Posted on 08/21/2025 11:19:29 AM PDT by marshmallow
At the heart of the confrontation lies “Arnona,” Jerusalem’s property tax. For generations, churches had been shielded from such levies, a status quo respected by Ottoman, British, Jordanian, and Israeli authorities
(ZENIT News / Jerusalem, 08.20.2025).- The decision by Jerusalem’s municipality to freeze the bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate has thrust one of the Holy Land’s oldest churches into financial paralysis, intensifying a long-running dispute over property taxes and exposing once more the fragile standing of Christians in the region.
The measure, imposed on August 6, prevents the Patriarchate from paying clergy, teachers, and employees across its schools, monasteries, and charitable institutions. It also aggravates the decades-long struggle over land ownership, taxation, and the political weight carried by churches whose roots predate the modern State of Israel by centuries.
At the heart of the confrontation lies “Arnona,” Jerusalem’s property tax. For generations, churches had been shielded from such levies, a status quo respected by Ottoman, British, Jordanian, and Israeli authorities. That understanding began to fracture in 2018, when city officials sought millions of shekels in back taxes for properties not used strictly for worship or religious instruction. Guesthouses, cafeterias, and service facilities for pilgrims were suddenly treated as taxable assets. The resulting standoff grew so severe that the custodians of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed its doors in protest, a dramatic gesture that forced then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to intervene.
This time, however, the Patriarchate has received no such reprieve. City hall argues that patience has run out: years of notices were ignored, and the church failed to meet its obligations. “Administrative enforcement procedures were initiated,” municipal officials said, describing the step as unavoidable.
The Patriarchate, led by Patriarch Theophilos III, denounces the freeze as an assault on religious institutions that sustain not only Christian.......
(Excerpt) Read more at zenit.org ...
Save Thy people, O Lord,
and bless Thine inheritance.
Grant victory to Thy Church over her enemies,
and protect Thy people by Thy Holy Cross!
City Hall must be full of Democrats................
At what point are American Christians going to realize that the Israelis might see Christians as occasional allies but never as friends.
When they realize that they are being used—as useful idiots.
The Israeli govt’s decision to freeze the bank accounts of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate has thrust one of the Holy Land’s oldest Christian churches into financial paralysis, and exposes once again the fragile standing of Christians in the region.
The Aug 6 Israeli dictate, prevents the Christian Patriarchate
<><>from paying Christian clergy, teachers, and employees
<><>within its Christian schools, monasteries, and charitable institutions.
<><>it also aggravates the decades-long struggle Israeli agita over land ownership, taxation,
<><>and the political weight carried by Christian churches
<><>Christian roots predate the modern State of Israel by centuries.
<><>it exposes once again the fragile standing of Christians in the Jewish region.
.......exposes once again the modus operandi by Israelis who pocket billions of
Christian foreign aid tax dollars by faking a love God and hating Christians in the region.
There, fixed it for you.
Christian religious institutions own most of the land and many businesses in the Old City. City government has been trying to tax the non-worship land and facilities for years. I believe the larger Israeli government usually steps in.
I don’t even care about he position on Gaza as far as this is concerned. Israel has the right to determine its tax laws, that’s the fundamental power of a government. You can appeal to the electorate, or leave. I don’t think you can just refuse to pay taxes and expect there to be no consequences.
The voters of Jerusalem changed the tax exemption for ALL religious institutions (Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze) in 2018, limiting it to properties used strictly for prayer or religious teaching, excluding commercial activities like guesthouses and coffee shops.
They made this change because everything in the town was falling apart.
Everybody else has been paying their taxes on commercial activity for 7 years.
The Greek Orthodox apparently think they are special.
This is the same law in the USA and everywhere.
Commercial activities of charitable organizations are taxed, just like every other commercial activity.
Nah, the infrastructure of Jerusalem is falling apart.
So the voters imposed a tax on commercial activity (like hotels, restaurants, whatever) run by ALL religions in 2018 to pay for things like ambulance services, roads, police, etc.
Everyone else has been paying taxes on their commercial properties since 2018.
The Greek Orthodox in Jerusalem rely on the gullible and anti-Semitic to claim it’s wrong that they are treated just like every other business in the town.
If the property is not directly used for religious purposes then it should be taxed.
But even here we have ‘churches’ and ‘reverends’ that skirt the tax laws with some chicanery....................
This is very much chicanery.
All the other churches, mosques, synagogues, whatever pay their taxes on commercial activities.
The Greek Orthodox refuse to because . . . they are special snow flakes, apparently. Better than the other Christian denominations. Should get police and ambulance and roads and everything else for free!
But certain posters here like to complain about Jews and will post anything.
If I don’t pay my property taxes I will lose my property. The county will foreclose and the sheriff will sell my property on the steps of the courthouse to the highest bidder.
They should do the same in Jerusalem..................
“If I don’t pay my property taxes I will lose my property. The county will foreclose and the sheriff will sell my property on the steps of the courthouse to the highest bidder.”
Well, yeah, but anti-Semitic posters don’t have a lot to go on these days, so they have to make up grievances.
Israelis want no reminders of this.......that’s why Israel is kicking out and penalizing Christians.
Christianity significantly predates the modern State of Israel.
Christian Origins in the 1st Century: Christianity began in Judea, a Roman province, in the 1st century CE, rooted in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The early followers were Jews.
Spread Throughout the Roman Empire: Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, eventually becoming its official religion in 380 CE.
The modern State of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948.
Therefore, Christianity existed for many centuries before the establishment of the modern State of Israel.
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