Greek Orthodox Patriarchate seeking to remove Ein Yael Museum from land
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has several disputes with the state over land in its possession.
By JEREMY SHARONGreek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III at the celebration of the Epiphany at Qasr el Yahud, Friday January 18 2019(photo credit: Courtesy)
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has filed a lawsuit against the Ein Yael Museum and the Jerusalem Foundation in south Jerusalem claiming ownership over the land the museum sits on.The museum is located close to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo with various archaeological attractions and children’s workshops, but the patriarchate says that it was established without its knowledge in 1990.The suit, first reported by Kol Ha’ir, claims that the patriarchate only became aware that the museum was located on its land in 2015, and said the institution was “astonished that the defendant was making use of its land and generating profit at the expense of the plaintiff and operating a museum without its approval.”In its suit against the Jerusalem Foundation which was involved in the establishment of the museum, the patriarchate is asking the Jerusalem District Court to remove the Ein Yael outdoors museum from the site and demanding legal costs from the foundation.The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has several disputes with the state over land in its possession.One of the main disputes involves more than 50 hectares of church land the patriarchate sold in recent years to developers in which the developers are seeking to charge large sums of money for the renewal of the leasehold.Legislation was advanced in the Knesset to nationalize these church lands but it was halted due to heavy pressure from the churches and senior US politicians.
