The long-running Egyptian-Ethiopian dispute over the monastery Deir Al-Sultan, which is controlled by the Coptic Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, erupted yesterday when Ethiopian monks erected a giant Ethiopian flag on the site and assaulted Egyptian monks who were present.

According to Egyptian news sources, Metropolitan of the Holy See of Jerusalem Anba Antonios replied by hoisting the Egyptian flag over the monastery, while Egyptian monks requested Israeli police to compel the Ethiopians to remove their banner.

Additionally, the monastery saw verbal altercations between monks from both sides, which provoked Israeli police intervention.

Deir Al-Sultan, named after Sultan Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi, is a neighborhood within Jerusalem’s medieval city walls, in the Christian Quarter.

It was presented to the Copts by the sultan in recognition of their patriotic involvement in the wars against the Crusader troops that captured Jerusalem.

According to Anba Antonios, “the issue of the attack on Deir Al-Sultan recurs every year,” beginning two or three years ago with the Ethiopians hoisting their flag “in an attempt to establish the monastery’s Ethiopian status.”

“A judicial ruling has been made on our ownership of the monastery, and we are awaiting its implementation. It is not theirs, and the government is required to convene a committee comprised of us and Ethiopians to determine how to carry out the judgement,” he continued.

“We…received many assurances that the flag would be taken down. We met with the director-general of the Jerusalem Police and a number of police officers this year, before to the festivities and Holy Week, and expressed our desire to pray silently, and they promised to resolve any issues,” he stated in a statement.

“We were taken aback yesterday by the display of the large Ethiopian flag, and we notified the police, who…said they would contact the interior and foreign ministries and have a joint meeting,” he continued.

The archbishop claimed that the monastery’s only monk was harassed by Ethiopians, who barred him from entering.

The monastery has long been a source of contention between the Egyptian church and its Abyssinian counterpart, following three centuries of Egyptian monks hosting Abyssinians due to their inability to pay taxes.

The conflict was reignited in 2019 over a tent emblazoned with the Ethiopian flag.

Two days ago, Egyptian monks assembled at the monastery to remove the tent and Ethiopian flag, despite Israeli police interference.

For the latest International News Follow BOL News on Google News. Read more on Latest International News on oldsite.bolnews.com