The Haifa District Court issued a decision on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, regarding the petition filed by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Eparchy of the Melkite Greek Catholics in Acre, Haifa, and Galilee. The petition was against the Regional Planning and Building Committee in the North, the Mateh Asher Regional Council, the Shlomi Municipality, and the Israel Land Authority, due to the prohibition of prayers in the two churches of the depopulated village of Al-Bassa. This is part of a cultural and tourist plan for the village’s lands, which were annexed by Israeli authorities to the jurisdiction of the city of Shlomi.
The court decided to grant the parties until April 20 to reach an agreement; otherwise, the petition will be reconsidered.

Khamaisi: Attempts to Erase Al-Bassa’s Religious Identity
In his comment on the decision, attorney Omar Khamaisi, director of the “Mizan” Human Rights Center in Nazareth, stated that the situation faced by the depopulated village of Al-Bassa and its religious endowments reflects a policy of erasure affecting many depopulated villages in historic Palestine. He pointed out that erasing religious and historical identity is not limited to physical destruction but also includes restricting the practice of religious rituals.
Khamaisi added that the authorities aim to turn the church in Shlomi into a cultural and tourist center or museum while refusing to recognize the right of worshippers to use it as a place of worship. He noted that the mosque in the area, despite being restored, remains closed to worshippers, a step aimed at erasing the town’s religious character.
He criticized the “double standards,” explaining that places of worship are prohibited from fulfilling their religious role under the pretext of tourism projects, while others enjoy full religious rights.

The Churches Affirm Their Commitment to the Right to Pray in Places of Worship
For his part, attorney Salim Wakim, the legal representative of the churches, emphasized that the issue is not about a temporary permission to pray, but about an official declaration that guarantees this right within the regulatory plan. He explained that the court tried to reach a settlement between the parties but was unsuccessful, although it granted an additional opportunity for dialogue until the end of April, hoping to reach an agreement with the Shlomi Municipality and the planning committee, both of which refuse to allow permanent prayers.
He added that if no agreement is reached within the specified time, the parties will be asked to submit additional pleadings within 20 days, and a final ruling will be issued later. Wakim confirmed that his clients are firm in their demand for the right to pray in the churches, noting that any judicial decision in their favor may be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Makhoul: We Demand the Right to Return to Prayer
Father Ihab Makhoul, in his conversation said, “Before the Nakba, these churches served around 5,000 faithful in Al-Bassa, which was one of the most prominent towns in historic Palestine, and a center of knowledge and culture. Today, we demand the restoration of the churches and their opening for prayer, to preserve the Christian identity of the village and prevent the erasure of its historical presence.”
Makhoul affirmed, “Our demand is simple: allow us to pray. Prayer is an act of peace and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, and it is a religious duty as Christ commanded: ‘Pray for one another.’ We demand our right to return to prayer.”
It is worth mentioning that the Mizan Human Rights Center in Nazareth follows up on the case of the historic buildings in the depopulated village of Al-Bassa (now known as “Shlomi”) in coordination with the Committee for the Displaced, and monitors any violations affecting the village’s endowments, mosque, and church.