Feb. 25 (UPI) — Christian heads of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Israel closed its doors in protest of tax and property bills targeting religious sites.
Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Church leaders said the church on the believed site of Jesus Christ‘s crucifixion, burial and resurrection in Jerusalem will be closed until further notice due to what they called a “systematic and unprecedented attack against Christians in the Holy Land.”
The protest comes after Jerusalem’s municipality announced plans to modify a tax exemption in order to collect $186 million in unpaid taxes from Church assets.
“Recently, this systematic and offensive campaign has reached an unprecedented level as the Jerusalem municipality issued scandalous collection notices and orders of seizure of Church assets, properties and bank accounts for alleged debts of punitive municipal taxes,” the religious leaders said. “A step that is contrary to the historic position of the Churches within the Holy City of Jerusalem and their relationship with the civil authorities.”
Jerusalem’s municipality argues the tax exemption has been improperly extended to church-owned commercial properties including restaurants and hotels, which don’t serve as places of worship.
“For too many years the state did not allow the municipality to collect these debts of these commercial areas…I would not allow that the residents of Jerusalem would close this debt,” Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat said.
The church leaders also condemned a “discriminatory and racist bill” being considered by legislators in Israel, which would allow church property to be claimed by the state.
“This abhorrent bill is set to advance today in a meeting of a ministerial committee, which if approved would make the expropriation of the lands of churches possible,” the leaders said. “This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature, which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe.”
Supporters of the bill say it will limit the church’s ability to sell its land to private buyers in order to protect Israelis living on former Church land from not having their leases extended.
“Their land will remain theirs. No one wants to take it from them, ever,” said the legislator who proposed the bill, Rachel Azaria. “My bill is about what happens when the rights are sold to a third side.”
