JERUSALEM, February 27, 2018 (WAFA) – Palestinians in Jerusalem celebrated the suspension of an Israeli government decision to collect taxes from churches for properties owned but are not considered places of worship.

Christian leaders announced that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, one of the holiest sites in all of Christianity, will be closed to protest an Israeli Knesset bill that would have allowed the Israeli government to seize church land, as well as a plan to tax church property.

Following uproar and protests that included the shutdown of the Church and solidarity from leading religious figures around the world, the West Jerusalem Municipality decided to suspend the collection actions and to form a professional team to look into the issue.   

Member of the executive committee and head of the Supreme Presidential Committee for Church Affairs Hana Amira told WAFA that the position of the heads of the churches and the closure of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher has stopped the attack temporarily, considering that the decision is awaiting the results of a committee formed by Netanyahu.

“The only solution is for the occupation to completely reverse its decision,” he said.  

Amira added that the efforts and pressures from various countries, especially from the State of Palestine and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, prompted Israel to reverse its attack on the churches of Jerusalem by imposing taxes on them.

M.H.