In cities where the lights of revelations shine and stories of history are woven around them, the usurping entity announced the imposition of taxes on churches. This action by the usurping entity is not just an economic issue, but rather a blatant violation of the sanctity of spiritual places and an attempt to change the cultural and religious aspects of the city.

The “municipalities” of the usurping entity informed the heads of churches in Alquds, yafa, Alnasera, and Ramla that they would take legal measures against them due to non-payment of real estate taxes (arnona), in an unprecedented decision since 1948.

 

On the other hand, in an official statement, the Supreme Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine rejected the measures to impose taxes on churches and their properties in occupied Alquds, stressing its support for the decisions of the patriarchs and heads of churches to confront these measures.

 

On February 27, 2018, war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to freeze a similar decision to collect taxes from churches and their properties, after 3 days of public protests and the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Alquds.

The committee said in its statement, “All churches and their properties, whether monasteries, hospitals, institutions, schools, or others, especially in Alquds, are located in occupied Palestinian land, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, and it is also a historical and legal right of the churches, so no party is allowed to interfere or violate its sanctity.”

At the conclusion of its statement, the committee appealed to the leaders and heads of churches in the world, especially the World Council of Churches, and all human rights and international institutions, to intervene immediately to put an end to the violations of the usurping entity against the churches and their property.