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.
Read more: https://zenit.org/2025/08/20/israeli-government-of-jerusalem-municipality-freezes-bank-accounts-of-greek-orthodox-church/
By ZENIT Staff
