JERUSALEM LEADERS SEIZE CHURCH BANK ACCOUNTS
The Times Of Israel Newspaper Says Israeli Government Was Aware Of The Plan Two Weeks Ago But Didn’t Act To Prevent It.
https://www.trunews.com/stream/jerusalem-leaders-seize-church-bank-accounts
In what city officials in Jerusalem are calling a “funding dispute” with the Israeli government, the property of Christian churches in the Old City and surrounding suburbs of East Jerusalem are being seized to cover tens of millions of dollars in fines attributed to “unpaid taxes.” The Jerusalem municipality is citing a new legal opinion that says the properties aren’t legally defined as places of worship and aren’t entitled to tax exemption. As a result, it has begun the process of collecting more than $188 million from nearly 900 properties belonging to various churches and UN agencies.
The fines levied against the major Christian denominations in the city are:
• Catholic Church — $3.4 million
• Anglican Church — $2 million
• Armenian Church — $570,000
• Greek Orthodox Church — $143,500
The seizures included freezing the bank accounts of those churches, but The Times of Israel reports that is only “the first stage” of enforcement. It also reports the Finance Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office were made aware of the city’s plan two weeks ago, but have failed to act. Palestinian Archbishop Atallah Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem denounced the municipal government’s decision: “The churches have been in Jerusalem before Israel was established and they have always been exempt from paying taxes, including under Jordan and the British Mandate. Now the occupation authorities are seeking to change this reality in a bid to expand their control on Jerusalem and weaken and marginalize the presence of Christians in particular and Arabs and Muslims in general, in the city.” The Times also reports that Hanna Issa, secretary general of the Islamic-Christian Commission for Support of Jerusalem and Holy Sites, said the municipality’s “hellish” decision was aimed at “solidifying” Israeli sovereignty on the ground following President Donald Trump’s recognition of the Holy City as Israel’s capital. He described this current move as a “holy war.”