Jerusalem Court Rejects Bid to Halt Sale of Prime Land by Greek Orthodox Patriarchate

The Jerusalem District Court dismissed a request by a group of investors led by attorney Yehuda Talmon to prevent the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate from selling a valuable 5-dunam plot of land on Emil Botta Street in central Jerusalem. The land is located near the King David Hotel and the French Embassy. Following this, the Supreme Court also rejected the investors' appeal against the decision. Alongside the injunction request, the investors filed a lawsuit that will be adjudicated later.

The dispute dates back to 1999 when the Patriarchate signed a combination deal involving the land. According to the agreement, the investors were to receive compensation for about one dunam, planned for roughly ten apartments. However, deals with Avital Properties and later with Nof Tzmarot did not materialize. The investors recently claimed they discovered the church intends to sell the land to a foreign company registered in the Virgin Islands and sought an injunction to block the sale to a third party.

Judge Avigdor Dorot rejected the injunction, criticizing the investors for filing the request late, which undermined their urgency claim. He also noted the investors failed to disclose the combination agreement with Avital and the ongoing legal dispute, calling these "material and relevant facts that were allegedly concealed." Consequently, he ruled the investors' case had low chances of success and did not meet the threshold for an injunction. The judge added that the investors should have included the company Piero, which the Patriarchate sold part of the land rights to, in the proceedings.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate owns extensive land holdings in Jerusalem, including about 570 dunams in the Talbiya and Rehavia neighborhoods, where approximately 900 apartments, hotels, and public institutions have been built. Over the past two decades, the church has sold parts of its land or entered combination deals, raising concerns among tenants about their homes' future as lease agreements expire. In 2022, the Patriarchate signed a deal with American developer Gary Barnett, intensifying tenant worries. Negotiations between tenants and the company are currently ongoing.