Israel has agreed to pay compensation to three major churches in Jerusalem for damages to their property in fighting since the 1948 War of Independence, regardless of which side was responsible for the damage, it was learned here today. The amount was not disclosed but it is believed to run into several million Israel pounds.
The churches involved, the chief holders of church property in Jerusalem, are the Greek Orthodox, the Armenian Orthodox and the custodians of Terra Sancta, an organ of the Vatican. Some of the property is located in what was a “no-man’s land” between the Old and New Cities of Jerusalem. Under the agreement, the Greek and Latin churches have placed a 9,800-square-yard belt of land around the Old City wall at Israel’s disposal. It will be transformed into a landscaped area.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.