Holy Land: US Consul visits Cremisan Valley threatened by separation wall

Sister points out planned route of wall

The American Consul General in Jerusalem, his Excellency Mr Michael Ratney, visited the Cremisan Valley in Beit Jala on Friday, accompanied by representatives from the Society of St Yves, the Catholic Centre for Human Rights, who briefed him on the latest developments in the legal case against building the separation wall in Cremisan.

The Consul General visited the Salesian Sisters Convent which is represented in the case St Yves lawyers, Advocate Zvi Avni and Advocate Dalia Qumsieh. They briefed the Consul on the case in light of the recent hearing held in the High Court last November, in which the Court tried to pressure the petitioners to accept one of the two suggestions presented by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Advocate Zvi Avni elaborated on the suggestions presented by the Israeli Ministry of Defense under which the Salesian Monks Monastery or the road between it and the Salesian Nuns Convent would be surrounded by a fence making it like a cage, in addition to building the separation wall as per the initial route suggested by the Ministry of Defense which would be built on the lands of the two Convents and the people of Beit Jala.

The Consul General expressed his interest in the case and indicated that the US Government is closely following it and monitoring its updates. The Consul General further expressed his surprise over the Ministry’s suggestion to put the Salesian Monks in charge of security while operating the suggested gate in the wall which contradicts the mission of the monastery and jeopardizes its relation with the community.

The Society of St Yves reaffirmed the illegality of the separation wall under international law as indicated by the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice and highlighted the devastating consequences building the wall in the Cremisan valley would have on the local community and the two religious orders serving the community in it. St Yves also stressed that building the wall as suggested by the Israeli Ministry of Defense would violate the basic rights and freedoms of the Palestinian community in Beit Jala and would defacto confiscate their lands, for settlement expansion purposes. . The Society of St Yves further warned that building the wall in Cremisan will eventually lead to the migration of the Palestinian Christian families and threaten the Palestinian Christian presence in the region.

Sister Sua’ad from the Salesian Nuns Convent thanked the Consul General for his visit and appealed for him to seriously follow up on the case and pressure Israel not to build the wall in the valley. Sister Sua’ad further stressed that the convent is committed to the teachings of tolerance and building bridges of peace not walls. She prays that the separation wall will not be built and that the Convent will not be separated from the local community in Beit Jala or the children who attend the school that the convent runs, without whom the convent has no purpose, Sister Sua’ad said.

The Consul General concluded his visit by affirming that he will make all efforts to prevent the Monsatery and Convent from becoming a cage-like prison for the both religious orders and the local community they serve.

The Society of St Yves notes that the Israeli High Court is expected to issue its verdict in the case of building the separation wall in the Cremisan Valley anytime soon.

Source: Society of St Yves