Russia: Soon We Will Receive Ownership of Alexander’s Courtyard in Jerusalem

The Russian Embassy in Israel said that the process of re-registering Russian ownership rights over the Alexander Courtyard compound in the Old City of Jerusalem is in its final stages. However, in Israel, they emphasize that it is not yet possible to set a timetable for completing the procedure. According to the Russian Embassy’s statement in Tel Aviv, the issue is currently “only in the legal sphere” and in its final stage. The embassy noted that a special Israeli inter-ministerial committee was established in 2021 and has operated since then at different levels of intensity, according to the security and political situation in Israel and in the region. In November 2025, the committee held an in-person hearing with the participation of the involved parties. Russia participated actively in the discussion, and it is now waiting for the hearing protocol and an update regarding the next steps to complete the procedure, which has been ongoing for many years. Meanwhile, at the Israeli Embassy in Moscow, they said that the issue is still being examined by the relevant professional bodies, and that at this stage it is too early to talk about specific timelines.

Alexander Courtyard is a Russian historical compound in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The land on which the compound was built was purchased in the 19th century by the Russian emperor Alexander II, and the buildings were constructed in the late 19th century at the initiative of the Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society. The dispute over ownership of the compound began after the Russian revolution in 1917. Since then, over the years, disputes have taken place between different entities regarding its legal status and ownership. In 2022, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin, in a letter to then Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett, requested a positive decision regarding the registration of Russia’s ownership rights over the compound. In recent years, the issue has returned to the agenda in talks between Moscow and Jerusalem. According to reports in the Russian media, Putin and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also discussed the matter. Officials and commentators quoted in the Russian media estimated that although the process is in a legal stage, it may be delayed again due to the Knesset elections expected in Israel. Meanwhile, after the elections, the issue may return to the center of the political agenda. For Russia, this is not only a registration dispute over a real-estate asset, but also an issue with historical, religious, and symbolic significance. The compound is considered an important part of Russian heritage in the Holy Land and continues to serve as a focal point for pilgrimage. At the heart of the compound stands the Alexander Nevsky Church, inaugurated in 1896. The site also includes sites and artifacts connected to Christian tradition, including “Gates of Justice” and a stone identified in tradition with Golgotha Hill.

Completing the ownership registration in Russia’s favor, if it indeed comes to fruition, may have symbolic significance in relations between Russia and Israel and grant Moscow a significant diplomatic and cultural achievement in Jerusalem. At this stage, however, the final decision has not yet been made, and the parties are still waiting for the continuation of the legal process.

Secret meetings by Gofman, the prime minister, renewed the work of the ministers’ team tasked with examining the return of ownership of Alexander Courtyard in Jerusalem to the Russian Federation at the end of 2024. The ministers’ team includes, among others, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Justice Minister Yariv Levin. The team held several meetings. The one who coordinates the handling of the matter is the National Security Council (MALAL) and the Prime Minister’s Office. The issue was raised in the secret meetings of Roman Gofman, currently the head of the Mossad, and in his previous role as the prime minister’s military secretary—in Russia.

Alexander Courtyard came to the headlines in 2019 after Naama Yishachar was imprisoned in Moscow. Some reports about a deal to release the young woman included Russia’s demand for ownership of Alexander Courtyard. There is no evidence that the courtyard was part of the deal, but various sources indicate that in the same agreement between Netanyahu and Putin for the release of Yishachar, Netanyahu agreed to give Putin an adjacent plot of land to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—and that was Alexander Courtyard. The size of the courtyard is 1,300 square meters, and it is located in a strategically touristic location in the heart of the Old City. In practice, this is an asset that is de facto owned and controlled by the OPS organization—it is the one that established Alexander Courtyard and has controlled it since 1890. However, since it is an asset purchased from the Ottoman Empire, it is registered in the Turkish registry under the name “The Glorious Russian Kingdom.” In practice, the organization purchased the courtyard with its own funds. In 2017, Moscow asked Israel to recognize that the Turkish registration indicates that the asset is registered in Russia’s name itself and not in the name of the organization, because in the registrations it is in the name of the Russian Kingdom.

On October 18, 2020, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an unusual order in the name of “Declaration by virtue of the King’s Decree in Council (Holy Places).” The order legalized Alexander Courtyard as a holy site, and therefore no court can deliberate on its ownership. The day after Netanyahu signed the order, a decision was issued by the state regarding the request to renew the registration of Alexander Courtyard in the name of the Russian Federation—a decision that was supposed to transfer Alexander Courtyard to it, but due to a petition by the OPS organization, the District Court decided to prevent the transfer and to maintain the status quo until the decision of the special ministers’ team appointed by then prime minister Naftali Bennett. At some point, Putin himself sent a personal letter to Bennett, urging him to act to transfer the courtyard. After the outbreak of the war, in December 2023, it was reported that the process of returning Alexander Courtyard was “stuck” due to fighting in the Gaza Strip—but it was not removed from the agenda. About a month later, the state told the Supreme Court that it was returning to it, and it appealed the decision to cancel the registration of the church on the site in the name of the Russian government. In effect, the decision thus moved to Netanyahu, who established the ministers’ team to examine the issue.

People involved in the matter say that from Putin’s perspective this is a very important personal matter. In the past, he sent letters on the issue to the prime minister, then Naftali Bennett. Social activist Alex Tenzer said: “Putin cannot give up Alexander Courtyard, which for him will signify an impressive Russian victory before the parliamentary elections. Transferring Alexander Courtyard to Russia will signify a gesture toward the West. This will cause damage and criticism from Western countries. On the other hand, if Netanyahu thinks that transferring Alexander Courtyard to Russia will help Likud in the upcoming elections, he is mistaken because even coalition supporters oppose this move.”