Coptic Church Official Urges Egypt to Sue Israel Over Deir al-Sultan Monastery Claim

Member of the Melli Council of the Saint Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Mohsen George, has urged Egyptian authorities to file a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice against Israel to reclaim Deir al-Sultan Monastery in Jerusalem. George cited documents and Israeli court rulings that confirm the Coptic Church’s ownership of the site.

“This monastery belongs to Egypt and we have documents and evidence proving our ownership of the monastery, as well as Israeli judicial rulings, which are not respected by the Israeli government itself,” George told Al-Masry Al-Youm. He questioned the absence of human rights organizations and respect for religious sanctities in the face of events in Jerusalem, including the storming of Deir al-Sultan and the arrest of monks.

Deir al-Sultan, an archaeological monastery for the Coptic Orthodox Church, is located within the old city of Jerusalem, near the Chapel of St. Helena and the Chapel of the Angel. The site spans about 1,800 square meters and was returned to Coptic Christians by Salah Eddin al-Ayuoubi after his victory over the Crusaders. It has been known as Deir al-Sultan since then.

The monastery holds particular significance for Coptic Christians as it serves as a direct link from the Monastery of St. Anthony, where the Egyptian Patriarchate is headquartered, to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. George noted that the Egyptian Church hosted Ethiopian monks for over three centuries, during which time the Ethiopian monks sought to seize control of the monastery during periods of tension between Egypt and foreign authorities.

During the War of Attrition, Ethiopian monks coordinated with Israeli occupation authorities and expelled Egyptian monks from Deir al-Sultan in April 1970. The Egyptian Archbishop of Jerusalem subsequently filed a lawsuit with the Israeli Supreme Court, which in 1971 ruled against the Israeli government and returned the monastery to the Orthodox Church. Another ruling in 1979 ordered the handover of the monastery to the Egyptian Orthodox Church.

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