Israel's High Court Urges Talks on Jerusalem Land Once Owned by Greek Orthodox Church
About 1,000 families live on the 140 acres, which also hold the Israel Museum, the Great Synagogue and the Valley of the Cross. The current lease runs out in about 25 years.
See where this is ›JERUSALEM, Israel —
Israel's High Court of Justice has urged the parties in a long-running dispute over 570 dunams, or 140 acres, of central Jerusalem to make serious efforts to settle without further delay, The Times of Israel reported Oct. 29. The land, formerly owned by the Greek Orthodox Church, lies in the Talbieh, Rehavia and Nayot neighborhoods and holds about 1,000 apartments, the Great Synagogue, the Israel Museum, the Valley of the Cross and the Inbal and Dan Panorama hotels.
See where this is ›The court, in a hearing that included Justice Daphne Barak-Erez, said litigation could take years and criticized Keren Kayemet LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), which holds the lease, for delay. The Times of Israel said the court is likely to set a deadline for “concrete progress,” will monitor the talks and suggested including the Israel Land Authority and the Jerusalem municipality. It did not order KKL-JNF to renew residents' leases, as some had hoped.
The church leased the land to KKL-JNF in the 1950s, and the judge said the current lease expires in about 25 years. The church sold its rights in 2011 to a group of investors, who sold them to Extell, a developer owned by U.S. real estate investor Gary Barnett, for $216 million. The Times of Israel's report says Extell bought in 2023 and has reached agreements with about 200 individual homeowners.
Extell wants a settlement so it can begin large housing projects and said there is “no justification for prolonging a legal dispute for years.” KKL-JNF said it is in “ongoing dialogue with all parties.” Its chairman, Eyal Ostrinsky, has said he wants to defend residents' rights and protect open spaces.
Residents want an agreement that would let them improve or sell their homes, though some owners argued that a court should decide the matter. Resident Shoshana Gabai said many of her neighbors are in their 70s to 90s and asked why the case is taking so long.
What we don't know yet: How long an agreement will take or whether one will be reached, and what position KKL-JNF will finally take. The court's deadline had not been reported.
