A member of the Joudeh family that holds the key to the Church of Holy Sepulcher opens the door to the church after a three-day shutdown. (WAFA Images/Afif Amireh) 

JERUSALEM, February 28, 2018 (WAFA) - The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem reopened its doors to pilgrims and visitors on Wednesday after a three-day shut down.

Church leaders took the decision to reopen the church in an urgent meeting on Tuesday night following the Israeli government‘s decision to suspend the recently announced measures against churches and their properties inside and outside Jerusalem.

The church leaders closed the church on Sunday to protest a decision by the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem to impose taxes on them, which they said was a violation of the decades-old status quo.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday suspension of the decision by the West Jerusalem municipality to impose property taxes on church institutions, which the churches and Palestinians hailed as a victory for their stand against what they said was an Israeli attempt to end Christian presence in the Holy Land.

C.K./M.K.