Heads of churches say Israeli government is demanding they pay property tax, upsetting status quo

The owners of Jerusalem forcing Christians to pay an extra tax...

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JERUSALEM (AP) — Leaders of major churches have accused Israeli authorities of launching a “coordinated attack” on the Christian presence in the Holy Land by initiating tax proceedings against them.

While Israeli officials have tried to dismiss the disagreement as a routine financial matter, the churches say the move upsets a centuries-old status quo and reflects mounting intolerance for the tiny Christian presence in the Holy Land.

In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, the heads of the major Christian denominations alleged that four municipalities across Israel had recently submitted warning letters to church officials cautioning them of legal action if they did not pay taxes.

The churches, who are major landowners in the Holy Land, say they do not pay property taxes under longstanding tradition.

The Jerusalem municipality told The Associated Press that the church had not submitted the necessary requests for tax exemptions over the last few years.

In 2018, Christians closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — revered by Christians as the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection — to protest a move by Israeli officials to impose taxes on commercial properties in the holy city.

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