CMEP expresses solidarity with Holy Land churches in face of Israeli taxation attempt

WASHINGTON: Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) today expressed solidarity with churches of the Holy Land in the face of Israeli occupation's attempt to initiate tax proceedings against them. 'Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) stands in solidarity with the Churches of the Holy Land as they undergo yet another attempt by Israeli municipalities to collect taxes on church-owned properties- a move that threatens the sustainability of the Churches to operate,' CMEP said in a public statement. 'CMEP recognizes the harm that these legal proceedings could cause to the ever-shrinking Christian community in this land,' it added while stressing the need to protect 'the Status Quo which has ensured religious freedom and harmony in the Holy Land.' CMEP recalled that on June 23, 2024, Israeli occupation authorities alerted the Churches of Jerusalem, Jaffa, Nazareth and Ramala stating that they were initiating legal procedures against the Churches due to unpaid property taxes. Heads of Churches and Patriarchs repre senting the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate, the Latin Patriarchate, the Anglican Episcopal Diocese, and the Custos of the Holy Land signed a joint letter to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in which they decry these legal procedures as an attack on the Church and the Christian presence in the Holy Land. 'These legal proceedings upset the historical and legal rights of the Churches and contradict previous agreements between the Churches and Israel. They also violate the sacred Status Quo which has existed and been reiterated numerous times in Jerusalem and the Holy Land since the royal decree in the Ottoman Empire in 1757 ensuring that all religions have access to and space to exist peacefully in this sanctified space,' CMEP said. 'These taxes, if collected, could cause irreparable damage to the Churches, the Christian Community, and the many social services they provide, including but not limited to schools, churches, elderly houses, hospitals, kindergartens, orpha nages, and more,' it added. 'If these proceedings are allowed to be pursued, Churches will have to cease the continuation of these social services that they provide to the greater community, regardless of religious affiliation, at little to no cost,' CMEP warned. Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA