Greek Church complicates Gary Barnett's mega-deal in Rehavia

The Greek Orthodox Church sent a response to the High Court of Justice confirming that there was no doubt KKL-JNF would extend the lease agreements on 520 dunams in Jerusalem. The response could complicate Gary Barnett's group, which purchased the land for NIS 750 million in 2023, as it affirms KKL-JNF's right to extend the lease, potentially rendering Barnett's ownership illusory.

The Greek Orthodox Church sent a brief but dramatic response to the High Court of Justice on Monday, complicating matters for Gary Barnett's group, which purchased 520 dunams in Jerusalem for NIS 750 million in 2023. The Church, the original owner of the plots, leased them to KKL-JNF, on which hundreds of apartments and public buildings were built. In its response, the Church confirms for the first time that there was no doubt KKL-JNF would extend the lease agreements, as it had stated. These agreements grant KKL-JNF almost full ownership rights, in exchange for $30,000 per year. The response was given as part of a petition filed by a group of residents in July 2025, demanding KKL-JNF extend the lease contracts set to expire in 2051-2052. Due to the uncertainty, apartment values have dropped by tens of percent. The Church attached a letter from KKL-JNF from January 2023, requesting to clarify to future buyers that they are receiving plots for which KKL-JNF has lease rights and an option to extend them. The affair began in the early years after the establishment of the state, when lease agreements were signed between the Church and KKL-JNF for 520 dunams in Talbiya and Rehavia, due to political reasons and the Church's fear of selling land to Jews.