Christian leaders in the Holy Land are protesting renewed attempts by the Municipality of Jerusalem to impose municipal taxes on Church properties, a move they say threatens their presence in the region.
The dispute, particularly affecting the Armenian Apostolic Church, also impacts Catholic and Greek Orthodox institutions.
A February 19 statement by the Patriarchs and heads of local Churches in Jerusalem condemned the tax demands as “legally dubious and morally unacceptable.”
The municipality has issued a foreclosure order against the Armenian Patriarchate over alleged unpaid taxes, a move Christian leaders say violates historical agreements.
“The status quo agreement is a political statement,” said Sami el-Yousef, CEO of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, in a conversation with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International.
“When you look at the actual law, there is nothing that says that our institutions are exempt. If we go to court, we will likely lose, so this issue requires a political solution. But all the Churches will go bankrupt if we have to pay according to the law,” he added.
Christian leaders contended that the municipality is sidestepping legal procedures by attempting to enforce tax determinations without judicial oversight.
They argued that these actions disregard the governmental committee established for fair negotiations. The Armenian Patriarchate asserts that the tax claims overlook legal time limits and fail to consider outstanding rent owed by the government to the Church.
Catholic institutions face similar pressure. “They have frozen the bank accounts of the Latin Patriarchate’s schools in Haifa,” said el-Yousef.
“We managed to reduce the amount from two million shekels [over $540,000] to 500,000 NIS [about $145,000], signing an agreement that does not commit us to paying taxes, but talks about municipal contributions,” he said.
Church leaders warned that if the taxes are enforced, vital social services—including schools, hospitals, and elderly care facilities—may shut down. “This would cease several vital services provided to the poorest of the poor,” said George Akroush, director of the Latin Patriarchate’s development office.
Calling for government intervention, the Patriarchs’ statement urged Israeli leaders to “freeze all foreclosure proceedings and ensure that negotiations resume…in the spirit of justice.”
