, including the Bridgettine Sisters Monastery, Viri Galilaei Church, the Grotto of Gethsemane and the Garden of the Apostles.

After nearly five decades, Israeli authorities were considering a plan to include sensitive areas of the Mount of Olives in the park. Back then, a spokeswoman for the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority said that the goal of the project was to restore the lands in the Hinnom Valley, which had been neglected for years and faced vandalism and arson. She said that a large part of the 68 acres to be incorporated into the Jerusalem Walls Park are considered state land, according to the Times of Israel.