Church of the Holy Sepulcher Closes in Protest of Israeli Policies

25 Feb

8:02 PM

Jerusalem’s Christian leaders, Sunday, decided to close the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, in the old City of Jerusalem, in protest of Israel’s tax policy and a proposed land appropriation law.

Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem, in the name of all of Jerusalem’s Churches’ leaders and Patriarchs, announced in a press conference that the Church is closed until further notice, saying the closure came in protest of Israel’s policies against the churches.

Israeli authorities have recently imposed a property tax (Anona) upon churches, worth up to millions of shekels.

Patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem said in a joint statement that imposing taxes on churches is a violation of all the agreements and international commitments that guarantees the rights and privileges of churches.

The statement stressed, according to WAFA, that such a measure is an attempt to weaken Christian presence in the city of Jerusalem, warning against the Israeli ministerial committee bill, which, if passed, could be used to confiscate lands belonging to churches.

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