The Cremisan Wall: “The last nail in Bethlehem’s coffin”

Despite objections from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, who is concerned about the 60 Palestinian families in the Cremisan Valley whose lands are under threat, Israeli bulldozers resumed the construction of the Separation Wall last month on August 17, uprooting around fifty olive trees that were centuries old. The American Bishops’ Conference asked American Secretary of State John Kerry to intervene with Israeli authorities so that this ongoing construction might end. “The construction of the Separation Wall and the confiscation of lands of the local families are threats and insults to peace,” wrote the American bishops. A recent 90 page long report, which aims to shed light on this issue that first began in 2006, has just been published by the Society of St. Yves - Catholic Center for Human Rights, with the eloquent title: “The last nail in Bethlehem’s coffin.” Using pictures and statistics, this report presents a brief history of the problem, the main issues at stake and the legal implications, regarding Israeli civilian law, military law and international law.

Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

(October 10, 2015)