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106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 286

Expressing the sense of Congress concerning the situation in Jericho.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 16, 2000

Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. LANTOS, Mrs.

MINK of Hawaii, Mr. RAHALL) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of Congress concerning the situation

in Jericho.

Whereas on January 15, 2000, the Palestinian Authority

seized the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia’s

Jericho Gardens Monastery in Jericho and forcibly evicted the Monastery’s resident monks;

Whereas the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia

was established by exiled Russians in Europe and the

United States after the Communist government confiscated all church property in 1918;

Whereas the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia was

incorporated in the State of New York on April 30, 1952;
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Whereas since 1920 the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of

Russia has administered all the Russian Orthodox properties in areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority;

Whereas since 1882 the property in Jericho has been in continuous and uninterrupted possession of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission (REM) in Jerusalem;

Whereas the REM has been under the jurisdiction of the

Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia since 1920;

Whereas two United States citizen Russian Orthodox Church

Outside of Russia nuns, Sister Maria and Sister Xenia,

have been forced to live under harsh and onerous conditions on the Monestary property, and have been taunted

and assaulted by Palestinian and Russian representatives

occupying the Monastery;

Whereas Sister Maria and Sister Xenia have also been denied

visitors, a change of clothes, the ability to meet with their

confessors or to receive communion except through iron

bars, to bathe, to cook a hot meal, and unrestricted access to the press;

Whereas this is the third illegal seizure of religious property

of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, and its

affiliate the Orthodox Palestine Society, in Jericho and

Hebron by the Palestinian Authority;

Whereas the Palestinian Authority signed the Oslo Accord

stating that it will respect and protect holy sites, provide

free access to the holy sites, and respect and protect freedom of worship and practice on holy sites, but it has flagrantly failed to allow free access to the Jericho property

to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and

visitors to the Jericho holy site and has locked out Sisters Maria and Xenia and any other member of the Rus-
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sian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia from worshipping in the Jericho property;

Whereas the Palestinian Authority committed to a Congressional staff delegation, the United States Consul General,

and a representative from the Russian Orthodox Church

Outside of Russia during a fact-finding trip to the Jericho Gardens Monastery on February 26, 2000, to treat

the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia equally

and fairly by allowing free access to the Jericho Gardens

Monastery and by providing equal access to the Chapel

on the property until a permanent resolution of this dispute could be resolved in accordance with the rule of law,

but has blatantly violated this agreement; and

Whereas the Palestinian Authority has further violated their

commitment to fair and equal treatment by forcefully refusing Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia members access to the Chapel on the property, by locking the

gate to the compound, imprisoning Sister Maria on the

property and not allowing her access to other members

of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia or

free access to the property, and by further restricting the

area in which Sister Maria can venture on the property:

Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—

3 (1) the United States should ensure the safety

4 and well-being of the United States citizen Russian

5 Orthodox Church Outside of Russia nun, Sister

6 Maria, who has been living under harsh and onerous
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1 conditions on the property of the Jericho Gardens

2 Monastery in Jericho;

3 (2) the United States should express to the Pal4 estinian Authority its grave concerns that property

5 disputes in Jericho and Hebron are being settled ar6 bitrarily by military fiat rather than in courts of

7 law;

8 (3) the resolution of this dispute must be re9 solved in accordance with the rule of law;

10 (4) the Palestinian Authority must act in a re11 sponsible manner in ensuring the rights of the

12 United States citizen nun, Sister Maria, and the

13 rights of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of

14 Russia, so that the dispute can be resolved in a fair

15 manner and in accordance with due process;

16 (5) the Jericho Gardens Monastery in Jericho,

17 as well as the other Russian Orthodox Church Out18 side of Russia property in Jericho and Hebron,

19 should be returned to the conditions before the ille20 gal seizures by the Palestinian Authority forthwith,

21 pending a resolution of this dispute in a court of law

22 following international standards of due process; and

23 (6) the United States consulate in Jerusalem is

24 to be commended for its immediate response and on-
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1 going support for the two United States citizen nuns

2 in Jericho.

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