GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — After 17 years of litigation and legal battles, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected June 8 an appeal by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate against the settler organization Ateret Cohanim’s takeover of the church’s property in the Bab al-Khalil (also known as Jaffa) area in Jerusalem.
The case goes back to 2004 when Ateret Cohanim seeking to judaize East Jerusalem, notably the Old City, obtained long-term protected rental rights to three properties, including the Imperial and Petra hotels, located in the city’s Muslim Quarter where all Palestinians live.