We strongly reaffirm our continued support for protecting the property rights and privileges of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the State Department said in a statement.
Palestinian sources reported on Sunday that Israeli forces had begun demolishing a 5,000-square-kilometer Patriarchate property in East Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood, where more than 60,000 Palestinians live.
Last June, the European Union missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah expressed concern over the takeover of Greek Orthodox land in the occupied Old City of East Jerusalem by the Israeli settler group Ateret Cohanim.
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