altPRESS RELEASE – On December 1, 2014 the Saint Yves Society published a communiqué about the hearing held by the Israeli High Court yesterday, on November 30. The Peace and Security Council stated that the alternatives proposed by Israeli Ministry of Defense are ‘a failure from a security perspective, and cannot be invoked to achieve security’.

The Israeli High Court held an additional hearing yesterday 30-11-2014 about the case pertaining to the building of the separation wall in the Cremisan Valley .

The aim of the hearing was to ascertain the opinions of the different  sides to the case on the alternatives suggested by Israel’s Ministry of Defense regarding the proposed alternatives they put forward for building the separation in Cremisan.

In its capacity as the representative of the Silesian Nuns, St. Yves, expressed its absolute refusal of the latest Israeli alternatives, which are contrary to the Court’s decision delivered on 7-8-2014, by which it instructed the Israeli Ministry of Defense to consider new alternatives that leave both the Silesian convent and monastery on the Palestinian side of the wall. Moreover, St. Yves stressed that such alternatives do not respect the principle of the unity of the Silesian orders, their lands, community and facilities.

The Peace and Security Council, speaking as amicus curiae stated that the alternatives proposed by Israeli Ministry of Defense are a failure from a security perspective, and cannot be invoked to achieve security.

Beit Jala’s Mayor, Dr. Salman, highlighted the serious harm of the proposed alternatives on the community and their historical attachment to their lands, whereas Mrs. Vera Baboun, the Mayor of Bethlehem added that such alternatives will hinder the livelihood of the community in Cremisan – the majority of whom are Christians- and will, inevitably lead, to their immigration from the country.

By: St. Yves Society