Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre church closes in tax protest

Religious leaders say Israeli legislation is attempt to weaken Christian presence in area

Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem
Sun 25 Feb 2018 13.40 GMT

The heads of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, considered the holiest site in Christianity, have shuttered its doors to protest against a new tax and a piece of Israeli legislation that will allow the government to confiscate land sold by the church.

In the rare step not seen for close to three decades, church leaders accused Israel of a “systematic and unprecedented attack against Christians in the Holy Land”.

Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Catholic leaders, who jointly manage the vast site in Jerusalem’s Old City, complained of plans by the city’s municipality to modify a religious tax exemption that they said was “an attempt to weaken the Christian presence in Jerusalem”.

Separately, they complained of a “discriminatory and racist bill” being considered by Israeli legislators that would allow former 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 in a statement on Sunday. “This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature, which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe.”

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