On Tuesday evening, Jerusalemite media and accounts published a number of historical documents proving the involvement of the Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem in leaking the lands of Mar Elias to a number of Zionist organizations during the year 1945.

According to what was stated in the documents, 143 dunums of Mar Elias land, which is classified as Christian endowments and is located in the area connecting Jerusalem in Khirbet Tabalia to the town of Beit Safafa, were leaked. To a Zionist organization known as the “Nation Fund” and a settler named “Zebelstein”, within two different price offers.

At the same time, the documents show petitions submitted by a number of Christian Arabs from the people of Jerusalem, Jaffa, Lydda, Gaza, Damascus, and Madaba to the British High Commissioner in protest against that deal. The documents also show Filastin newspaper’s coverage of the details of the deal.

Today, more than 75 years after this event, evidence continues to circulate of the diversion by the Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem of many lands in various areas of the occupied city for the benefit of Judaization projects. This is matched by a popular Palestinian Christian Arab movement seeking to stop these practices and Arabize the Patriarchate.